# workflows-mcp-server [Health: Active]
**Category:** 💻 Developer Tools
**Repository:** https://github.com/cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server
**GitHub Stars:** 31
**Views:** 0
**Installs:** 0
**Upvotes:** 0
**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/workflows-mcp-server
## Description
Store, query, and create YAML workflow playbooks for LLM agents.
## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `bunx` (confidence: high):
```json
"mcpServers": {
"workflows-mcp-server": {
"command": "bunx",
"args": ["@cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server@latest"]
}
}
```
## Documentation & README
@cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server
Store, query, and create YAML workflow playbooks for LLM agents via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP.
5 Tools
[](./CHANGELOG.md) [](./LICENSE) [](https://github.com/users/cyanheads/packages/container/package/workflows-mcp-server) [](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server) [](https://www.typescriptlang.org/) [](https://bun.sh/)
[](https://github.com/cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server/releases/latest/download/workflows-mcp-server.mcpb) [](https://cursor.com/en/install-mcp?name=workflows-mcp-server&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjoibnB4IiwiYXJncyI6WyIteSIsIkBjeWFuaGVhZHMvd29ya2Zsb3dzLW1jcC1zZXJ2ZXIiXX0=) [](https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode:mcp/install?%7B%22name%22%3A%22workflows-mcp-server%22%2C%22command%22%3A%22npx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22-y%22%2C%22%40cyanheads%2Fworkflows-mcp-server%22%5D%7D)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core)
---
## Tools
Five tools covering the full workflow library lifecycle — discovery, retrieval, creation, and deletion for both permanent and temporary workflows:
| Tool | Description |
|:-----|:------------|
| `workflow_list` | List all permanent workflows in the index, with optional keyword, category, and tag filters. |
| `workflow_get` | Retrieve a complete workflow definition by name, with global instructions prepended. |
| `workflow_create` | Write a new permanent workflow YAML to the library. |
| `workflow_create_temp` | Write a temporary one-shot workflow, indexed but excluded from list results. |
| `workflow_delete` | Permanently remove a permanent workflow by name and optional version. |
### `workflow_list`
List permanent workflows from the in-memory index.
- Optional keyword `query` filter (case-insensitive substring across workflow name and description)
- Optional category filter (case-insensitive substring match)
- Optional tag filter (AND match — all listed tags must be present)
- Set `includeTools: true` to surface the unique `server/tool` pairs used across each workflow's steps
- Temporary workflows are excluded; results sorted by name then version descending
- Empty results echo the applied filters with a hint to broaden
---
### `workflow_get`
Retrieve a complete workflow by name, including the global instructions document.
- Semver-aware: omit `version` to get the highest available match; specify a version for an exact lookup
- Returns the full workflow YAML structure with all steps and metadata
- Injects the `global_instructions.md` content as `globalInstructions` — apply these when executing the workflow; `null` when the file is absent
- Temporary workflows are accessible here even though excluded from `workflow_list`
- Template placeholders (`{{input.foo}}`, `{{steps.X.output.Y}}`) are returned verbatim — the server never interpolates them
---
### `workflow_create`
Write a new permanent workflow to the library.
- Workflow stored at `categories//--workflow.yaml` — one file per `name@version`, so multiple versions coexist
- Rejects if `name@version` already exists — bump the version to create a new revision
- Server stamps `created_date` and `last_updated_date` automatically
- Index and snapshot rebuilt after write; filesystem watcher also fires (idempotent, debounced)
---
### `workflow_create_temp`
Write a throwaway workflow to the `temp/` directory.
- No conflict check — temp workflows are intentionally ephemeral and overwriteable
- Indexed and accessible via `workflow_get` but excluded from `workflow_list` results
- Useful for one-shot plans, short-lived scaffolding, or session-specific orchestration steps
---
### `workflow_delete`
Permanently remove a permanent workflow from the library.
- Semver-aware: omit `version` to delete the highest available match; specify a version to target one exactly
- Only permanent workflows can be deleted — temporary workflows are rejected (they expire on their own)
- Irreversible: the file is removed and the workflow no longer appears in `workflow_list` or `workflow_get`
---
## Features
Built on [`@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core):
- Declarative tool definitions — single file per primitive, framework handles registration and validation
- Unified error handling — handlers throw, framework catches, classifies, and formats
- Pluggable auth: `none`, `jwt`, `oauth`
- Swappable storage backends: `in-memory`, `filesystem`, `Supabase`, `Cloudflare KV/R2/D1`
- Structured logging with optional OpenTelemetry tracing
- STDIO and Streamable HTTP transports
Workflow library:
- In-memory index keyed by `name@version`, built at startup from `workflows-yaml/categories/` recursively
- Semver-aware lookup — latest version returned when version is omitted
- Filesystem watcher (Node.js `fs.watch` recursive) rebuilds the index on any add/change/remove; debounced to avoid thrash
- YAML validated at index time — invalid files are skipped and logged, never crash the server
- `_index.json` snapshot written on every rebuild for external tooling and debugging
- Configurable `WORKFLOWS_DIR`, `GLOBAL_INSTRUCTIONS_PATH`, and debounce interval
Agent-friendly output:
- `workflow_get` always includes `globalInstructions` alongside the workflow — no second call needed
- Discriminated `source` field (`permanent` | `temp`) on every `workflow_get` response
- Typed error contracts with structured `reason` codes (`not_found`, `version_not_found`, `already_exists`, `temp_not_allowed`, `index_unavailable`) so callers can branch on error type rather than parsing messages
- `workflow_list` with `includeTools: true` surfaces all MCP server/tool dependencies at a glance
---
## Getting started
No API keys required. The server reads from a local `workflows-yaml/` directory by default.
Add the following to your MCP client configuration file:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"workflows-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "bunx",
"args": ["@cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server@latest"],
"env": {
"MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
"WORKFLOWS_DIR": "/absolute/path/to/your/workflows-yaml"
}
}
}
}
```
Or with npx (no Bun required):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"workflows-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server@latest"],
"env": {
"MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
"WORKFLOWS_DIR": "/absolute/path/to/your/workflows-yaml"
}
}
}
}
```
Or with Docker:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"workflows-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run", "-i", "--rm",
"-e", "MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE=stdio",
"-v", "/absolute/path/to/your/workflows-yaml:/workflows-yaml",
"-e", "WORKFLOWS_DIR=/workflows-yaml",
"ghcr.io/cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server:latest"
]
}
}
}
```
For Streamable HTTP, set the transport and start the server:
```sh
MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE=http MCP_HTTP_PORT=3010 bun run start:http
# Server listens at http://localhost:3010/mcp
```
### Seed workflows
The repository ships a `workflows-yaml/` directory with example workflows organized under `categories/`. These are ready to use as a starting point. The `workflows-yaml/global_instructions.md` file contains instructions the server prepends to every `workflow_get` response — edit it to set global guidance for your agent.
### Prerequisites
- [Bun v1.3.0](https://bun.sh/) or higher (or Node.js v24+).
- A local directory containing YAML workflow files (or use the bundled `workflows-yaml/` seed).
### Installation
1. **Clone the repository:**
```sh
git clone https://github.com/cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server.git
```
2. **Navigate into the directory:**
```sh
cd workflows-mcp-server
```
3. **Install dependencies:**
```sh
bun install
```
4. **Configure environment:**
```sh
cp .env.example .env
# edit .env if needed — most settings have defaults
```
---
## Configuration
| Variable | Description | Default |
|:---------|:------------|:--------|
| `WORKFLOWS_DIR` | Absolute or relative path to the workflows root directory. | `./workflows-yaml` |
| `GLOBAL_INSTRUCTIONS_PATH` | Path to the global instructions markdown file. Derives from `WORKFLOWS_DIR` when not set. | `/global_instructions.md` |
| `WATCHER_DEBOUNCE_MS` | Milliseconds to debounce filesystem change events before rebuilding the index. | `500` |
| `MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE` | Transport: `stdio` or `http`. | `stdio` |
| `MCP_HTTP_PORT` | Port for HTTP server. | `3010` |
| `MCP_AUTH_MODE` | Auth mode: `none`, `jwt`, or `oauth`. | `none` |
| `MCP_LOG_LEVEL` | Log level (RFC 5424). | `info` |
| `OTEL_ENABLED` | Enable [OpenTelemetry instrumentation](https://github.com/cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/tree/main/docs/telemetry) (spans, metrics, completion logs). | `false` |
See [`.env.example`](https://github.com/cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server/blob/HEAD/.env.example) for the full list of optional overrides.
---
## Running the server
### Local development
- **Build and run:**
```sh
# One-time build
bun run rebuild
# Run the built server
bun run start:stdio
# or
bun run start:http
```
- **Run checks and tests:**
```sh
bun run devcheck # Lint, format, typecheck, security
bun run test # Vitest test suite
bun run lint:mcp # Validate MCP definitions against spec
```
### Docker
```sh
docker build -t workflows-mcp-server .
docker run --rm \
-v /path/to/workflows-yaml:/workflows-yaml \
-e WORKFLOWS_DIR=/workflows-yaml \
-p 3010:3010 \
workflows-mcp-server
```
The Dockerfile defaults to HTTP transport, stateless session mode, and logs to `/var/log/workflows-mcp-server`. OpenTelemetry peer dependencies are installed by default — build with `--build-arg OTEL_ENABLED=false` to omit them.
---
## Project structure
| Directory | Purpose |
|:----------|:--------|
| `src/index.ts` | `createApp()` entry point — registers tools and inits the workflow index service. |
| `src/config/` | Server-specific environment variable parsing and validation with Zod. |
| `src/mcp-server/tools/` | Tool definitions (`*.tool.ts`). |
| `src/services/workflow-index/` | `WorkflowIndexService` — YAML parsing, index build, watcher, semver lookup, write helpers. |
| `tests/` | Unit and integration tests mirroring `src/`. |
| `workflows-yaml/` | Seed workflow library — `categories/` for permanent workflows, `temp/` for throwaway ones, `global_instructions.md` for agent-global guidance. |
---
## Development guide
See [`CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server/blob/HEAD/CLAUDE.md) for development guidelines and architectural rules. The short version:
- Handlers throw, framework catches — no `try/catch` in tool logic
- Use `ctx.log` for request-scoped logging
- Register new tools via the barrel in `src/mcp-server/tools/definitions/index.ts`
- Filesystem operations go through `WorkflowIndexService`, not directly in tool handlers
---
## Contributing
Issues and pull requests are welcome. Run checks and tests before submitting:
```sh
bun run devcheck
bun run test
```
---
## License
Apache-2.0 — see [LICENSE](https://github.com/cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server/blob/HEAD/LICENSE) for details.