generated: '2026-09-03'
method: derived
source: >-
  https://docs.n8n.io/connect/connect-to-n8n-mcp-server/mcp-server-tools-reference.md
  mapped against openapi/ (refined per-tag specs + openapi/n8n-public-api-openapi.yml)
note: >-
  The live MCP schema requires an authenticated n8n instance (OAuth or bearer
  token), so bindings are mapped by name and documented semantics from the
  provider's own tools reference, not live introspection. Confidence is set
  accordingly. The MCP surface and the public REST API are siblings over the
  same instance resources but are not one-to-one: the workflow-builder and
  agent-management tool families have no public REST equivalents.
surfaces:
  openapi: openapi/n8n-public-api-openapi.yml
  mcp: https://{your-n8n-instance}/mcp-server/http (auth-gated, instance-templated)
  graphql: none published (graphql/n8n-graphql.md is a conceptual community derivation)
coverage:
  mcp_tools: 46
  crosswalked: 15
  mcp_only: 31
  rest_operations: 86
  rest_only_examples: 24
crosswalk:
  - tool: search_workflows
    category: workflow_management
    rest: [getWorkflows]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
    note: GET /workflows with filters; MCP adds query/sort/folder semantics.
  - tool: get_workflow_details
    category: workflow_management
    rest: [getWorkflow]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: publish_workflow
    category: workflow_management
    rest: [activateWorkflow]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: medium
    note: Provider docs say activate/deactivate is "publish/unpublish" in the public API.
  - tool: unpublish_workflow
    category: workflow_management
    rest: [deactivateWorkflow]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: medium
  - tool: update_workflow
    category: workflow_builder
    rest: [updateWorkflow]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: medium
  - tool: archive_workflow
    category: workflow_builder
    rest: [archiveWorkflow]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: search_projects
    category: workflow_management
    rest: [getProjects]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: search_folders
    category: workflow_management
    rest: [listFolders]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: list_workflow_tags
    category: workflow_management
    rest: [getTags]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: get_workflow_execution
    category: execution_management
    rest: [getExecution]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: search_workflow_executions
    category: execution_management
    rest: [getExecutions]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: list_credentials
    category: credential_management
    rest: [getCredentials]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: search_data_tables
    category: data_tables
    rest: [listDataTables]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: create_data_table
    category: data_tables
    rest: [createDataTable]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
  - tool: add_data_table_rows
    category: data_tables
    rest: [insertDataTableRows]
    binding: semantic
    confidence: high
mcp_only:
  - tool: execute_workflow
    reason: No public REST operation runs a workflow; execution happens via webhooks/triggers.
  - tool: test_workflow
    reason: Manual-mode test execution is an MCP/editor capability, not a public REST op.
  - tool: prepare_workflow_pin_data
    reason: Editor pin-data tooling; no REST equivalent.
  - tool: get_workflow_versions_diff
    reason: Version diffing has no public REST op (REST only fetches a single version).
  - tool: get_workflow_sdk_reference
    reason: Workflow-builder reference material served by the MCP server itself.
  - tool: search_nodes
    reason: Node-type catalog is not part of the public REST API.
  - tool: get_node_types
    reason: Node-type catalog is not part of the public REST API.
  - tool: get_workflow_best_practices
    reason: Reference material served by the MCP server itself.
  - tool: explore_node_resources
    reason: Node resource discovery; no REST equivalent.
  - tool: validate_workflow
    reason: Validation is an MCP/builder capability; no REST equivalent.
  - tool: validate_node_config
    reason: Validation is an MCP/builder capability; no REST equivalent.
  - tool: create_workflow_from_code
    reason: SDK-code-to-workflow builder path; REST createWorkflow takes workflow JSON, not code.
  - tool: agent_management_family
    reason: >-
      All 15 agent tools (search_agents, get_agent, create_agent, mutate_agent,
      validate_agent, call_agent, publish_agent, unpublish_agent, revert_agent,
      list_agent_versions, update_agent_integration, delete_agent,
      get_agent_builder_reference, discover_agent_assets,
      verify_agent_mcp_server) manage n8n Agents, which have no public REST
      surface.
  - tool: data_table_column_renames
    reason: rename_data_table_column / rename_data_table map loosely onto PATCH updates; kept out of the crosswalk pending schema introspection.
rest_only:
  - generateAudit
  - createWorkflow
  - deleteWorkflow
  - transferWorkflow
  - getWorkflowTags
  - updateWorkflowTags
  - deleteExecution
  - retryExecution
  - stopExecution
  - createCredential
  - deleteCredential
  - testCredential
  - getCredentialSchema
  - transferCredential
  - createTag
  - updateTag
  - deleteTag
  - getUsers
  - createUsers
  - deleteUser
  - changeUserRole
  - createVariable
  - getVariables
  - sourceControlPull