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n8n-skills Claude skills

15 skills that teach Claude Code to build n8n workflows through the n8n-mcp server: expressions, node configuration, validation, error handling, agents and self-hosting.

czlonkowski/n8n-skills 15 skills Planning, TDD & debuggingBackend & databases
Our verdict Recommended

Deep, actively maintained guidance from the n8n-mcp author with evals; it assumes you run n8n-mcp.

4/5 Depth expertise shipped Note Security Review before installing 5d Maintenance Updated 5 days ago 6.5K Adoption stars OK License MIT, commercial OK

What n8n-skills does

n8n-skills is written by the author of the n8n-mcp server and is designed to work with it. Each skill covers one area of building n8n workflows, and they activate on keywords such as expressions, validation errors, Code nodes or AI agent nodes.

The pack covers expression syntax (including the gotcha that webhook data lives under $json.body), how to call the n8n-mcp tools in the right order, five workflow patterns, validation-error interpretation, operation-aware node configuration, and separate guides for JavaScript and Python Code nodes and the Custom Code Tool. A gatekeeper idea runs through it: prefer a native node, then a short expression, and use a Code node only for jobs on a closed list. Newer skills cover AI agents, binary and file data, error handling, sub-workflows, multi-instance setups and self-hosting n8n. A router skill, using-n8n-mcp-skills, is always on, and the README mentions a hooks layer that reviews work.

Skills are long (about 20 KB on average) with many reference files, and the repo has 71 eval files. n8n-self-hosting also ships setup assets, including an init-data.sh script. You need the n8n-mcp MCP server and an n8n instance for most of it to be useful. The README also advertises the author's consulting firm.

Good for

  • Building and debugging n8n workflows from Claude Code
  • Teams using the n8n-mcp MCP server
  • Self-hosting n8n with sensible defaults

Not for

  • People who do not use n8n
  • Zapier or Make users

What's inside depth 4/5

15 skills averaging 20 KB with dozens of reference files, a self-hosting script and templates, and 71 eval files in the repo.

Skills
15
Reference docs
65
Scripts
1
Tests / evals
71
Templates
6
Avg SKILL.md
19.6 KB

Counted from the repository file tree. How we score depth.

Dependencies and costs

  • n8n-mcp MCP server
  • An n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted)
  • n8n API access for creating workflows through MCP

Security review

Review before installing

Skills for building n8n workflows through the n8n-mcp MCP server, with a hooks layer that injects the router skill every session and short reminders before n8n tool calls. The bundled MCP config points to a hosted n8n-mcp service, local setup uses an unpinned npx n8n-mcp with your n8n API key, and the self-hosting skill can SSH into a server as root/sudo to install Docker and deploy n8n.

Worth knowing

  • installs_hooksPlugin installs documented hooks (README 'Enforcement Layer'): a SessionStart hook that injects the always-on router skill plus PreToolUse/PostToolUse hooks on n8n-mcp tool calls; they only print reminders and keep marker files under $TMPDIR/n8n-mcp-skills-state, and the README says every hook fails open.hooks/hooks.json:3
  • Makes network requestsThe plugin's bundled MCP config points at the hosted server https://api.n8n-mcp.com/mcp (community n8n-mcp project); the self-hosting skill's docs also curl health endpoints on the user's own host.mcp.json:5
  • Runs remote code at an unpinned versionLocal MCP setup runs npx n8n-mcp (and run.sh uses npx -y of the MCP package) with no version pin, with N8N_API_URL/N8N_API_KEY passed in env..mcp.json.example:5
  • Needs an API key for its own serviceOptional N8N_API_KEY (your n8n instance key) is configured for the n8n-mcp server so it can create/manage workflows and credentials on your instance..mcp.json.example:11
  • Installs with curl | shThe self-hosting skill has the agent SSH into a fresh Linux VM as root/sudo and install Docker with Docker's official get.docker.com script, then configure ufw and docker compose up; it generates fresh secrets on the box.skills/n8n-self-hosting/SKILL.md:90
  • Installs packages or toolsSelf-hosting deploys Docker images (n8n stable tag, caddy:2, postgres:16, redis:7) and Docker via the vendor script on a remote server.skills/n8n-self-hosting/SKILL.md:90
  • Relies on a CLI or package we could not reviewSkills depend on the n8n-mcp server (npm package/hosted service), jq, Docker and the Claude CLI used by evaluation scripts.mcp.json:3

What we checked

The repository (187 files) on Oct 29, 2026. Not a full review: we read 10 of 20 code files; it relies on code outside the repository: npm package n8n-mcp and the hosted service at https://api.n8n-mcp.com/mcp (receives workflow and credential operations and any N8N API key you give it); Docker's get.docker.com installer and the Docker images referenced by the self-hosting templates; .claude-plugin/marketplace.json, build.sh, hooks/pre-tool-use/_why-note.sh, get-node.sh, test-workflow.sh, update-workflow.sh, validate-workflow.sh, hooks/post-tool-use/validate-workflow.sh, evaluations/build-tasks/run.sh and score.py (pattern-searched for network, rm, ssh and credential use; not read in full).

NVIDIA SkillSpector static scan: 139 pattern hits (Data Exfiltration 65, Privilege Escalation 27, Tool Misuse 9, MCP Rug Pull 9, Excessive Agency 8, Rogue Agent 4). Hook evidence is the plugin's own reminder-injection scripts; credential hits are documentation of N8N_API_KEY and n8n credential CRUD tools; rm -rf lines are uninstall instructions for ~/.claude/skills/n8n-*; the sudo/SSH lines belong to the opt-in n8n-self-hosting deployment skill.

A review, not a certification. Skills change after we check them — read the files before installing.

License

MIT — commercial use allowed.

Can it run unattended?

Not really. The skills guide interactive workflow building and validation loops; they do not define unattended runs.

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FAQ

What is n8n-skills?

It is a set of 15 Claude Code skills by the author of n8n-mcp that teach an agent how to build reliable n8n workflows: expression syntax, node configuration, validation, error handling, AI agents and self-hosting.

How do I install n8n-skills?

The repo has a plugin manifest and is listed on skills.sh, so you can install it as a plugin or copy the skills/ folders into your skills directory. You also need the n8n-mcp server configured for the tool-based skills to work.

Do I need n8n-mcp?

Yes for most skills. They teach how to use n8n-mcp tools such as node search and workflow validation. Without it, the expression and Code node guides still apply but you lose the tool workflow.

Is n8n-skills safe?

We found instructions and reference docs plus one self-hosting script, and no hidden network calls. Review the self-hosting assets before running them on a server.

Sources: GitHub repository (stars, license, file tree, last push Oct 24, 2026). Review based on the README and SKILL.md files as published.