n8n Workflow Builder MCP Server
n8n workflows created through natural language and managed across multiple instances.
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Overview
This server bridges n8n and AI assistants, allowing users to build, manage, and monitor automated workflows using natural language prompts. It removes the necessity for manual JSON editing or toggling between the n8n UI and development environments. Designed for integration with tools like Claude AI and Cursor IDE, it provides 17 specific tools for managing workflow lifecycles, including creation, activation, and execution monitoring. It also supports multi-instance management, enabling users to coordinate between development, staging, and production environments directly from their IDE.
Our verdict
This server receives a security score of 22/100, which indicates a high-risk level. The score is primarily impacted by the absence of an authentication method, meaning any user with access to the configuration can control it, and the lack of a read-only mode, which grants full write access upon installation. Given these findings, this server is recommended only for isolated, trusted environments and should not be deployed in production or with sensitive credentials without additional external safeguards.
- Supports multi-instance management for dev, staging, and prod
- Provides 17 specialized tools for workflow lifecycle control
- Small dependency footprint with only 6 direct dependencies
- Comprehensive documentation hosted on a dedicated documentation site
- Lacks authentication, allowing unauthorized access via config files
- Lacks read-only mode, defaulting to full write permissions
- Community-maintained project rather than an official vendor release
- Has not undergone an editorial security review
Setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-n8n-workflow-builder": {
"args": [
"-y",
"@kernel.salacoste/n8n-workflow-builder"
],
"command": "npx"
}
}
}Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows), then restart Claude Desktop. Some servers require API keys or tokens as environment variables — check the project's README and add an "env" object if needed.
- No read-only mode — running this grants full read/write access.
- No built-in authentication — anyone with access to this config can invoke every tool it exposes.
Tools
| Tool | Description | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| list_workflows | List all workflows with filtering | low |
| get_workflow | Retrieve complete workflow details | low |
| create_workflow | Build new workflows from scratch | medium |
| update_workflow | Modify existing workflows | medium |
| delete_workflow | Remove workflows | high |
| activate_workflow | Enable workflow execution | medium |
| deactivate_workflow | Disable workflow execution | medium |
| execute_workflow | Manually trigger workflow runs | high |
| list_executions | View execution history with filters | low |
| get_execution | Detailed execution information | low |
| delete_execution | Remove execution records | high |
| retry_execution | Retry failed workflow runs | high |
| list_tags | Retrieve all workflow tags | low |
| get_tags | Retrieve all workflow tags | low |
| get_tag | Get specific tag information | low |
| create_tag | Create workflow organization tags | medium |
| update_tag | Modify tag information | medium |
| delete_tag | Remove workflow tags | high |
| get_credential_schema | Get credential type JSON schema | low |
| list_credentials | Security guidance (blocked by n8n API) | low |
| get_credential | Security guidance (blocked by n8n API) | low |
| create_credential | Create credentials with schema validation | medium |
| update_credential | Immutability guidance (DELETE + CREATE) | medium |
| delete_credential | Permanently remove credentials | high |
Compatibility
| Client | Local | Docker | Remote | Read-only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Desktop | ||||
| Cursor | ||||
| VS Code | ||||
| Windsurf | ||||
| ChatGPT |
Frequently asked questions
›What software do I need to run this MCP server?
You need Node.js v14+ (v18+ recommended) and npm v7+ installed on your system. You also need an active n8n instance, ideally running version 1.82.3 or later, with API access enabled.
›Can I manage multiple n8n environments simultaneously?
Yes, the server supports multi-instance management. You can configure multiple environments, such as production, staging, and development, within a single .config.json file.
›How do I configure the server for a single n8n instance?
For single-instance setups, you can use a .env file to define your N8N_HOST and N8N_API_KEY. This method is backward compatible with earlier configurations.
›Does this tool require me to manually edit workflow JSON?
No, the server provides a natural language interface that allows you to create and manage workflows using plain English prompts, eliminating the need for manual JSON editing.
›What kind of workflow management tasks can the server perform?
The server includes 17 tools covering the complete workflow lifecycle, including workflow creation, updates, deletion, activation, execution, monitoring, and tag-based organization.
Alternatives
Changelog
- Security
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