Cline (VS Code) Setup

This guide walks you through connecting Cline (formerly Continue) to your n8n MCP Bridge instance.

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

• ✅ VS Code installed (download here)
• ✅ Cline extension installed (VS Code Marketplace)
• ✅ MCP API key created from n8nmcp.online

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Get Your API Key

1. Go to n8nmcp.online/dashboard
2. Click Sign In (Google, GitHub, or Magic Link)
3. Navigate to API Keys tab
4. Click Create API Key
5. Copy your API key (starts with mcp_)

Step 2: Configure Cline MCP Settings

In VS Code:

1. Open Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P)
2. Type: Cline: Open MCP Settings
3. Or click the MCP icon in Cline sidebar

This opens the MCP settings file: ~/.cline/mcp_settings.json

Step 3: Add n8n MCP Server

Add this configuration to your mcp_settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "url": "https://mcp.n8nmcp.online/mcp?apiKey=mcp_YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
    }
  }
}

Replace mcp_YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with your actual API key from the dashboard.

Step 4: Reload Cline

1. Open Command Palette (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P)
2. Type: Cline: Reload MCP Servers
3. Or restart VS Code

Verification

Check MCP Connection

In Cline chat:

Can you ping my n8n instance?

Expected response:

✓ Connection successful!
Your n8n instance is responding and the API key is valid.

View Available Tools

What n8n tools do you have available?

You should see tools like:

• ping_n8n - Test connection
• n8n_list_workflows - List workflows
• n8n_get_workflow - Get workflow details
• n8n_search_nodes - Search n8n nodes
• And more...

Configuration Examples

Basic Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "url": "https://mcp.n8nmcp.online/mcp?apiKey=mcp_clph1234abcd"
    }
  }
}

Multiple n8n Instances

Connect to multiple n8n instances:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-production": {
      "url": "https://mcp.n8nmcp.online/mcp?apiKey=mcp_prod_key"
    },
    "n8n-staging": {
      "url": "https://mcp.n8nmcp.online/mcp?apiKey=mcp_staging_key"
    }
  }
}

With Other MCP Servers

Combine with other MCP servers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "url": "https://mcp.n8nmcp.online/mcp?apiKey=mcp_your_key"
    },
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/allowed"]
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

MCP Server Not Loading

Solutions:

1. Check JSON syntax:

   cat ~/.cline/mcp_settings.json | python -m json.tool

2. Verify file location:

   • macOS/Linux: ~/.cline/mcp_settings.json
   • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.cline\mcp_settings.json

3. Check Cline logs:

   • Open VS Code Output panel (View → Output)
   • Select "Cline" from dropdown
   • Look for MCP-related errors

4. Reload MCP servers:

   • Command Palette → Cline: Reload MCP Servers

Connection Failed

Symptom: "Failed to connect to MCP server"

Solutions:

1. Test API key in dashboard:

   • Go to n8nmcp.online/dashboard
   • Find your API key
   • Click Test Connection
   • Should show "Connected ✓"

2. Check URL format:

   {
     "url": "https://mcp.n8nmcp.online/mcp?apiKey=mcp_your_key"
   }

   • Must start with https://
   • Must include ?apiKey=mcp_...
   • No trailing slashes

3. Verify internet connection:

   curl https://mcp.n8nmcp.online/health

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

4. Check firewall/proxy:

   • Allow VS Code to connect to mcp.n8nmcp.online
   • Check corporate firewall settings
   • Verify proxy configuration

Invalid API Key

Symptom: "Invalid API key" or "Authentication failed"

Solutions:

1. Copy key from dashboard:

   • Go to dashboard → API Keys
   • Copy key directly (avoid typing manually)
   • Ensure no extra spaces or line breaks

2. Verify key format:

   • Must start with mcp_
   • Should be ~40-60 characters
   • Only contains alphanumeric characters and underscores

3. Regenerate if needed:

   • Delete old API key in dashboard
   • Create new API key
   • Update mcp_settings.json
   • Reload Cline MCP servers

Tools Not Working

Symptom: Tools fail or show errors

Solutions:

1. Check tool availability:

   What MCP tools do you have?

2. Verify n8n connection (in dashboard):

   • Make sure n8n instance is connected
   • Test n8n connection
   • Check n8n API key is valid

3. View error details:

   • Check Cline output panel
   • Look for specific error messages
   • Share errors with support if needed

Security Best Practices

Protect Your API Key

• ❌ Don't commit mcp_settings.json to git
• ❌ Don't share config files
• ❌ Don't post API keys in screenshots
• ✅ Use separate keys per device
• ✅ Rotate keys regularly
• ✅ Revoke unused keys in dashboard

File Permissions

macOS/Linux:

# Set restrictive permissions
chmod 600 ~/.cline/mcp_settings.json

# Verify
ls -l ~/.cline/mcp_settings.json

Expected: -rw------- (only you can read/write)

Network Security

• ✅ Always use HTTPS (mcp.n8nmcp.online uses SSL)
• ✅ Verify SSL certificates
• ✅ Monitor API key usage in dashboard
• ✅ Revoke compromised keys immediately

Example Queries

Once connected, try these:

Test Connection

Can you ping my n8n instance?

List Workflows

Show me all my n8n workflows

Search Nodes

Search for Slack nodes in n8n

Get Workflow Details

Get details about my "Send Welcome Email" workflow

Get Latest Execution

Show me the latest execution of workflow ID "abc123"

Advanced Configuration

Debug Mode

Enable verbose logging:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "url": "https://mcp.n8nmcp.online/mcp?apiKey=mcp_your_key",
      "env": {
        "DEBUG": "mcp:*"
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Timeout

Set connection timeout:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "url": "https://mcp.n8nmcp.online/mcp?apiKey=mcp_your_key",
      "timeout": 30000
    }
  }
}

Next Steps

• Learn About Memory System →
• View Available Tools →
• Configure Claude Desktop →
• Read Troubleshooting Guide →

Getting Help

Still having issues?

• Dashboard Support
• Troubleshooting Guide →
• GitHub Issues

Configuration File Location

Quick reference for mcp_settings.json:

macOS:

~/.cline/mcp_settings.json

Windows:

%USERPROFILE%\.cline\mcp_settings.json

Linux:

~/.cline/mcp_settings.json

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Pro Tip: Keep your API key safe and rotate it regularly from the dashboard!