# n8n (MCP archived)

> Trigger and manage n8n workflows from an AI agent. Community MCP wrapper archived; n8n itself is unaffected.

[Canonical HTML page](https://top-mcps.com/mcp/n8n) · [server.json](https://top-mcps.com/mcp/n8n.json) · [methodology](https://top-mcps.com/about/methodology)

## Install

### Claude Desktop — `claude_desktop_config.json`

Paste under mcpServers. Fully quit and reopen Claude after editing.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "N8N_API_URL": "${N8N_API_URL}",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "${N8N_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Claude Code — `CLI or .mcp.json`

Run from your repo. Commit .mcp.json to share with your team.

```shell
# export N8N_API_URL=https://n8n.example.com/api/v1
# export N8N_API_KEY=your-api-key
claude mcp add n8n -- npx -y @leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server
```

### Cursor — `.cursor/mcp.json`

Global path: ~/.cursor/mcp.json. Reload window after editing.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "N8N_API_URL": "${N8N_API_URL}",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "${N8N_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code — `.vscode/mcp.json`

VS Code uses the "servers" key (not "mcpServers").

```jsonc
{
  "servers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "N8N_API_URL": "${N8N_API_URL}",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "${N8N_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Windsurf — `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`

Open via Cascade → hammer icon → Configure.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "N8N_API_URL": "${N8N_API_URL}",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "${N8N_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Cline — `cline_mcp_settings.json`

Open via the Cline sidebar → MCP Servers → Edit.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "N8N_API_URL": "${N8N_API_URL}",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "${N8N_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Continue — `~/.continue/config.json`

Continue uses modelContextProtocolServers with a transport block.

```json
{
  "experimental": {
    "modelContextProtocolServers": [
      {
        "transport": {
          "type": "stdio",
          "command": "npx",
          "args": [
            "-y",
            "@leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server"
          ],
          "env": {
            "N8N_API_URL": "${N8N_API_URL}",
            "N8N_API_KEY": "${N8N_API_KEY}"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

### Codex CLI — `~/.codex/config.toml`

Codex uses TOML. Each server is a [mcp_servers.<name>] subtable.

```shell
# ~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.n8n]
command = "npx"
args = [
  "-y",
  "@leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server",
]
env = { N8N_API_URL = "${N8N_API_URL}", N8N_API_KEY = "${N8N_API_KEY}" }
```

### Zed — `~/.config/zed/settings.json`

Zed calls them "context_servers". Settings live-reload on save.

```jsonc
{
  "context_servers": {
    "n8n": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": [
          "-y",
          "@leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server"
        ]
      },
      "env": {
        "N8N_API_URL": "${N8N_API_URL}",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "${N8N_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### ChatGPT — `ChatGPT → Apps directory`

n8n (MCP archived) doesn't ship a hosted HTTPS endpoint today. ChatGPT supports remote MCP servers only — to use this server in ChatGPT you'll need to deploy it to a public HTTPS URL first (e.g. via Cloudflare Workers or Vercel) or wait for an official remote build.

```none

```

## At a glance

- **Maintainer:** Community
- **Transport:** stdio
- **Auth model:** API key
- **Required secrets:** N8N_API_URL, N8N_API_KEY
- **Supported clients:** Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Any MCP-compatible client, n8n 1.0+, n8n cloud
- **License:** MIT
- **Language:** TypeScript
- **Latest version:** latest
- **Last verified:** 2026-05-27
- **GitHub stars:** 1,619 (fetched 2026-06-02T11:55:52.330Z)
- **Score:** 64/100 (rubric 2026-04 — see https://top-mcps.com/about/methodology)
- **Source:** https://github.com/leonardsellem/n8n-mcp-server

## Security & scope

- **Access scope:** network
- **Sandbox:** n8n API key in env. The key inherits the user it was issued for; scope by creating a dedicated n8n user for the MCP with only the workflows it needs to trigger.
- **Gotchas:**
  - Triggering production workflows from chat is action-taking — require user confirmation in the client.
  - Run logs may contain sensitive data from the workflows themselves. Treat the audit trail as the source of truth.
  - API keys are long-lived; rotate per the standard playbook.

## Quick answer

**What it does.** Connects to an n8n instance and exposes workflow listing, manual triggering, execution status, and run inspection to AI models.

**Best for:**
- Triggering existing n8n workflows
- Checking execution status from chat
- Inspecting failed runs
- Listing available workflows
- Workflow-driven agent loops

**Not for:**
- Workflow authoring (use the n8n UI)
- High-frequency event-driven triggers (use n8n webhooks directly)

## Description

A community-maintained MCP that connects an AI agent to a self-hosted or cloud n8n instance. List workflows, trigger executions, fetch execution status, and inspect run history. Designed for teams that already orchestrate work in n8n and want an agent to be able to kick off workflows or inspect why one failed. Note: the community n8n MCP wrapper is archived — no upstream maintenance. n8n itself ships native MCP support directly; new installs should use that instead of the deprecated wrapper.

## Why it matters

n8n is the open-source automation default for self-hosting teams. An MCP turns "open the n8n UI" into "ask the agent to run the daily report workflow."

## Key features

- Self-hosted + cloud n8n support
- API-key auth
- Workflow enumeration
- Manual execution trigger
- Execution status + logs

## FAQ

### Self-hosted only?

No — works against n8n Cloud too. Pass the cloud API URL (https://app.n8n.cloud/api/v1) and a cloud-issued API key.

### Can the agent edit workflows?

Not by design. Workflow definitions are versioned config — editing through an agent loop is too easy to break. Edit in the n8n UI; trigger from the MCP.

### How are credentials handled?

The n8n side owns credentials. The MCP token only gives access to trigger workflows and read run status — it never touches the credentials each workflow uses internally.

### Rate limits?

Whatever your n8n deployment enforces. The MCP itself does no throttling — pair with sensible API rate limits if many agents share one instance.

## Changelog

- **2026-05-27** — Refreshed install snippets and fact sheet; verified for 2026.
- **2025-04-12** — Initial directory listing.