n8n_vs-code_integration/GETTING_STARTED.md

🎉 n8n VS Code Integration - Ready to Use!

Your n8n MCP (Model Context Protocol) server has been successfully set up and configured!

✅ What's Been Installed

1. MCP Server - TypeScript-based server that connects VS Code to n8n
2. n8n API Client - Handles all communication with your n8n instance
3. Configuration Files - Pre-configured with your n8n instance and API key
4. Documentation - Complete setup and usage guides

🔧 Current Configuration

• n8n Instance: http://srvdocker02:8098
• API Key: Configured ✓
• Connection Status: ✅ Successfully connected
• Workflows Found: 1 workflow ("My workflow")

🚀 Next Steps

1. Restart VS Code

For the MCP server to be available in GitHub Copilot Chat, you need to restart VS Code:

• Close and reopen VS Code
• Or use Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Developer: Reload Window"

2. Start Using It!

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and try these commands:

List Workflows

@workspace List all my n8n workflows

Get Workflow Details

@workspace Show me the details of the workflow "My workflow"

Execute a Workflow

@workspace Execute the workflow with ID Zk4gbBzjxVppHiCB

View Executions

@workspace Show me recent executions

Update a Workflow

@workspace Update workflow Zk4gbBzjxVppHiCB to deactivate it

📋 Available Operations

The MCP server provides these tools to GitHub Copilot:

Tool	Description
list_workflows	List all workflows in your n8n instance
get_workflow	Get complete workflow details including nodes
update_workflow	Modify workflow configuration
activate_workflow	Activate a workflow
deactivate_workflow	Deactivate a workflow
execute_workflow	Manually trigger a workflow
get_execution	Get details of a specific execution
list_executions	View execution history

🧪 Testing

Test the connection anytime with:

node test-connection.js

Expected output:

✓ Successfully connected to n8n!
✓ Found 1 workflow(s)

📁 Project Structure

n8n_vscode_integration/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts              # Main MCP server
│   └── n8n-client.ts         # n8n API client
├── dist/                     # Compiled JavaScript
├── .vscode/
│   └── settings.json         # VS Code MCP configuration
├── .env                      # Environment variables (API key)
├── package.json              # Dependencies
├── README.md                 # Full documentation
├── SETUP.md                  # Setup guide
└── test-connection.js        # Connection test script

🔒 Security Note

Your API key is stored in:

• .env file (for local testing)
• .vscode/settings.json (for MCP server)

Both files are in .gitignore to prevent accidental commits. Keep your API key secure!

🛠️ Development

If you want to modify the server:

# Watch for changes and rebuild automatically
npm run watch

# Or build manually
npm run build

# After rebuilding, restart VS Code to reload the MCP server

📖 Documentation

• README.md - Complete documentation and API reference
• SETUP.md - Detailed setup instructions
• THIS FILE - Quick start guide

💡 Example Use Cases

1. Workflow Development: Ask Copilot to help you understand and modify workflows
2. Automation: Execute workflows directly from VS Code
3. Monitoring: Check execution history and debug failures
4. Documentation: Have Copilot explain what your workflows do
5. Batch Operations: Use Copilot to perform operations on multiple workflows

🆘 Need Help?

If something doesn't work:

1. Check that VS Code has been restarted
2. Verify the connection: node test-connection.js
3. Check VS Code Output panel: View → Output → GitHub Copilot Chat
4. Review SETUP.md for troubleshooting steps

🎯 What You Can Ask Copilot

• "List all my n8n workflows"
• "Show me the most recent executions"
• "Execute workflow X"
• "What does workflow Y do?" (Copilot will fetch and analyze it)
• "Activate all inactive workflows"
• "Show me failed executions"
• "Update workflow X to change [setting]"

---

You're all set! Restart VS Code and start using n8n with GitHub Copilot Chat! 🚀