n8n-MCP is an open-source Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants actually understand n8n, the popular workflow-automation platform. It gives models structured access to documentation, properties, and operations for more than 3,100 n8n nodes, so assistants like Claude can design and build working n8n workflows for you. The project has over 23,000 stars on GitHub and was actively maintained in October 2026.
Asking a general-purpose AI to write n8n workflows usually ends in hallucinated nodes and broken configurations. n8n-MCP fixes that by serving the assistant ground truth: 840 core nodes plus over 2,200 community nodes, with their real parameters, plus validation tools that check a workflow before it is deployed. It connects to Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and other MCP clients, runs locally or in Docker, and can sit between your AI assistant and your n8n instance so workflows get created, validated, and managed conversationally.
The n8n-MCP server is free and open source under the MIT license for self-hosting. Hosted deployment options promoted by the project make it effectively freemium for users who prefer not to run their own server.
n8n-MCP is for automation builders who live in n8n and use AI assistants daily. If you prototype workflows by chatting with an AI, this server turns vague suggestions into valid, deployable n8n automations much faster.