Connect to Claude Desktop

Connect Claude Desktop to your n8n MCP Bridge to enable AI-powered workflow automation.

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

1. Claude Desktop installed - Download from claude.ai
2. MCP API key created - From the previous step
3. n8n MCP Bridge running - Services should be running on ports 3000 and 3001

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Locate Claude Desktop Config

Claude Desktop stores its configuration in different locations depending on your OS:

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows:

%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Linux:

~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Step 2: Get Your Configuration

From the n8n MCP Bridge dashboard:

1. Go to the API Keys tab
2. Find your API key
3. Click Show Configuration
4. Copy the JSON configuration

Example configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "url": "http://localhost:3001/mcp?apiKey=mcp_abc123xyz456"
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Update Claude Desktop Config

1. Open the Claude Desktop config file in a text editor
2. If the file doesn't exist, create it
3. Add or update the mcpServers section
4. Save the file

Complete example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "url": "http://localhost:3001/mcp?apiKey=mcp_abc123xyz456def789"
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Restart Claude Desktop

1. Quit Claude Desktop completely
2. Restart the application
3. The MCP server will be loaded automatically

Verify Connection

Check MCP Server Status

In Claude Desktop, you should see:

1. A small indicator showing MCP servers are loaded
2. In settings, the n8n MCP server should be listed as "Connected"

Test with a Query

Ask Claude to test the connection:

Can you ping my n8n instance?

Claude should respond with:

I'll ping your n8n instance using the ping_n8n tool...
Connection successful! ✓
n8n version: 1.x.x

Troubleshooting

MCP Server Not Loading

If Claude doesn't load the MCP server:

1. Check the config file format:

   • Must be valid JSON
   • No trailing commas
   • Proper quotation marks

2. Verify the URL:

   • Should be http://localhost:3001/mcp
   • Include ?apiKey= parameter with your key
   • No spaces or special characters in URL

3. Check Claude Desktop logs:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/
   • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\
   • Look for MCP-related errors

Connection Failed

If Claude can connect to MCP but not to n8n:

1. Verify MCP server is running:

   curl http://localhost:3001/health

   Should return: {"status":"ok"}

2. Check API key is valid:

   • Go to dashboard → API Keys
   • Click Test Connection
   • Should show "Connected ✓"

3. Verify n8n is accessible:

   • Open your n8n instance in a browser
   • Ensure it's reachable from your machine

Invalid API Key

If you see "Invalid API key" errors:

1. Verify the API key in the config matches the one in your dashboard
2. Ensure the key hasn't been deleted or revoked
3. Create a new API key if needed

Advanced Configuration

Multiple MCP Servers

You can connect to multiple MCP servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-production": {
      "url": "http://localhost:3001/mcp?apiKey=mcp_prod_key"
    },
    "n8n-development": {
      "url": "http://localhost:3002/mcp?apiKey=mcp_dev_key"
    }
  }
}

Remote MCP Server

To connect to a remote n8n MCP Bridge:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/mcp?apiKey=mcp_your_key"
    }
  }
}

Note: Ensure the remote server has HTTPS enabled and is publicly accessible.

Security Considerations

Keep Your API Key Secure

The claude_desktop_config.json file contains your API key in plaintext:

• File permissions: Ensure only you can read this file
• Don't share: Never share this config file
• Backup safely: If you back up this file, encrypt it
• Revoke if exposed: If the file is compromised, revoke the API key immediately

Network Security

When using remote MCP servers:

• Always use HTTPS, never HTTP in production
• Verify SSL certificates
• Use VPN if connecting to internal servers
• Monitor API key usage in the dashboard

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've successfully connected Claude Desktop to n8n MCP Bridge.

Explore Available Tools

Learn about all the MCP tools available:

View Tools Reference →

Set Up Memory System

Configure persistent context for your AI conversations:

Learn About Memory System →

Advanced Guides

• VS Code Extension Setup
• Cursor IDE Setup
• OAuth 2.1 Flow

Example Usage

Try these commands with Claude:

# Test connectivity
Can you ping my n8n instance?

# List available workflows (coming soon)
What workflows do I have in n8n?

# Execute a workflow (coming soon)
Run my "Send Email" workflow

Getting Help

If you're still having issues:

• Check the Troubleshooting Guide
• View GitHub Issues
• Review the API Reference