n8n_MCP_server_complete

This MCP server enables AI agents and LLMs to manage and orchestrate n8n workflows directly from natural language prompts. It exposes a set of MCP tools to list available workflows, fetch details for a specific workflow, execute workflows with optional input data, and retrieve execution histories. With these capabilities, an agent can discover workflows, inspect their parameters, trigger executions, and monitor outcomes without leaving the conversation. The tools include: n8n_list_workflows to enumerate workflows; n8n_get_workflow to view details; n8n_execute_workflow to run a workflow with optional inputs; and n8n_get_executions to review recent executions. Additional controls allow activating or deactivating workflows via n8n_activate_workflow and n8n_deactivate_workflow. To use them, connect your LLM client to the MCP server URL (for example http://localhost:3000/mcp) and issue the respective JSON-RPC method names and parameters as shown in the README.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js (v14+) or Docker, depending on your preferred deployment method
• Access to an n8n instance with API access and a valid API key
• Optional: Docker if you plan to run the MCP server via the Docker configuration

Installation steps:

1. Install via npm (example for environments using npm node): npm install @dopehunter/n8n-mcp-server

2. Create and configure environment variables (example):

   • Copy the example env file and edit it with your n8n details cp .env.example .env
   • Set N8N_BASE_URL to the base API URL of your n8n instance (e.g., http://localhost:5678/api)
   • Set N8N_API_KEY to your n8n API key

3. Start the server (example using npm): npm start

If you prefer Docker: 4) Run via Docker (from the provided configuration example): docker run -i --rm --init -e N8N_API_KEY=$N8N_API_KEY -e N8N_BASE_URL=$N8N_BASE_URL mcp/n8n-mcp-server

Additional notes:

• Ensure your n8n instance is reachable from the MCP server host
• Review the Troubleshooting guide for common issues

Environment variables: N8N_BASE_URL and N8N_API_KEY are required to connect to your n8n instance. If you deploy behind a proxy or VPN, ensure network access and appropriate CORS settings are configured on n8n. The MCP server supports both Docker and NPX deployment modes; choose the one that aligns with your environment. If you encounter authentication issues, verify that the API key has sufficient permissions. When testing, you can use the example curl payload shown in the README to validate basic MCP calls. For production deployments, consider running the server behind a reverse proxy and enabling TLS.