n8n MCP Community

A security-focused Model Context Protocol server for self-hosted n8n Community Edition

Give your AI client 44 tools for self-hosted n8n Community Edition. Manage workflows, nodes, runs, credentials, tags, users, and diagnostics. No paid n8n features. The server makes no external AI calls.

Install

You need Node.js 22 or 24, your n8n URL, and an n8n API key.

Install

npm install --global n8n-mcp-community@latest

--global installs the command once. Use npx below if you do not want a global install.

Connect

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-community": {
      "command": "n8n-mcp-community",
      "env": {
        "N8N_API_URL": "https://n8n.example.com",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "replace-with-a-dedicated-api-key",
        "N8N_MCP_MODE": "read-only"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart your client. You should see 44 tools, 5 resources, and 4 prompts.

If the client cannot find the command, run command -v n8n-mcp-community on macOS/Linux or where n8n-mcp-community on Windows. Put that full path in "command".

Want no global install? Copy this command into the client configuration shown in the full guide:

npx --yes n8n-mcp-community@latest

Want the Claude Desktop app flow? Use the MCPB below. See the full installation guide for updates, rollback, and checks.

Claude Desktop: install the MCPB (no Node.js needed)

1. Open the latest GitHub release.
2. Download the file that ends in .mcpb.
3. In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Extensions → Advanced settings → Install Extension….
4. Pick the file. Enter your n8n URL, API key, and mode.

Anthropic's MCPB guide explains the same steps. Our installation guide explains how to check the download.

Install public builds only from npm or the latest GitHub release.

Read the demo transcript.

Why this project

• Community Edition first. The release surface is designed for self-hosted n8n Community Edition, without presenting paid-only capabilities as available.
• 44 useful tools, one explicit contract. Every tool has bounded inputs, documented side effects, MCP safety annotations, and contract tests.
• Safe by default. Read-only mode is the default. You choose when to allow writes or the full tool set.
• Deterministic Introspect. n8n_introspect runs a local 23-rule engine; it does not execute workflows, call an agent, or contact an external model.
• Surgical node updates. n8n_update_node changes one validated node path while preserving the rest of the workflow and disclosing the Public API's non-atomic limitation.
• Truthful discovery. n8n_list_node_types reports only types observed in accessible workflows. It does not claim to be a complete installed catalog.
• Data minimization. Credential values, raw execution values, pin data, and static workflow data are not returned by the generic public tools.

Safety modes

Selecting unsafe mode is the complete server-side authorization gate for unsafe tools. MCP safety annotations remain accurate so compatible clients can apply their native approval UX, and the n8n API key remains the final upstream permission boundary.

Plain HTTP is accepted automatically only for loopback URLs. A non-loopback HTTP instance additionally requires N8N_ALLOW_INSECURE_HTTP=1, which accepts the risk of exposing the API key and data in transit.

Tool catalog

Every entry links to its complete input, output, endpoint, compatibility, failure, and security reference.

Workflows

Executions

Credentials

Tags

Users

Diagnostics and instance metadata

Resources and prompts

The server also exposes five static resources:

• n8n://usage-guide
• n8n://node-docs/webhook
• n8n://node-docs/code
• n8n://node-docs/http-request
• n8n://node-docs/if

Four prompts guide safe workflow creation, debugging, optimization, and credential management: create-workflow, debug-workflow, optimize-workflow, and manage-credentials.

Security model in one minute

• The server uses local stdio; it does not expose an inbound HTTP listener.
• Connected requests are same-origin and limited to the configured n8n host.
• Redirects are rejected; request and response bodies are bounded to 2 MiB.
• Generic output is validated, sanitized, bounded to 256 KiB, and wrapped as { "data": ..., "redacted": boolean, "untrusted": true }.
• Raw credential values and generic execution payload values are never returned.
• n8n_introspect uses fixed local rules and has no external-model code path.
• Security controls reduce risk; they do not make untrusted n8n content safe to execute or authorize broader API-key permissions.

Read the complete security model and use SECURITY.md to report a vulnerability privately.

Documentation

• Documentation map
• Getting started
• Installation and upgrades
• Configuration
• Complete tool reference
• Tested examples
• FAQ
• Client configuration
• Architecture
• Security model
• Compatibility
• Troubleshooting
• Provenance
• Roadmap
• Changelog

Development

npm ci
npm run verify:contributor
npm run sbom > sbom.cdx.json

npm run verify:contributor runs the complete keyless contributor gate, including formatting, dependency licenses/notices, strict TypeScript, all tests, the compiled runtime, and documentation inventory parity. See CONTRIBUTING.md before opening a change.

Scope and non-affiliation

This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by n8n GmbH. “n8n” is used only to identify compatibility with the n8n product and Public API. The project does not redistribute the n8n-nodes-base catalog and does not use browser cookies, interactive session routes, or runtime package downloads to construct one.

The v0.3.0 candidate surface intentionally excludes arbitrary workflow execution, credential/workflow transfer, folders, data tables, beta evaluation endpoints, and execution annotations. See the roadmap for the annotation proposal retained outside the release target.

License and maintainer

The project is released under the MIT License. Third-party dependencies retain their own licenses.

Created and maintained by Dr. Walter Zamarian Jr..