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Prerequisites

Before installing n8n-skills, set up the n8n-mcp MCP server. The skills rely on it for node data, validation, and templates.
1

Install n8n-mcp

npm install -g n8n-mcp
2

Configure .mcp.json

Add the server to .mcp.json in your project root or home directory:
.mcp.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["n8n-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_MODE": "stdio",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "error",
        "DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT": "true",
        "N8N_API_URL": "https://your-n8n-instance.com",
        "N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}
N8N_API_URL and N8N_API_KEY are optional. Without them, read-only tools (node search, validation, templates) work fine. Add them to unlock workflow creation and management (n8n_create_workflow, n8n_update_partial_workflow, etc.).

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Installation methods

The fastest way to install. One command installs all 7 skills: 
/plugin install czlonkowski/n8n-skills
Skills activate automatically after installation — no restart needed.

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Method 2: Claude Code marketplace

Browse the plugin before installing: 
/plugin marketplace add czlonkowski/n8n-skills
Then browse and select: 
/plugin install
Select n8n-mcp-skills from the list.

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Method 3: Manual installation

Clone the repository and copy the skill files to Claude Code’s skills directory. 
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-skills.git

# Create the skills directory if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills

# Copy all 7 skills
cp -r n8n-skills/skills/* ~/.claude/skills/
Verify the copy:
ls ~/.claude/skills/
# Expected output:
# n8n-expression-syntax  n8n-mcp-tools-expert  n8n-workflow-patterns
# n8n-validation-expert  n8n-node-configuration  n8n-code-javascript  n8n-code-python
After copying, restart Claude Code. Skills will activate automatically on the next launch.

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Method 4: Claude.ai (web)

Claude.ai requires uploading each skill as a separate zip file.
1

Download the repository

Clone or download the repository from GitHub:
git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-skills.git
cd n8n-skills/skills
2

Zip each skill

zip -r n8n-expression-syntax.zip n8n-expression-syntax/
zip -r n8n-mcp-tools-expert.zip n8n-mcp-tools-expert/
zip -r n8n-workflow-patterns.zip n8n-workflow-patterns/
zip -r n8n-validation-expert.zip n8n-validation-expert/
zip -r n8n-node-configuration.zip n8n-node-configuration/
zip -r n8n-code-javascript.zip n8n-code-javascript/
zip -r n8n-code-python.zip n8n-code-python/
3

Upload to Claude.ai

  1. Go to claude.ai
  2. Navigate to Settings → Capabilities → Skills
  3. Click Upload Skill
  4. Upload each .zip file individually
  5. Confirm each upload
4

Verify

In a new conversation, ask:
List my active skills
You should see all n8n skills listed.

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Method 5: Claude API / SDK

If you’re building an application with the Anthropic SDK, load the skills from the cloned directory and pass them in each API call.
1

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-skills.git
2

Install the Anthropic SDK

npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk
3

Load skills in your application

import Anthropic from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';
import fs from 'fs';
import path from 'path';

const client = new Anthropic({
  apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY,
});

function loadSkillsFromDirectory(dir: string) {
  const skillDirs = fs.readdirSync(dir);
  return skillDirs.map(skillName => {
    const skillPath = path.join(dir, skillName, 'SKILL.md');
    const skillContent = fs.readFileSync(skillPath, 'utf-8');
    return {
      name: skillName,
      content: skillContent
    };
  });
}

const skills = loadSkillsFromDirectory('./n8n-skills/skills');

const response = await client.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  messages: [{
    role: 'user',
    content: 'Build a webhook to Slack workflow'
  }],
  skills: skills
});

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Verification

After installation, run these checks to confirm everything is working. Check MCP server availability: 
Ask Claude: "Can you search for the webhook node using n8n-mcp?"
Expected response: 
[Uses search_nodes tool]
Found: nodes-base.webhook (Webhook trigger node)
Check skill activation: 
Ask Claude: "How do I access webhook data in n8n expressions?"
Expected: The Expression Syntax skill activates and responds with $json.body.* access patterns. Check cross-skill composition: 
Ask Claude: "Build and validate a webhook to Slack workflow"
Expected: Multiple skills activate and collaborate to produce a complete, validated workflow.

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Selective installation

If you only need specific skills, install them individually: 
# Only install the Expression Syntax and MCP Tools Expert skills
cp -r n8n-skills/skills/n8n-expression-syntax ~/.claude/skills/
cp -r n8n-skills/skills/n8n-mcp-tools-expert ~/.claude/skills/
The MCP Tools Expert skill is marked highest priority and is recommended for all installations. It teaches correct tool selection, parameter formats, and validation profiles — knowledge that every other skill depends on.

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Updating

To update all skills to the latest version: 
cd n8n-skills
git pull origin main
cp -r skills/* ~/.claude/skills/
To update a single skill: 
cp -r n8n-skills/skills/n8n-expression-syntax ~/.claude/skills/

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Uninstalling

Remove all n8n skills: 
rm -rf ~/.claude/skills/n8n-*
Remove a specific skill: 
rm -rf ~/.claude/skills/n8n-expression-syntax
Claude.ai: Go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and delete each n8n skill individually.

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Troubleshooting

  1. Verify skills are in the correct directory: 
    ls ~/.claude/skills/
  2. Check that each skill folder contains a SKILL.md file with valid frontmatter: 
    ---
name: n8n Expression Syntax
description: Validate n8n expression syntax...
---
  3. Reload Claude Code or clear its cache.
  4. Rephrase your query to include activation keywords. For example, instead of "How do I use expressions?" try "How do I write n8n expressions with {{}} syntax?"
  1. Verify .mcp.json is in the correct location.
  2. Check n8n-mcp is installed: 
    npm list -g n8n-mcp
  3. Test the MCP server directly: 
    npx n8n-mcp
  4. Restart Claude Code.
These tools require a connected n8n instance. Verify your .mcp.json includes:
"N8N_API_URL": "https://your-n8n-instance.com",
"N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
Test API access directly:
curl -H "X-N8N-API-KEY: your-key" https://your-n8n-instance.com/api/v1/workflows
Read-only tools (search, validate, templates) still work without the API configuration.
sudo chown -R $USER ~/.claude
chmod -R 755 ~/.claude/skills
Run PowerShell as Administrator and re-run the installation commands.

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Next steps

Usage guide

Learn how to write queries that activate the right skills and get the best results

Skills overview

Explore all 7 skills, their capabilities, and activation triggers