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Overview

The n8n-MCP server provides 20 specialized tools designed to help AI agents build, validate, and manage n8n workflows efficiently. These tools are optimized to reduce token usage while providing comprehensive functionality.

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Tool Categories

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Discovery Tools

These tools help you find and explore n8n nodes.

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tools_documentation

Get documentation for MCP tools themselves. 
{
  "topic": "search_nodes",
  "depth": "essentials"  // or "full"
}
Call without parameters for a quick start guide, or use depth="full" for comprehensive documentation.

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search_nodes

Search for n8n nodes by keyword with optional real-world examples. 
{
  "query": "webhook",
  "limit": 20,
  "mode": "OR",  // "OR", "AND", or "FUZZY"
  "includeExamples": true,
  "source": "all"  // "all", "core", "community", "verified"
}
Search Modes:
  • OR - Match any word (default, broadest results)
  • AND - Match all words (narrower results)
  • FUZZY - Typo-tolerant matching
{
  "results": [
    {
      "nodeType": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook",
      "displayName": "Webhook",
      "description": "Receive web requests",
      "category": "Core Nodes",
      "examples": [
        {
          "templateId": 1234,
          "config": {
            "path": "my-webhook",
            "httpMethod": "POST"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

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Configuration Tools

These tools provide node schemas and configuration details.

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get_node

Get detailed node information with progressive detail levels. 
{
  "nodeType": "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  "detail": "standard",  // "minimal", "standard", "full"
  "mode": "info",        // "info", "docs", "search_properties", etc.
  "includeTypeInfo": false,
  "includeExamples": false
}
Detail Levels:
  • minimal - ~200 tokens (basic info only)
  • standard - ~1-2K tokens (recommended, essential properties)
  • full - ~3-8K tokens (everything, use sparingly)
Modes:
  • info (default) - Node schema with properties
  • docs - Readable markdown documentation
  • search_properties - Find specific properties by query
  • versions - List available versions
  • compare - Compare two versions
  • breaking - Show breaking changes between versions
  • migrations - Migration guide between versions
Token Optimization: Start with detail="standard" which provides 10-20 essential properties instead of 200+. Use detail="full" only when you need advanced configuration options.

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Validation Tools

Ensure your configurations are correct before execution.

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validate_node

Validate a single node configuration with comprehensive error checking. 
{
  "nodeType": "nodes-base.slack",
  "config": {
    "resource": "channel",
    "operation": "create"
  },
  "mode": "full",          // "full" or "minimal"
  "profile": "ai-friendly"  // "strict", "runtime", "ai-friendly", "minimal"
}
Validation Modes:
  • full - Comprehensive validation with errors/warnings/suggestions
  • minimal - Quick check for required fields only
Validation Profiles:
  • minimal - Only critical errors (missing required fields)
  • runtime - Errors that would cause runtime failures
  • ai-friendly - Balanced validation with helpful suggestions (default)
  • strict - Everything including best practices and security checks
Response Structure: 
{
  "valid": boolean,
  "errors": [
    {
      "type": "missing_required" | "invalid_type" | "invalid_value",
      "property": "channel",
      "message": "Required property 'channel' is missing",
      "fix": "Add channel to your configuration"
    }
  ],
  "warnings": [
    {
      "type": "missing_common" | "security" | "best_practice",
      "property": "authentication",
      "message": "API endpoints typically require authentication",
      "suggestion": "Consider setting authentication"
    }
  ],
  "suggestions": ["Consider setting 'timeout' for better control"],
  "summary": {
    "hasErrors": false,
    "errorCount": 0,
    "warningCount": 1,
    "suggestionCount": 3
  }
}

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validate_workflow

Validate an entire workflow including structure, connections, and expressions. 
{
  "workflow": {
    "nodes": [...],
    "connections": {...}
  },
  "options": {
    "validateNodes": true,
    "validateConnections": true,
    "validateExpressions": true,
    "profile": "runtime"
  }
}
Essential before deployment: Always validate workflows before deploying to catch connection errors, invalid expressions, and configuration issues.

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Template Tools

Discover and use pre-built workflow templates.

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get_template

Get a specific template by ID. 
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "mode": "full"  // "nodes_only", "structure", "full"
}
Modes:
  • nodes_only - Just the node list (minimal)
  • structure - Nodes + connections
  • full - Complete workflow JSON

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search_templates

Search for workflow templates using multiple strategies. 
{
  "searchMode": "keyword",  // "keyword", "by_nodes", "by_task", "by_metadata"
  "query": "chatbot",       // For keyword mode
  "limit": 20,
  "offset": 0
}
Search Modes:

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Building a New Workflow

  1. Search for nodes: 
    search_nodes({"query": "http api", "mode": "OR"})
  2. Get node details: 
    get_node({"nodeType": "nodes-base.httpRequest", "detail": "standard"})
  3. Validate configuration: 
    validate_node({
  "nodeType": "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  "config": {"url": "https://api.example.com"},
  "mode": "full"
})
  4. Validate complete workflow: 
    validate_workflow({"workflow": {...}})

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Using Templates

  1. Search for templates: 
    search_templates({
  "searchMode": "by_task",
  "task": "slack_integration"
})
  2. Get template details: 
    get_template({"templateId": 1234, "mode": "full"})
  3. Modify and validate: 
    validate_workflow({"workflow": modifiedTemplate})

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Performance Tips

Token Optimization Best Practices:
  1. Use get_node with detail="standard" (95% smaller than full)
  2. Use mode="search_properties" to find specific properties
  3. Use validate_node with mode="minimal" for quick checks
  4. Use includeExamples=true only when you need real-world examples
  5. Use templates as starting points instead of building from scratch

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Common Patterns

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HTTP API Integration

// 1. Find HTTP nodes
const nodes = await search_nodes({query: "http", limit: 5})

// 2. Get standard configuration
const nodeInfo = await get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  detail: "standard"
})

// 3. Validate your config
const validation = await validate_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.httpRequest",
  config: {
    url: "https://api.example.com/users",
    method: "POST",
    sendBody: true,
    contentType: "json"
  },
  profile: "ai-friendly"
})

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Database Operations

// 1. Search for database nodes
const dbNodes = await search_nodes({
  query: "database postgres",
  mode: "AND"
})

// 2. Get documentation
const docs = await get_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.postgres",
  mode: "docs"
})

// 3. Validate with strict profile for production
const validation = await validate_node({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.postgres",
  config: {
    operation: "executeQuery",
    query: "SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = $1"
  },
  profile: "strict"
})

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Error Handling

Common Validation Errors:
  • missing_required - Add the required property
  • invalid_type - Check the expected type (string, number, boolean, object)
  • invalid_value - Value not in allowed options or wrong format
  • invalid_configuration - Complex type structure is incorrect (filter, resourceLocator, etc.)

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Next Steps

Node Search

Learn about full-text search and filtering

Validation

Deep dive into multi-level validation

Templates

Discover pre-built workflow templates

Workflows

Understand workflow structure and validation

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