N8n MCP Tools Expert

1. search_nodes({query: "keyword"})
2. get_node_essentials({nodeType: "nodes-base.name"})
3. [Optional] get_node_documentation({nodeType: "nodes-base.name"})

// Step 1: Search
search_nodes({query: "slack"})
// Returns: nodes-base.slack

// Step 2: Get details (18s avg between steps)
get_node_essentials({nodeType: "nodes-base.slack"})
// Returns: operations, properties, examples

1. validate_node_minimal({nodeType, config: {}}) - Check required fields
2. validate_node_operation({nodeType, config, profile: "runtime"}) - Full validation
3. [Repeat] Fix errors, validate again

1. n8n_create_workflow({name, nodes, connections})
2. n8n_validate_workflow({id})
3. n8n_update_partial_workflow({id, operations: [...]})
4. n8n_validate_workflow({id}) again

// Use SHORT prefix
"nodes-base.slack"
"nodes-base.httpRequest"
"nodes-base.webhook"
"nodes-langchain.agent"

// Use FULL prefix
"n8n-nodes-base.slack"
"n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest"
"n8n-nodes-base.webhook"
"@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent"

// search_nodes returns BOTH formats
{
  "nodeType": "nodes-base.slack",          // For search/validate tools
  "workflowNodeType": "n8n-nodes-base.slack"  // For workflow tools
}

❌ get_node_essentials({nodeType: "slack"})  // Missing prefix
❌ get_node_essentials({nodeType: "n8n-nodes-base.slack"})  // Wrong prefix

✅ get_node_essentials({nodeType: "nodes-base.slack"})  // Correct!

❌ get_node_info({nodeType: "nodes-base.slack"})
// Returns: 100KB+ data, 20% chance of failure

✅ get_node_essentials({nodeType: "nodes-base.slack"})
// Returns: 5KB focused data, 91.7% success, <10ms

❌ validate_node_operation({nodeType, config})  // Uses default

✅ validate_node_operation({nodeType, config, profile: "runtime"})  // Explicit

// After ANY update, auto-sanitization runs on ALL nodes
n8n_update_partial_workflow({id, operations: [...]})
// → Automatically fixes operator structures

// IF node connection
{
  type: "addConnection",
  source: "IF",
  target: "Handler",
  sourceIndex: 0  // Which output? Hard to remember!
}

// IF node - semantic branch names
{
  type: "addConnection",
  source: "IF",
  target: "True Handler",
  branch: "true"  // Clear and readable!
}

{
  type: "addConnection",
  source: "IF",
  target: "False Handler",
  branch: "false"
}

// Switch node - semantic case numbers
{
  type: "addConnection",
  source: "Switch",
  target: "Handler A",
  case: 0
}

// Step 1: Search (fast!)
const results = await search_nodes({
  query: "slack",
  mode: "OR",  // Default: any word matches
  limit: 20
});
// → Returns: nodes-base.slack, nodes-base.slackTrigger

// Step 2: Get details (~18s later, user reviewing results)
const details = await get_node_essentials({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
  includeExamples: true  // Get real template configs
});
// → Returns: operations, properties, metadata

// Step 1: Validate
const result = await validate_node_operation({
  nodeType: "nodes-base.slack",
  config: {
    resource: "channel",
    operation: "create"
  },
  profile: "runtime"
});

// Step 2: Check errors (~23s thinking)
if (!result.valid) {
  console.log(result.errors);  // "Missing required field: name"
}

// Step 3: Fix config (~58s fixing)
config.name = "general";

// Step 4: Validate again
await validate_node_operation({...});  // Repeat until clean

// Iterative workflow building (NOT one-shot!)
// Edit 1
await n8n_update_partial_workflow({
  id: "workflow-id",
  operations: [{type: "addNode", node: {...}}]
});

// ~56s later...

// Edit 2
await n8n_update_partial_workflow({
  id: "workflow-id",
  operations: [{type: "addConnection", source: "...", target: "..."}]
});

// ~56s later...

// Edit 3 (validation)
await n8n_validate_workflow({id: "workflow-id"});

// Search by keyword
search_templates({
  query: "webhook slack",
  limit: 20
});
// → Returns: 1,085 templates with metadata

// Get template details
get_template({
  templateId: 2947,  // Weather to Slack
  mode: "structure"  // or "full" for complete JSON
});