Appendix

Quick reference tables, common patterns, and troubleshooting guides for working with n8n-mcp tools.

Quick Reference Tables

All Tools Summary

Tool	Category	Purpose	n8n API Key
`search_nodes`	Discovery	Find nodes	No
`search_templates`	Discovery	Find templates	No
`get_node`	Configuration	Node details	No
`get_template`	Configuration	Template details	No
`validate_node`	Validation	Validate config	No
`validate_workflow`	Validation	Validate workflow	No
`n8n_create_workflow`	Management	Create workflow	Yes
`n8n_get_workflow`	Management	Get workflow	Yes
`n8n_update_full_workflow`	Management	Full update	Yes
`n8n_update_partial_workflow`	Management	Incremental update	Yes
`n8n_delete_workflow`	Management	Delete workflow	Yes
`n8n_list_workflows`	Management	List workflows	Yes
`n8n_validate_workflow`	Management	Validate by ID	Yes
`n8n_autofix_workflow`	Management	Auto-fix issues	Yes
`n8n_test_workflow`	Management	Test execution	Yes
`n8n_executions`	Management	Manage executions	Yes
`n8n_workflow_versions`	Management	Version control	Yes
`n8n_deploy_template`	Management	Deploy template	Yes
`n8n_health_check`	System	Health check	Yes
`tools_documentation`	System	Get docs	No

Validation Profiles

Profile	Description	Use Case
`minimal`	Very lenient	Quick iteration
`runtime`	Standard checks	Default
`ai-friendly`	Balanced	AI workflows
`strict`	Most thorough	Production

AI Connection Types

Type	Description
`ai_languageModel`	Language model → AI Agent
`ai_tool`	Tool → AI Agent
`ai_memory`	Memory → AI Agent
`ai_outputParser`	Parser → AI Agent
`ai_embedding`	Embeddings → Vector Store
`ai_vectorStore`	Vector Store → Tool
`ai_document`	Document → Vector Store
`ai_textSplitter`	Splitter → Document chain

Common Patterns

Create and Connect Pattern

javascript

// Add node and connect in one call
n8n_update_partial_workflow({
  id: "wf_id",
  operations: [
    {type: "addNode", node: {...}},
    {type: "addConnection", source: "Previous", target: "New Node"}
  ]
})

Validate Before Deploy Pattern

javascript

// 1. Validate workflow JSON
const result = validate_workflow({workflow: myWorkflow});

if (result.valid) {
  // 2. Create in n8n
  const created = n8n_create_workflow({
    name: "My Workflow",
    nodes: myWorkflow.nodes,
    connections: myWorkflow.connections
  });

  // 3. Final validation
  n8n_validate_workflow({id: created.id});
}

Debug Execution Pattern

javascript

// 1. List recent executions
const execs = n8n_executions({
  action: "list",
  workflowId: "wf_id",
  status: "error",
  limit: 5
});

// 2. Get details of failed execution
const details = n8n_executions({
  action: "get",
  id: execs.data[0].id,
  mode: "full"
});

Troubleshooting

"Tool unavailable" Error

Cause: n8n API credentials not configured

Solution: Set up your n8n API key in the dashboard under Settings → n8n Connection

"Workflow not found" Error

Cause: Workflow ID doesn't exist or was deleted

Solution: Use n8n_list_workflows to verify workflow exists

"Validation failed" Error

Cause: Workflow has structural issues

Solution:

Check error details in response
Use n8n_autofix_workflow to fix common issues
Review node configurations

"Cannot execute workflow" Error

Cause: Workflow doesn't have webhook/form/chat trigger

Solution: Only workflows with these triggers can be executed via API. Use n8n UI for manual execution.

AI Agent "No language model" Error

Cause: Language model not connected properly

Solution:

Add language model node first
Connect with sourceOutput: "ai_languageModel"
Validate workflow