n8n MCP Community

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

Connect an MCP client to a bounded 44-tool n8n Community Edition management surface: create, edit, activate, and delete workflows, update individual nodes surgically, and manage executions, credentials, tags, users, diagnostics, and instance metadata — 44 carefully bounded tools in total. Safety here is progressive, not restrictive: the server defaults to read-only, write unlocks authoring, and unsafe unlocks every tool with an exact per-call confirmation phrase for each destructive operation. It starts offline, uses the supported n8n Public API, and never sends workflow data to an external AI provider.

Release evidence: install only a version that appears consistently on npm, the latest GitHub release, and the MCP Registry entry io.github.drzamarian/n8n-mcp-community. A version in the source tree remains a candidate until those external readbacks agree. See Installation.

Read the synthetic terminal demo transcript. It shows the exact-version startup, 44-tool inventory, and local Introspect diagnostics using only synthetic identifiers and documented output shapes.

Animated synthetic terminal demonstration showing the exact-version startup, MCP inventory, and local Introspect result

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. Writes and destructive or externally contacting operations require progressively stronger gates.
• 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.

Current verification

The current source candidate has been verified with:

• exactly 44 tools, 5 resources, and 4 prompts over real stdio;
• 291 passing tests and the complete verification gate on Node.js 22.23.1 and 24.18.0;
• zero findings from Gitleaks, Semgrep, Trivy, and both project-root production/full npm audit runs; all three source scanners are reproduced in CI, with immutable scanner/action identities;
• a separate no-override consumer install that resolves the reviewed @hono/node-server@1.19.15 backport, accepts only an exact GHSA-frvp-7c67-39w9 advisory or a fully clean advisory readback while registry metadata converges, and proves the stdio runtime and exact 44/5/4 inventory;
• a reproducible dependency-license gate covering 224 installed package paths;
• bounded same-origin HTTP contracts and zero-request policy-denial tests;
• all 44 compiled tool lifecycles on disposable n8n Community 2.30.5 and 2.30.7 instances with egress isolation, revoked keys, cleanup, and zero residue; and
• a reviewed offline npm-tarball installation under the project's committed dependency policy, plus a byte-reproducible unsigned MCPB with the same compiled runtime and complete production dependency notices.

Publication proceeds only through the reviewed release procedure: the repository-pinned MCPB signing identity, a human artifact-baseline receipt, tag-scoped protected-environment approval, and an externally signed MCPB handoff verified byte for byte against the reviewed unsigned candidate.

Quick start

Requirements: Node.js 22 or 24, npm, a self-hosted n8n Community Edition instance, and an n8n Public API key with only the permissions you need.

First identify a version whose npm provenance and GitHub release assets you have verified, then replace <VERIFIED_VERSION> below. Keep the pin exact:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-community": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["--yes", "n8n-mcp-community@<VERIFIED_VERSION>"],
      "env": {
        "N8N_API_URL": "https://n8n.example.com",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "replace-with-a-dedicated-api-key",
        "N8N_MCP_MODE": "read-only"
      }
    }
  }
}

read-only is the recommended starting point, not a capability ceiling: the same 44-tool surface includes full workflow authoring. Set N8N_MCP_MODE=write to create and edit workflows, nodes, credentials, and tags, or N8N_MCP_MODE=unsafe to enable every tool — activation, deletion, retries, and the other destructive operations, each still guarded by an exact per-call confirmation phrase. See Safety modes.

Restart the MCP client and confirm exactly 44 tools, 5 resources, and 4 prompts. Compatible desktop clients can instead install the signed MCPB from the latest verified release; verify its checksum against the release SHA256SUMS first.

Quick start from source

Requirements: Node.js 22 or 24, npm, and a Git checkout of this repository.

npm ci
npm run verify:contributor

Configure your MCP client to run the compiled stdio entry point:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-community": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/n8n-mcp-community/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "N8N_API_URL": "https://n8n.example.com",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "replace-with-your-api-key",
        "N8N_MCP_MODE": "read-only"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart the MCP client and list tools. The server can initialize and expose its inventory without n8n credentials; connected tools validate the URL and API key only when called.

Verified releases provide both a signed MCPB for compatible clients and exact-version npx configuration for portability. @latest, global installs, and curl | shell are not reproducible defaults. See Installation for the release policy and client-specific guidance.

Safety modes

Unsafe mode is necessary but not sufficient. Every unsafe call also requires a confirmation such as DELETE wf_123, STOP exec_123, or TEST cred_123. 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 v0.1.2 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..