Set Up n8n MCP Server

Prerequisites

• n8n instance running (self-hosted or cloud)
• n8n API key generated (Settings > API > Create API Key)
• Claude Code installed with MCP support

Steps

1. Install the n8n MCP server. Add the n8n MCP server to your Claude Code configuration. In your .claude/settings.json or MCP config file, add the n8n server with your instance URL and API key. The MCP server wraps n8n's REST API for use by Claude Code.

2. Configure authentication. Set the n8n API key as an environment variable: N8N_API_KEY=your-key-here. Set the base URL: N8N_BASE_URL=https://your-n8n-instance.com. The MCP server uses these to authenticate API calls.

3. Verify the connection. Ask Claude Code to list your n8n workflows. The MCP server should return your active workflows with their names, IDs, and status. If you get an authentication error, double-check your API key and base URL.

4. Understand available operations. The n8n MCP server supports: listing workflows, getting workflow details, creating new workflows, activating/deactivating workflows, executing workflows manually, and reading execution history. These operations let Claude Code manage your automation directly.

5. Set up workflow templates. Create a few template workflows in n8n that Claude Code can duplicate and customize: "Template - CRM Sync", "Template - Email Campaign Trigger", "Template - Scheduled Report". This gives the agent starting points rather than building from scratch.

6. Test end-to-end. Ask Claude Code to create a simple workflow using the MCP server: a Schedule Trigger that sends a Slack message. Verify the workflow appears in your n8n instance and runs correctly. This confirms the full integration is working.