n8n Workflow Builder MCP

This project provides a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for building and manipulating n8n workflows JSON in Cursor IDE. It's a way to build n8n workflows just by prompting with AI in chat.

DEMO VIDEO:

Current status of implementation

It's in early development stage. Basically, it's working - MCP server creates JSON file with n8n workflow that you can copy and paste to workflow editor in n8n UI. Current problems:

• sometimes llm agents put wrong parameters in the request. I plan to find a way to fix this.
• sometimes connection between nodes is not setting. I'm working to resolve it.
• not all types of node are checked working. I'm working to resolve it.
• initial prompt does matter. If it's not clear, the agent will go wrong way. I plan to find a way to fix this.

Key Features

• Workflow Management: Create, update, and execute n8n workflows programmatically (execute is not implemented yet)
• Node Discovery: Explore available n8n nodes and their capabilities
• Connection Management: Create connections between workflow nodes
• AI Integration: Special tools for connecting AI components in workflows
• AI-Friendly Interface: Designed specifically for interaction with AI agents

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• Cursor IDE (v0.48 or newer)
• npm or yarn
• TypeScript compiler (installed as a dev dependency via npm install)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ifmelate/n8n-workflow-builder-mcp.git
   cd n8n-workflow-builder-mcp
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Build the TypeScript project:

   npm run build
   

4. Make the MCP server script executable (if needed):

   chmod +x dist/index.js
   

Running the Server

Start the MCP server:

npm start

This will run the compiled code from dist/index.js.

For development with auto-rebuild and restart on changes:

npm run dev

Cursor IDE Integration

There are two ways to set up the MCP server with Cursor:

Method 1: Using Cursor Settings UI (Recommended)

1. Start Cursor IDE
2. Go to Settings > Features > MCP Servers
3. Click "Add Server" and provide the absolute path to the dist/index.js file (e.g., /Users/yourname/n8n-workflow-builder-mcp/dist/index.js)
4. Make sure the server is enabled
5. Restart Cursor IDE for changes to take effect

Method 2: Manual Configuration

1. Ensure the .cursor directory exists:

   mkdir -p .cursor
   

2. Create the MCP configuration file:

   cat > .cursor/mcp.json << 'EOF'
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "n8n-workflow-builder": {
         "command": "node",
         "args": ["/absolute/path/to/n8n-workflow-builder-mcp/dist/index.js"]
       }
     }
   }
   EOF
   

   Make sure to replace /absolute/path/to with the actual path on your system.

3. Restart Cursor IDE for changes to take effect

Available MCP Tools

The server provides the following tools for working with n8n workflows:

Tool Name	Description	Key Parameters
create_workflow	Create a new n8n workflow	workflow_name, workspace_dir
list_workflows	List all existing workflows	(no parameters)
get_workflow_details	Get detailed information about a specific workflow	workflow_name
add_node	Add a new node to a workflow	workflow_name, node_type, position, parameters, node_name, typeVersion
edit_node	Edit an existing node in a workflow	workflow_name, node_id, node_type, node_name, position, parameters
delete_node	Delete a node from a workflow	workflow_name, node_id
add_connection	Add a connection between nodes	workflow_name, source_node_id, source_node_output_name, target_node_id, target_node_input_name
add_ai_connections	Add AI connections for LangChain nodes	workflow_name, agent_node_id, model_node_id, tool_node_ids
list_available_nodes	List available node types with optional filtering	search_term (optional)

Troubleshooting Cursor Integration

If you're having trouble getting the MCP server to work with Cursor, try these steps:

1. Restart Cursor: After setting up the MCP configuration, completely close and restart Cursor.

2. Check Cursor MCP settings:

   • Open Cursor Settings
   • Go to Features > MCP Servers
   • Make sure your server is listed and enabled
   • If it's listed but not working, try clicking the refresh button

3. Check server logs: Look for errors in the terminal where you're running the server or in the Cursor Output panel. Select "Cursor MCP" from the dropdown in the Output panel to see MCP-specific logs.

4. Verify file permissions: Make sure the dist/index.js file has execution permissions.

5. Check for port conflicts: If there are other MCP servers running, they might conflict. Check for other processes using the same ports.

6. Try global installation: Instead of using a local path, you can try installing the server globally:

   npm install -g n8n-workflow-builder-mcp
   

   Then update the .cursor/mcp.json file to use the global command.

Common Issues and Solutions

"Failed to create client"

This usually happens when:

• The MCP server isn't running
• There's a connectivity issue between Cursor and the server
• The server crashed during initialization

Try:

1. Running the test script to make sure the server works correctly
2. Checking for errors in the server logs
3. Restarting Cursor

MCP Server is not showing up in Cursor

This can happen if:

• The .cursor/mcp.json file is not properly formatted
• Cursor hasn't detected the configuration change

Try:

1. Validating the JSON format of your .cursor/mcp.json file
2. Restarting Cursor
3. Manually selecting the server in Cursor settings (if it appears there)

MCP Server shows up but tools aren't available

This can happen if:

• The server isn't properly registering its tools
• There's an issue with the ListOfferings request/response

Try:

1. Running the test script to check if tools are properly registered
2. Clicking the refresh button in the MCP server settings in Cursor
3. Checking the server logs for any errors

Project Structure

• /src: Main source code
• /src/tools: MCP tools implementation
• /src/models: Data models
• /src/utils: Utility functions
• /src/middleware: Authentication and middleware
• /config: Configuration files
• /tests: Test files
• /workflow_nodes: n8n node definitions
• /docs: Additional documentation

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

Working on licence - need to have confirmation from n8n team