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N8n Manager MCP

by ellmos-ai

Manage n8n workflows from MCP clients with CRUD, execution inspection, backups, multi-server routing, and safety controls.

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Install N8n Manager MCP

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ellmos-ai-n8n-manager-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "n8n-manager-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "N8N_MCP_MANAGER_URL": "YOUR_VALUE_HERE",
        "N8N_MANAGER_READ_ONLY": "YOUR_VALUE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Values are written into the snippet above so you can paste it as is. They never leave your browser.

Install not yet sandbox-tested— the server itself is confirmed live (we called its tools/list endpoint). The stdio install command is a separate, ongoing check.

Overview

ellmos-ai/n8n-manager-mcp connects MCP clients to local or remote n8n instances through a local Node.js stdio process. It supports workflow CRUD, activation, execution inspection, import/export, backup and restore, server connection management, and node description. Safety controls can enforce read-only operation, create backups before mutations, and record an audit log. Use it when an AI assistant needs to manage workflows across multiple n8n environments rather than only inspect them.

Use cases

  • Manage workflows across development, staging, and production n8n instances
  • Inspect workflow structure and recent execution failures
  • Export workflows as JSON for transfer between n8n servers
  • Restore workflows from pre-mutation local backups
  • Build workflows with node-type information available to an AI assistant

Key features

  • Workflow CRUD and activation controls
  • Multi-server n8n connection routing
  • Pre-mutation backups and local audit logging
  • Read-only safety mode
  • Workflow import, export, and restore
  • Execution inspection and node descriptions

Tools19

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Security & health

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Scanned 11d ago via OSV.dev · n8n-manager-mcp (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

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GitHub stars2Stargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads839Package downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit5d agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Tools exposed19Callable tools this server registers over MCP.
Directory activity4 viewsConfig copies, upvotes, and views on AllMCPs.

How N8n Manager MCP works

What ellmos-ai/n8n-manager-mcp does

ellmos-ai/n8n-manager-mcp exposes n8n administration and workflow operations as MCP tools for AI clients. It can list workflows, retrieve complete workflow definitions, create and update workflows from full JSON documents, delete workflows, and change activation state. It also reports recent executions, including status, timing, and errors.

Workflow transfer is covered through JSON export and import operations. Local backup tools list snapshots created before mutations and restore a saved workflow either as a new workflow or over an existing workflow. The server also includes a catalog for inspecting common n8n node types before constructing a workflow.

How it works

The process runs locally under Node.js and communicates with an MCP client over standard input and output using JSON-RPC. Requests can be routed to separate n8n instances, such as development, staging, or production, with independently configured credentials. Server connections can be added, listed, tested, and removed through MCP tools.

Mutation requests pass through safety handling before the n8n API or local filesystem is changed. Read-only mode can block mutations, backup-before-mutation can preserve workflow JSON before changes, and audit logging can record activity. The optional n8n-workflow-manager connection adds access to version history, recorded decisions, and synchronization history; those history records are available only when the manager URL is configured.

Setup and configuration

Run the server as a local Node.js process with Node.js 20 or newer and connect it to an MCP client using stdio. The project is published as the n8n-manager-mcp npm package. Client setup is intended for environments including Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf.

Configure n8n connections with the server-management tools. Each connection uses an n8n API key, which can be created in n8n under Settings > API. The configured connections can then be selected for workflow and execution operations, and n8n_ping_server can verify connectivity.

Set N8N_MCP_MANAGER_URL when the optional n8n-workflow-manager seam should provide history and synchronization data. Without that variable, workflow operations communicate directly with n8n and the history tool has no manager history to read. Safety mode can be adjusted with n8n_set_safety_mode, including read-only mode, backup-before-mutation, and audit logging.

Tools and capabilities

The tool set covers:

  • Safety status and local safety configuration.
  • Workflow listing, inspection, creation, update, deletion, activation, import, and export.
  • Recent execution listing with failure details.
  • Multiple n8n server connections, connectivity checks, and removal.
  • Local backup listing and workflow restoration.
  • Common n8n node-type descriptions.
  • Optional manager-service history and synchronization records.

Workflow creation and updates require the full workflow JSON, including nodes and connections. Deletion saves a JSON backup by default, and restoration creates a new workflow unless an existing target workflow ID is supplied.

Limitations and notes

The server operates through n8n API connections rather than replacing n8n itself. The history tool depends on the separate n8n-workflow-manager seam and is read-only. Workflow mutations are subject to the configured safety mode, and workflow import or creation requires a complete n8n workflow definition rather than a partial change set.

The project is licensed under MIT.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

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Frequently Asked Questions about N8n Manager MCP

ellmos-ai/n8n-manager-mcp is an MCP server that connects AI assistants to local or remote n8n instances. Its main tools manage workflow CRUD and activation, inspect executions, handle JSON import/export and backups, route multiple server connections, describe common nodes, and optionally read history from n8n-workflow-manager.

Install and run the `n8n-manager-mcp` npm package with Node.js 20 or newer, then register it in an MCP client using stdio. The project names Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf as supported client environments.

Add an n8n connection with `n8n_add_server` and provide an API key created in n8n under Settings > API. Use `n8n_list_servers` to review configured connections and `n8n_ping_server` to test one.

Set `N8N_MCP_MANAGER_URL` to the running n8n-workflow-manager service. The `n8n_manager_history` tool then reads version history, recorded decisions, and synchronization history; without the variable, the server communicates directly with n8n and no manager history is available.

Enable read-only mode with `n8n_set_safety_mode`. The server also supports backup-before-mutation and audit logging, while `n8n_safety_status` reports the configured safety settings and local backup and audit locations.

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