Add detailed Claude Desktop installation instructions

- Added step-by-step guide for installing MCP server in Claude Desktop
- Included platform-specific config file locations
- Added instructions for getting n8n API key
- Provided complete example configuration
- Enhanced troubleshooting section with Claude-specific issues
- Added verification steps to confirm successful setup
This commit is contained in:
czlonkowski
2025-06-07 21:17:18 +00:00
parent 078b67ff35
commit 96809d0c9f

View File

@@ -98,19 +98,69 @@ LOG_LEVEL=info
## Usage
### Using the MCP Server with Claude
### Installing the MCP Server in Claude Desktop
Add the server to your Claude configuration:
1. **Build the project first:**
```bash
npm install
npm run build
npm run db:init # Initialize the database
```
2. **Locate your Claude Desktop configuration:**
- **macOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Windows**: `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Linux**: `~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
3. **Get your n8n API key:**
- Open n8n in your browser (http://localhost:5678)
- Go to Settings → API
- Enable "n8n API" if not already enabled
- Generate and copy your API key
4. **Edit the configuration file:**
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/n8n-mcp/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"N8N_API_URL": "http://localhost:5678",
"N8N_API_KEY": "your-actual-n8n-api-key",
"NODE_DB_PATH": "/absolute/path/to/n8n-mcp/data/nodes.db"
}
}
}
}
```
5. **Important configuration notes:**
- Use **absolute paths** (not relative paths like `~/` or `./`)
- Replace `your-actual-n8n-api-key` with your real n8n API key from step 3
- Ensure n8n is running at the specified URL (default: http://localhost:5678)
- The `NODE_DB_PATH` should point to your database file
6. **Restart Claude Desktop** after saving the configuration
7. **Verify the connection:**
- In Claude, you should see "n8n" in the MCP connections
- Try asking: "Can you list my n8n workflows?" or "Search for webhook nodes in n8n"
#### Example Configuration
Here's a complete example for macOS with n8n-mcp installed in your home directory:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"n8n": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/n8n-mcp/dist/index.js"],
"args": ["/Users/yourusername/n8n-mcp/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"N8N_API_URL": "http://localhost:5678",
"N8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
"N8N_API_KEY": "n8n_api_key_from_settings",
"NODE_DB_PATH": "/Users/yourusername/n8n-mcp/data/nodes.db"
}
}
}
@@ -323,22 +373,37 @@ Use the management script for production operations:
### Common Issues
1. **MCP server keeps restarting in Docker**
1. **Claude Desktop doesn't show the MCP server**
- Ensure you've restarted Claude Desktop after editing the config
- Check the config file is valid JSON (no trailing commas)
- Verify the absolute paths are correct
- Check Claude's developer console for errors (Help → Developer)
2. **"Connection failed" in Claude**
- Verify n8n is running at the specified URL
- Check the API key is correct (get it from n8n settings → API)
- Ensure the MCP server is built (`npm run build`)
- Try running the server manually: `N8N_API_KEY=your-key node dist/index.js`
3. **MCP server keeps restarting in Docker**
- This is expected behavior. The MCP server uses stdio transport and waits for input from AI assistants.
- For testing, use the development mode or invoke through Claude Desktop.
2. **Database not found**
4. **Database not found**
- Run `npm run db:init` to create the database
- Run `npm run db:rebuild` to populate with all nodes
- Ensure NODE_DB_PATH in Claude config points to the actual database file
3. **n8n API connection failed**
5. **n8n API connection failed**
- Verify n8n is running and accessible
- Check API key in `.env` file
- Ensure n8n API is enabled in settings
- Try accessing `http://localhost:5678/api/v1/workflows` with your API key
4. **Node extraction fails**
6. **Node extraction fails**
- Ensure Docker volume mounts are correct
- Check read permissions on node_modules directory
- Run `npm run db:rebuild` to re-index all nodes
## Documentation