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Overview

Connect n8n-MCP to Claude Desktop to give Claude comprehensive knowledge about n8n’s 1,084 workflow automation nodes, including 265 AI-capable tools.

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Prerequisites

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop application installed

Node.js (npx)

Any version for npx method

Docker (optional)

For Docker deployment method

Git (optional)

For local installation

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Configuration File Location

Find your claude_desktop_config.json file: 
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

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Configuration Methods

The fastest way to get started - no installation required:
1

Basic Configuration

For documentation tools only (no n8n API required):
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["n8n-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_MODE": "stdio",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "error",
        "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}
2

Full Configuration

For documentation AND workflow management tools:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["n8n-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_MODE": "stdio",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "error",
        "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT": "true",
        "N8N_API_URL": "https://your-n8n-instance.com",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}
3

Restart Claude Desktop

Quit and reopen Claude Desktop, or press Cmd/Ctrl+R to reload
The MCP_MODE: "stdio" environment variable is required for Claude Desktop. Without it, you will see JSON parsing errors in the UI.

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Method 2: Docker

Run n8n-MCP from a Docker container with no local installation:
1

Pull Docker Image

docker pull ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest
2

Configure Claude Desktop

Basic configuration (documentation only):
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-mcp": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "--init",
        "-e", "MCP_MODE=stdio",
        "-e", "LOG_LEVEL=error",
        "-e", "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT=true",
        "ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}
3

Full Configuration (with n8n API)

For workflow management features:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-mcp": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "--init",
        "-e", "MCP_MODE=stdio",
        "-e", "LOG_LEVEL=error",
        "-e", "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT=true",
        "-e", "N8N_API_URL=https://your-n8n-instance.com",
        "-e", "N8N_API_KEY=your-api-key",
        "ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}
4

Restart Claude Desktop

Quit and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new configuration
The -i flag is required for MCP stdio communication. Without it, Claude Desktop cannot communicate with the Docker container.

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Method 3: Local Installation

For development or custom modifications:
1

Clone and Build

git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp.git
cd n8n-mcp
npm install
npm run build
npm run rebuild
2

Test Installation

npm start
3

Configure Claude Desktop

Replace /absolute/path/to/n8n-mcp with your actual path:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/n8n-mcp/dist/mcp/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_MODE": "stdio",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "error",
        "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT": "true",
        "N8N_API_URL": "https://your-n8n-instance.com",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}
Use absolute paths, not relative paths. Paths starting with ~ or ./ will not work.

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Local n8n Instance Configuration

If you’re running n8n locally (e.g., http://localhost:5678), you need to allow localhost webhooks: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-mcp": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run", "-i", "--rm", "--init",
        "-e", "MCP_MODE=stdio",
        "-e", "LOG_LEVEL=error",
        "-e", "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT=true",
        "-e", "N8N_API_URL=http://host.docker.internal:5678",
        "-e", "N8N_API_KEY=your-api-key",
        "-e", "WEBHOOK_SECURITY_MODE=moderate",
        "ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}
Set WEBHOOK_SECURITY_MODE=moderate to allow webhooks to your local n8n instance. This is safe for local development while still blocking private networks and cloud metadata.

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Verify Installation

After restarting Claude Desktop:
1

Check MCP Servers

Look for “n8n-mcp” in the MCP servers list in Claude Desktop
2

Test a Query

Ask Claude: “What n8n nodes are available for working with Slack?”
3

Test a Tool

Try: “Use the list_nodes tool to show me trigger nodes”

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Troubleshooting

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Server Not Appearing

# macOS/Linux
cat ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json | jq .

# Windows PowerShell
Get-Content "$env:APPDATA\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json" | ConvertFrom-Json
Ensure all paths are absolute (not relative). Paths starting with ~ or ./ will fail.
Quit Claude Desktop completely (not just close the window) and reopen it.

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JSON Parsing Errors

Symptom: "Unexpected token..." or "Expected ',' or ']'" errors in logs Cause: Console output interfering with stdio communication Solution: Ensure all required environment variables are set:
  • MCP_MODE=stdio
  • LOG_LEVEL=error
  • DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT=true

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Docker Issues

# Pull the latest image
docker pull ghcr.io/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp:latest

# Ensure Docker is running
docker ps
This is not a problem! The server automatically falls back to a pure JavaScript implementation. The warnings are suppressed with proper environment variables.

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Server Appears But Tools Don’t Work

1

Verify Build

For local installations:
npm run build
2

Check Database

For local installations:
npm run rebuild
3

Restart Claude

Quit and reopen Claude Desktop completely

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Next Steps

Environment Variables

Configure additional environment variables

n8n Integration

Connect to your n8n instance

Database Configuration

Optimize database settings

Available Tools

Explore available MCP tools

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