Files
n8n-mcp/src/mcp/handlers-workflow-diff.ts
Romuald Członkowski 47a1cb135d feat: implement transferWorkflow operation in n8n_update_partial_workflow (#644) (#649)
Add transferWorkflow diff operation to move workflows between n8n projects:
- TransferWorkflowOperation type with destinationProjectId field
- WorkflowDiffEngine validates and tracks transfer intent
- Handler calls PUT /workflows/{id}/transfer after update
- N8nApiClient.transferWorkflow() method
- Zod schema validates destinationProjectId is non-empty
- Tool description and documentation updated
- inferIntentFromOperations case for transfer

Also fixes two pre-existing bugs found during review:
- continueOnError path now properly extracts/propagates activation flags
- Debug log in updateConnectionReferences shows correct old name

Based on work by @djakielski in PR #645.


Conceived by Romuald Członkowski - https://www.aiadvisors.pl/en
2026-03-20 17:50:00 +01:00

640 lines
24 KiB
TypeScript

/**
* MCP Handler for Partial Workflow Updates
* Handles diff-based workflow modifications
*/
import { z } from 'zod';
import { McpToolResponse } from '../types/n8n-api';
import { WorkflowDiffRequest, WorkflowDiffOperation, WorkflowDiffValidationError } from '../types/workflow-diff';
import { WorkflowDiffEngine } from '../services/workflow-diff-engine';
import { getN8nApiClient } from './handlers-n8n-manager';
import { N8nApiError, getUserFriendlyErrorMessage } from '../utils/n8n-errors';
import { logger } from '../utils/logger';
import { InstanceContext } from '../types/instance-context';
import { validateWorkflowStructure } from '../services/n8n-validation';
import { NodeRepository } from '../database/node-repository';
import { WorkflowVersioningService } from '../services/workflow-versioning-service';
import { WorkflowValidator } from '../services/workflow-validator';
import { EnhancedConfigValidator } from '../services/enhanced-config-validator';
// Cached validator instance to avoid recreating on every mutation
let cachedValidator: WorkflowValidator | null = null;
/**
* Get or create cached workflow validator instance
* Reuses the same validator to avoid redundant NodeSimilarityService initialization
*/
function getValidator(repository: NodeRepository): WorkflowValidator {
if (!cachedValidator) {
cachedValidator = new WorkflowValidator(repository, EnhancedConfigValidator);
}
return cachedValidator;
}
// Operation types that identify nodes by nodeId/nodeName
const NODE_TARGETING_OPERATIONS = new Set([
'updateNode', 'removeNode', 'moveNode', 'enableNode', 'disableNode'
]);
// Zod schema for the diff request
const workflowDiffSchema = z.object({
id: z.string(),
operations: z.array(z.object({
type: z.string(),
description: z.string().optional(),
// Node operations
node: z.any().optional(),
nodeId: z.string().optional(),
nodeName: z.string().optional(),
updates: z.any().optional(),
position: z.tuple([z.number(), z.number()]).optional(),
// Connection operations
source: z.string().optional(),
target: z.string().optional(),
from: z.string().optional(), // For rewireConnection
to: z.string().optional(), // For rewireConnection
sourceOutput: z.union([z.string(), z.number()]).transform(String).optional(),
targetInput: z.union([z.string(), z.number()]).transform(String).optional(),
sourceIndex: z.number().optional(),
targetIndex: z.number().optional(),
// Smart parameters (Phase 1 UX improvement)
branch: z.enum(['true', 'false']).optional(),
case: z.number().optional(),
ignoreErrors: z.boolean().optional(),
// Connection cleanup operations
dryRun: z.boolean().optional(),
connections: z.any().optional(),
// Metadata operations
settings: z.any().optional(),
name: z.string().optional(),
tag: z.string().optional(),
// Transfer operation
destinationProjectId: z.string().min(1).optional(),
// Aliases: LLMs often use "id" instead of "nodeId" — accept both
id: z.string().optional(),
}).transform((op) => {
// Normalize common field aliases for node-targeting operations:
// - "name" → "nodeName" (LLMs confuse the updateName "name" field with node identification)
// - "id" → "nodeId" (natural alias)
if (NODE_TARGETING_OPERATIONS.has(op.type)) {
if (!op.nodeName && !op.nodeId && op.name) {
op.nodeName = op.name;
op.name = undefined;
}
if (!op.nodeId && op.id) {
op.nodeId = op.id;
op.id = undefined;
}
}
return op;
})),
validateOnly: z.boolean().optional(),
continueOnError: z.boolean().optional(),
createBackup: z.boolean().optional(),
intent: z.string().optional(),
});
export async function handleUpdatePartialWorkflow(
args: unknown,
repository: NodeRepository,
context?: InstanceContext
): Promise<McpToolResponse> {
const startTime = Date.now();
const sessionId = `mutation_${Date.now()}_${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 11)}`;
let workflowBefore: any = null;
let validationBefore: any = null;
let validationAfter: any = null;
try {
// Debug logging (only in debug mode)
if (process.env.DEBUG_MCP === 'true') {
logger.debug('Workflow diff request received', {
argsType: typeof args,
hasWorkflowId: args && typeof args === 'object' && 'workflowId' in args,
operationCount: args && typeof args === 'object' && 'operations' in args ?
(args as any).operations?.length : 0
});
}
// Validate input
const input = workflowDiffSchema.parse(args);
// Get API client
const client = getN8nApiClient(context);
if (!client) {
return {
success: false,
error: 'n8n API not configured. Please set N8N_API_URL and N8N_API_KEY environment variables.'
};
}
// Fetch current workflow
let workflow;
try {
workflow = await client.getWorkflow(input.id);
// Store original workflow for telemetry
workflowBefore = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(workflow));
// Validate workflow BEFORE mutation (for telemetry)
try {
const validator = getValidator(repository);
validationBefore = await validator.validateWorkflow(workflowBefore, {
validateNodes: true,
validateConnections: true,
validateExpressions: true,
profile: 'runtime'
});
} catch (validationError) {
logger.debug('Pre-mutation validation failed (non-blocking):', validationError);
// Don't block mutation on validation errors
validationBefore = {
valid: false,
errors: [{ type: 'validation_error', message: 'Validation failed' }]
};
}
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof N8nApiError) {
return {
success: false,
error: getUserFriendlyErrorMessage(error),
code: error.code
};
}
throw error;
}
// Create backup before modifying workflow (default: true)
if (input.createBackup !== false && !input.validateOnly) {
try {
const versioningService = new WorkflowVersioningService(repository, client);
const backupResult = await versioningService.createBackup(input.id, workflow, {
trigger: 'partial_update',
operations: input.operations
});
logger.info('Workflow backup created', {
workflowId: input.id,
versionId: backupResult.versionId,
versionNumber: backupResult.versionNumber,
pruned: backupResult.pruned
});
} catch (error: any) {
logger.warn('Failed to create workflow backup', {
workflowId: input.id,
error: error.message
});
// Continue with update even if backup fails (non-blocking)
}
}
// Apply diff operations
const diffEngine = new WorkflowDiffEngine();
const diffRequest = input as WorkflowDiffRequest;
const diffResult = await diffEngine.applyDiff(workflow, diffRequest);
// Check if this is a complete failure or partial success in continueOnError mode
if (!diffResult.success) {
// In continueOnError mode, partial success is still valuable
if (diffRequest.continueOnError && diffResult.workflow && diffResult.operationsApplied && diffResult.operationsApplied > 0) {
logger.info(`continueOnError mode: Applying ${diffResult.operationsApplied} successful operations despite ${diffResult.failed?.length || 0} failures`);
// Continue to update workflow with partial changes
} else {
// Complete failure - return error
return {
success: false,
saved: false,
error: 'Failed to apply diff operations',
operationsApplied: diffResult.operationsApplied,
details: {
errors: diffResult.errors,
warnings: diffResult.warnings,
applied: diffResult.applied,
failed: diffResult.failed
}
};
}
}
// If validateOnly, return validation result
if (input.validateOnly) {
return {
success: true,
message: diffResult.message,
data: {
valid: true,
operationsToApply: input.operations.length
},
details: {
warnings: diffResult.warnings
}
};
}
// Validate final workflow structure after applying all operations
// This prevents creating workflows that pass operation-level validation
// but fail workflow-level validation (e.g., UI can't render them)
//
// Validation can be skipped for specific integration tests that need to test
// n8n API behavior with edge case workflows by setting SKIP_WORKFLOW_VALIDATION=true
if (diffResult.workflow) {
const structureErrors = validateWorkflowStructure(diffResult.workflow);
if (structureErrors.length > 0) {
const skipValidation = process.env.SKIP_WORKFLOW_VALIDATION === 'true';
logger.warn('Workflow structure validation failed after applying diff operations', {
workflowId: input.id,
errors: structureErrors,
blocking: !skipValidation
});
// Analyze error types to provide targeted recovery guidance
const errorTypes = new Set<string>();
structureErrors.forEach(err => {
if (err.includes('operator') || err.includes('singleValue')) errorTypes.add('operator_issues');
if (err.includes('connection') || err.includes('referenced')) errorTypes.add('connection_issues');
if (err.includes('Missing') || err.includes('missing')) errorTypes.add('missing_metadata');
if (err.includes('branch') || err.includes('output')) errorTypes.add('branch_mismatch');
});
// Build recovery guidance based on error types
const recoverySteps = [];
if (errorTypes.has('operator_issues')) {
recoverySteps.push('Operator structure issue detected. Use validate_node_operation to check specific nodes.');
recoverySteps.push('Binary operators (equals, contains, greaterThan, etc.) must NOT have singleValue:true');
recoverySteps.push('Unary operators (isEmpty, isNotEmpty, true, false) REQUIRE singleValue:true');
}
if (errorTypes.has('connection_issues')) {
recoverySteps.push('Connection validation failed. Check all node connections reference existing nodes.');
recoverySteps.push('Use cleanStaleConnections operation to remove connections to non-existent nodes.');
}
if (errorTypes.has('missing_metadata')) {
recoverySteps.push('Missing metadata detected. Ensure filter-based nodes (IF v2.2+, Switch v3.2+) have complete conditions.options.');
recoverySteps.push('Required options: {version: 2, leftValue: "", caseSensitive: true, typeValidation: "strict"}');
}
if (errorTypes.has('branch_mismatch')) {
recoverySteps.push('Branch count mismatch. Ensure Switch nodes have outputs for all rules (e.g., 3 rules = 3 output branches).');
}
// Add generic recovery steps if no specific guidance
if (recoverySteps.length === 0) {
recoverySteps.push('Review the validation errors listed above');
recoverySteps.push('Fix issues using updateNode or cleanStaleConnections operations');
recoverySteps.push('Run validate_workflow again to verify fixes');
}
const errorMessage = structureErrors.length === 1
? `Workflow validation failed: ${structureErrors[0]}`
: `Workflow validation failed with ${structureErrors.length} structural issues`;
// If validation is not skipped, return error and block the save
if (!skipValidation) {
return {
success: false,
saved: false,
error: errorMessage,
details: {
errors: structureErrors,
errorCount: structureErrors.length,
operationsApplied: diffResult.operationsApplied,
applied: diffResult.applied,
recoveryGuidance: recoverySteps,
note: 'Operations were applied but created an invalid workflow structure. The workflow was NOT saved to n8n to prevent UI rendering errors.',
autoSanitizationNote: 'Auto-sanitization runs on modified nodes during updates to fix operator structures and add missing metadata. However, it cannot fix all issues (e.g., broken connections, branch mismatches). Use the recovery guidance above to resolve remaining issues.'
}
};
}
// Validation skipped: log warning but continue (for specific integration tests)
logger.info('Workflow validation skipped (SKIP_WORKFLOW_VALIDATION=true): Allowing workflow with validation warnings to proceed', {
workflowId: input.id,
warningCount: structureErrors.length
});
}
}
// Update workflow via API
try {
const updatedWorkflow = await client.updateWorkflow(input.id, diffResult.workflow!);
// Handle tag operations via dedicated API (#599)
let tagWarnings: string[] = [];
if (diffResult.tagsToAdd?.length || diffResult.tagsToRemove?.length) {
try {
// Get existing tags from the updated workflow
const existingTags: Array<{ id: string; name: string }> = Array.isArray(updatedWorkflow.tags)
? updatedWorkflow.tags.map((t: any) => typeof t === 'object' ? { id: t.id, name: t.name } : { id: '', name: t })
: [];
// Resolve tag names to IDs
const allTags = await client.listTags();
const tagMap = new Map<string, string>();
for (const t of allTags.data) {
if (t.id) tagMap.set(t.name.toLowerCase(), t.id);
}
// Create any tags that don't exist yet
for (const tagName of (diffResult.tagsToAdd || [])) {
if (!tagMap.has(tagName.toLowerCase())) {
try {
const newTag = await client.createTag({ name: tagName });
if (newTag.id) tagMap.set(tagName.toLowerCase(), newTag.id);
} catch (createErr) {
tagWarnings.push(`Failed to create tag "${tagName}": ${createErr instanceof Error ? createErr.message : 'Unknown error'}`);
}
}
}
// Compute final tag set — resolve string-type tags via tagMap
const currentTagIds = new Set<string>();
for (const et of existingTags) {
if (et.id) {
currentTagIds.add(et.id);
} else {
const resolved = tagMap.get(et.name.toLowerCase());
if (resolved) currentTagIds.add(resolved);
}
}
for (const tagName of (diffResult.tagsToAdd || [])) {
const tagId = tagMap.get(tagName.toLowerCase());
if (tagId) currentTagIds.add(tagId);
}
for (const tagName of (diffResult.tagsToRemove || [])) {
const tagId = tagMap.get(tagName.toLowerCase());
if (tagId) currentTagIds.delete(tagId);
}
// Update workflow tags via dedicated API
await client.updateWorkflowTags(input.id, Array.from(currentTagIds));
} catch (tagError) {
tagWarnings.push(`Tag update failed: ${tagError instanceof Error ? tagError.message : 'Unknown error'}`);
logger.warn('Tag operations failed (non-blocking)', tagError);
}
}
// Handle project transfer if requested (before activation so workflow is in target project first)
let transferMessage = '';
if (diffResult.transferToProjectId) {
try {
await client.transferWorkflow(input.id, diffResult.transferToProjectId);
transferMessage = ` Workflow transferred to project ${diffResult.transferToProjectId}.`;
} catch (transferError) {
logger.error('Failed to transfer workflow to project', transferError);
return {
success: false,
saved: true,
error: 'Workflow updated successfully but project transfer failed',
details: {
workflowUpdated: true,
transferError: transferError instanceof Error ? transferError.message : 'Unknown error'
}
};
}
}
// Handle activation/deactivation if requested
let finalWorkflow = updatedWorkflow;
let activationMessage = '';
// Validate workflow AFTER mutation (for telemetry)
try {
const validator = getValidator(repository);
validationAfter = await validator.validateWorkflow(finalWorkflow, {
validateNodes: true,
validateConnections: true,
validateExpressions: true,
profile: 'runtime'
});
} catch (validationError) {
logger.debug('Post-mutation validation failed (non-blocking):', validationError);
// Don't block on validation errors
validationAfter = {
valid: false,
errors: [{ type: 'validation_error', message: 'Validation failed' }]
};
}
if (diffResult.shouldActivate) {
try {
finalWorkflow = await client.activateWorkflow(input.id);
activationMessage = ' Workflow activated.';
} catch (activationError) {
logger.error('Failed to activate workflow after update', activationError);
return {
success: false,
saved: true,
error: 'Workflow updated successfully but activation failed',
details: {
workflowUpdated: true,
activationError: activationError instanceof Error ? activationError.message : 'Unknown error'
}
};
}
} else if (diffResult.shouldDeactivate) {
try {
finalWorkflow = await client.deactivateWorkflow(input.id);
activationMessage = ' Workflow deactivated.';
} catch (deactivationError) {
logger.error('Failed to deactivate workflow after update', deactivationError);
return {
success: false,
saved: true,
error: 'Workflow updated successfully but deactivation failed',
details: {
workflowUpdated: true,
deactivationError: deactivationError instanceof Error ? deactivationError.message : 'Unknown error'
}
};
}
}
// Track successful mutation
if (workflowBefore && !input.validateOnly) {
trackWorkflowMutation({
sessionId,
toolName: 'n8n_update_partial_workflow',
userIntent: input.intent || 'Partial workflow update',
operations: input.operations,
workflowBefore,
workflowAfter: finalWorkflow,
validationBefore,
validationAfter,
mutationSuccess: true,
durationMs: Date.now() - startTime,
}).catch(err => {
logger.debug('Failed to track mutation telemetry:', err);
});
}
return {
success: true,
saved: true,
data: {
id: finalWorkflow.id,
name: finalWorkflow.name,
active: finalWorkflow.active,
nodeCount: finalWorkflow.nodes?.length || 0,
operationsApplied: diffResult.operationsApplied
},
message: `Workflow "${finalWorkflow.name}" updated successfully. Applied ${diffResult.operationsApplied} operations.${transferMessage}${activationMessage} Use n8n_get_workflow with mode 'structure' to verify current state.`,
details: {
applied: diffResult.applied,
failed: diffResult.failed,
errors: diffResult.errors,
warnings: mergeWarnings(diffResult.warnings, tagWarnings)
}
};
} catch (error) {
// Track failed mutation
if (workflowBefore && !input.validateOnly) {
trackWorkflowMutation({
sessionId,
toolName: 'n8n_update_partial_workflow',
userIntent: input.intent || 'Partial workflow update',
operations: input.operations,
workflowBefore,
workflowAfter: workflowBefore, // No change since it failed
validationBefore,
validationAfter: validationBefore, // Same as before since mutation failed
mutationSuccess: false,
mutationError: error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error',
durationMs: Date.now() - startTime,
}).catch(err => {
logger.warn('Failed to track mutation telemetry for failed operation:', err);
});
}
if (error instanceof N8nApiError) {
return {
success: false,
error: getUserFriendlyErrorMessage(error),
code: error.code,
details: error.details as Record<string, unknown> | undefined
};
}
throw error;
}
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof z.ZodError) {
return {
success: false,
error: 'Invalid input',
details: {
errors: error.errors.map(e => `${e.path.join('.')}: ${e.message}`)
}
};
}
logger.error('Failed to update partial workflow', error);
return {
success: false,
error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error occurred'
};
}
}
/**
* Merge diff engine warnings with tag operation warnings into a single array.
* Returns undefined when there are no warnings to keep the response clean.
*/
function mergeWarnings(
diffWarnings: WorkflowDiffValidationError[] | undefined,
tagWarnings: string[]
): WorkflowDiffValidationError[] | undefined {
const merged: WorkflowDiffValidationError[] = [
...(diffWarnings || []),
...tagWarnings.map(w => ({ operation: -1, message: w }))
];
return merged.length > 0 ? merged : undefined;
}
/**
* Infer intent from operations when not explicitly provided
*/
function inferIntentFromOperations(operations: any[]): string {
if (!operations || operations.length === 0) {
return 'Partial workflow update';
}
const opTypes = operations.map((op) => op.type);
const opCount = operations.length;
// Single operation - be specific
if (opCount === 1) {
const op = operations[0];
switch (op.type) {
case 'addNode':
return `Add ${op.node?.type || 'node'}`;
case 'removeNode':
return `Remove node ${op.nodeName || op.nodeId || ''}`.trim();
case 'updateNode':
return `Update node ${op.nodeName || op.nodeId || ''}`.trim();
case 'addConnection':
return `Connect ${op.source || 'node'} to ${op.target || 'node'}`;
case 'removeConnection':
return `Disconnect ${op.source || 'node'} from ${op.target || 'node'}`;
case 'rewireConnection':
return `Rewire ${op.source || 'node'} from ${op.from || ''} to ${op.to || ''}`.trim();
case 'updateName':
return `Rename workflow to "${op.name || ''}"`;
case 'activateWorkflow':
return 'Activate workflow';
case 'deactivateWorkflow':
return 'Deactivate workflow';
case 'transferWorkflow':
return `Transfer workflow to project ${op.destinationProjectId || ''}`.trim();
default:
return `Workflow ${op.type}`;
}
}
// Multiple operations - summarize pattern
const typeSet = new Set(opTypes);
const summary: string[] = [];
if (typeSet.has('addNode')) {
const count = opTypes.filter((t) => t === 'addNode').length;
summary.push(`add ${count} node${count > 1 ? 's' : ''}`);
}
if (typeSet.has('removeNode')) {
const count = opTypes.filter((t) => t === 'removeNode').length;
summary.push(`remove ${count} node${count > 1 ? 's' : ''}`);
}
if (typeSet.has('updateNode')) {
const count = opTypes.filter((t) => t === 'updateNode').length;
summary.push(`update ${count} node${count > 1 ? 's' : ''}`);
}
if (typeSet.has('addConnection') || typeSet.has('rewireConnection')) {
summary.push('modify connections');
}
if (typeSet.has('updateName') || typeSet.has('updateSettings')) {
summary.push('update metadata');
}
return summary.length > 0
? `Workflow update: ${summary.join(', ')}`
: `Workflow update: ${opCount} operations`;
}
/**
* Track workflow mutation for telemetry
*/
async function trackWorkflowMutation(data: any): Promise<void> {
try {
// Enhance intent if it's missing or generic
if (
!data.userIntent ||
data.userIntent === 'Partial workflow update' ||
data.userIntent.length < 10
) {
data.userIntent = inferIntentFromOperations(data.operations);
}
const { telemetry } = await import('../telemetry/telemetry-manager.js');
await telemetry.trackWorkflowMutation(data);
} catch (error) {
logger.debug('Telemetry tracking failed:', error);
}
}