NewsletterSubmit a tool

Official · by n8n

n8n MCP server

The n8n MCP server lets AI assistants securely connect to an n8n instance, search workflows, and run published workflows.

  • Verified against its source 19 Oct 2026
View source

What the n8n MCP server does

This built-in n8n feature allows compatible clients, including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, and Windsurf, to connect securely to your n8n instance. Connected assistants can list previews of workflows the current user is allowed to view, interact with workflows marked for MCP, trigger and test exposed workflows, and create and edit workflows and data tables. The execute_workflow tool runs a workflow and uses its published version by default. Access is authenticated through OAuth or a personal access token. An instance owner or admin must enable MCP access on the instance, and each workflow must then be enabled for MCP individually. Cloud-based MCP clients require the instance to be publicly accessible, and the per-client connection setup steps require n8n 2.33.0 or later.

Tools it gives your assistant

2 tools or toolsets, as its documentation lists them.

  • search_workflows Lists previews of workflows the current user can view
  • execute_workflow Runs a workflow, defaulting to the published version

How to install it

What you need

In the n8n documentation's own words:

  • “Select Enable MCP access (requires instance owner or admin permissions)”
  • “You must enable MCP at the instance level and then enable each workflow individually”
  • “Ensure that your n8n instance is publicly accessible if you are using cloud-based MCP clients”
  • “Per-client connection setup steps are available from n8n 2.33.0”

Commands and settings change between versions. Check the official instructions before you install.