n8n-cli

What this skill does

# n8n CLI

The `n8n-cli` command-line tool manages an n8n instance via its REST API.
It auto-detects piped output and switches to JSON, making it composable for scripts and LLM tool use.

## Setup

```bash
# Interactive login (saves to ~/.n8n-cli/config.json)
n8n-cli login

# Or configure directly
n8n-cli config set-url https://my-instance.n8n.cloud
n8n-cli config set-api-key n8n_api_...

# Or use environment variables (no config file needed)
export N8N_URL=https://my-instance.n8n.cloud
export N8N_API_KEY=n8n_api_...
```

## Global Flags

Every command supports these flags:

| Flag | Short | Description |
|------|-------|-------------|
| `--url` | `-u` | Instance URL (overrides config/env) |
| `--apiKey` | `-k` | API key (overrides config/env) |
| `--format` | `-f` | Output format: `table`, `json`, `id-only` |
| `--json` | | Shorthand for `--format=json` |
| `--jq` | | jq-style filter (implies `--json`), e.g. `'.[0].id'`, `'.[].name'` |
| `--quiet` | `-q` | Suppress output |
| `--no-header` | | Hide table headers (for `awk`/`cut` parsing) |
| `--debug` | | Print HTTP details to stderr |

**Auto-JSON:** When stdout is piped (not a TTY), output defaults to JSON automatically.

## Workflows

```bash
# List all workflows
n8n-cli workflow list

# Filter workflows
n8n-cli workflow list --active
n8n-cli workflow list --tag=production
n8n-cli workflow list --name="My Workflow"
n8n-cli workflow list --limit=5

# Get a single workflow (full JSON with nodes and connections)
n8n-cli workflow get <id>

# Extract just node names from a workflow
n8n-cli workflow get <id> --jq '.nodes[].name'

# Create a workflow from JSON
n8n-cli workflow create --file=workflow.json
cat workflow.json | n8n-cli workflow create --stdin

# Update a workflow
n8n-cli workflow update <id> --file=updated.json
cat updated.json | n8n-cli workflow update <id> --stdin

# Activate / deactivate
n8n-cli workflow activate <id>
n8n-cli workflow deactivate <id>

# Delete a workflow
n8n-cli workflow delete <id>

# Transfer to another project
n8n-cli workflow transfer <id> --project=<projectId>

# List tags on a workflow
n8n-cli workflow tags <id>
```

## Executions

```bash
# List recent executions
n8n-cli execution list
n8n-cli execution list --workflow=<id> --status=error --limit=10
# status options: canceled, error, running, success, waiting

# Get execution details
n8n-cli execution get <id>
n8n-cli execution get <id> --include-data   # includes full node I/O

# Retry a failed execution
n8n-cli execution retry <id>

# Stop a running execution
n8n-cli execution stop <id>

# Delete an execution
n8n-cli execution delete <id>
```

## Credentials

```bash
# List credentials
n8n-cli credential list

# Get credential metadata (not secrets)
n8n-cli credential get <id>

# Get the schema for a credential type (shows required fields)
n8n-cli credential schema notionApi
n8n-cli credential schema slackOAuth2Api

# Create a credential
n8n-cli credential create --type=notionApi --name='My Notion' --data='{"apiKey":"..."}'
n8n-cli credential create --type=notionApi --name='My Notion' --file=cred.json
cat cred.json | n8n-cli credential create --type=notionApi --name='My Notion' --stdin

# Delete / transfer
n8n-cli credential delete <id>
n8n-cli credential transfer <id> --project=<projectId>
```

**Tip:** Use `credential schema <type>` to discover required fields before creating.

## Projects

```bash
n8n-cli project list
n8n-cli project get <id>
n8n-cli project create --name="My Project"
n8n-cli project update <id> --name="New Name"
n8n-cli project delete <id>

# Team management
n8n-cli project members <id>
n8n-cli project add-member <id> --user=<userId> --role=<role>
n8n-cli project remove-member <id> --user=<userId>
```

## Tags

```bash
n8n-cli tag list
n8n-cli tag create --name=production
n8n-cli tag update <id> --name=staging
n8n-cli tag delete <id>
```

## Variables

```bash
n8n-cli variable list
n8n-cli variable create --key=API_ENDPOINT --value=https://api.example.com
n8n-cli variable update <id> --key=API_ENDPOINT --value=https://new-api.example.com
n8n-cli variable delete <id>
```

## Data Tables

```bash
# CRUD
n8n-cli data-table list
n8n-cli data-table get <id>
n8n-cli data-table create --name=Inventory --columns='[{"name":"item","type":"string"},{"name":"qty","type":"number"}]'
n8n-cli data-table delete <id>

# Row operations
n8n-cli data-table rows <id>
n8n-cli data-table add-rows <id> --file=rows.json
n8n-cli data-table update-rows <id> --file=rows.json
n8n-cli data-table upsert-rows <id> --file=rows.json
n8n-cli data-table delete-rows <id> --ids=row1,row2,row3

# All row commands support --stdin
cat rows.json | n8n-cli data-table add-rows <id> --stdin
```

## Users

```bash
n8n-cli user list
n8n-cli user get <id>
```

## Other

```bash
# Security audit
n8n-cli audit
n8n-cli audit --categories=credentials,nodes

# Source control
n8n-cli source-control pull

# View config
n8n-cli config show
```

## Composability Patterns

The CLI is designed to be piped and composed:

```bash
# Get all workflow IDs
n8n-cli workflow list --jq '.[].id'

# Get the name of the first workflow
n8n-cli workflow list --jq '.[0].name'

# Export a workflow to a file
n8n-cli workflow get 1234 --json > workflow-backup.json

# Find failing executions for a workflow
n8n-cli execution list --workflow=1234 --status=error --json

# Pipe workflow JSON for modification
n8n-cli workflow get 1234 --json | jq '.name = "Updated Name"' | n8n-cli workflow update 1234 --stdin

# Table output without headers for shell parsing
n8n-cli workflow list --no-header | awk '{print $1}'

# Debug API calls
n8n-cli workflow list --debug 2>debug.log
```

## Workflow JSON Structure

When creating or updating workflows, the JSON follows this structure:

```json
{
  "name": "My Workflow",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "name": "Start",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
      "position": [250, 300],
      "parameters": {}
    },
    {
      "name": "HTTP Request",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
      "position": [450, 300],
      "parameters": {
        "url": "https://api.example.com/data",
        "method": "GET"
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Start": {
      "main": [[{ "node": "HTTP Request", "type": "main", "index": 0 }]]
    }
  }
}
```

Key points:
- `nodes[].type` follows the pattern `n8n-nodes-base.<nodeName>` for built-in nodes
- `connections` is keyed by source node name, with `main` output arrays
- Each connection specifies target `node`, `type` (usually `main`), and output `index`
- Use `workflow get <id> --json` to see real examples from the instance