n8n — operate a live instance over its REST API and MCP

You already have a workflow design — the trigger→steps→error shape and the importable JSON, which is automation-flows' job and this skill does not re-teach it. This skill is the operate half: push that JSON into a running n8n, validate it, test it, flip it live, watch its executions, and tear it down safely — all without touching the UI. n8n has the richest programmatic story of the no-code platforms: a first-party REST API plus a mature MCP server, both hitting the same instance.

Connect first — REST API vs MCP

Two ways to drive the same instance. Pick by who is at the wheel.

	Public REST API	n8n-mcp (czlonkowski, de-facto standard)
What it is	n8n's own HTTP API at `{host}/api/v1`	MCP server wrapping that API + offline node/expression knowledge
Best for	scripts, CI/CD, deterministic deploys, no extra dependency	an agent (Claude) building/fixing workflows in the loop — it can look up node schemas, then validate/autofix before it writes
Auth	API key in header `X-N8N-API-KEY`	management tools need `N8N_API_URL` + `N8N_API_KEY`; node-knowledge tools need no auth
Surface	identical on self-host and `*.app.n8n.cloud`	same underlying API; hosted trial at `dashboard.n8n-mcp.com`