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Free Setup Guide

Build n8n
Workflows
With Claude

Describe what you want to automate. Claude Code builds the entire workflow inside n8n. No dragging nodes. No coding.

Setup Time ~10 minutes
Cost $0 for n8n
Coding Required None
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What We're Setting Up
🤖
Claude Code
The AI brain. You tell it what to build in plain English and it does it.
⚙️
n8n (Local)
Where your workflows live and run. Completely free when self-hosted on your computer.
🔗
MCP Bridge
Connects Claude Code directly to n8n. Like a USB cable between the two tools.
Before You Start
Mac, Windows, or Linux computer
Internet connection
Claude Pro subscription (claude.ai)
About 10 minutes
Step by Step

The Setup

1
Install Node.js

Node.js is required to run n8n on your machine. Skip this if you already have it.

  • 01 Go to nodejs.org
  • 02 Download the LTS version — it says "Recommended for most users"
  • 03 Install it like any normal app — just click through
✅
Done when
Open Terminal, type node -v and a version number appears
2
Run n8n For Free

Instead of paying for the cloud version, you run n8n on your own computer. Completely free, no usage limits.

  • 01 Open Terminal on Mac (Cmd + Space → type "Terminal" → Enter)
  • 02 Run this command:
npx n8n
  • 03 Wait ~30 seconds for it to install and start
  • 04 When you see "Editor is now accessible via: http://localhost:5678" — press O to open in your browser
  • 05 Create your account in n8n
💡
Free License Key
n8n will offer you a free license key when you sign up — claim it. It unlocks paid features forever on your self-hosted version.
⚠️
Keep Terminal Open
n8n only runs while that Terminal window is open. Every time you want to use it, run npx n8n first.
3
Get Your API Key

This lets Claude Code talk directly to your n8n instance.

  • 01 In n8n, click your profile icon in the bottom-left
  • 02 Go to Settings → API
  • 03 Click Create API Key
  • 04 Copy it and save it somewhere safe
🔑
Important
Treat this like a password. Don't share it or post it publicly anywhere.
4
Install Claude Code

Claude Code is a terminal tool. Install it once and it works everywhere.

  • 01 Open a new Terminal window
  • 02 Run this command:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
  • 03 Once installed, type claude and hit Enter to launch it
  • 04 Sign in with your Anthropic account when prompted
5
Connect Claude to n8n

This is the step that makes everything work together. Run this in Terminal — replace your-api-key-here with the key you copied in Step 3.

claude mcp add n8n-mcp \ -e MCP_MODE=stdio \ -e LOG_LEVEL=error \ -e DISABLE_CONSOLE_OUTPUT=true \ -e N8N_API_URL=http://localhost:5678 \ -e N8N_API_KEY=your-api-key-here \ -- npx n8n-mcp
  • 01 After running that command, type /mcp inside Claude Code
  • 02 You should see a green checkmark next to n8n-mcp
✅
Success looks like
Claude Code confirms it can access your n8n and is ready to build workflows.
6
Test and Activate

Once Claude Code builds a workflow, here's how to check it works.

  • 01 Open your n8n dashboard — the new workflow will be listed there
  • 02 Click to open it and review the nodes
  • 03 Click Test Workflow to run it once with dummy data
  • 04 When everything looks good, toggle it to Active
🎯
Pro Tip
Always test with dummy data first. Once confirmed, flip it to Active and it runs on autopilot.
Copy & Paste These

Workflow Prompts

Paste any of these into Claude Code and watch it build the whole thing.

Lead Generation copy prompt
Build me an n8n workflow that: 1. Triggers when a new row is added to a Google Sheet 2. Enriches the lead data with their company info 3. Sends a personalized welcome email via Gmail 4. Posts a Slack notification to my team
Client Onboarding copy prompt
Build me an n8n workflow that: 1. Triggers when a new client signs a proposal (webhook) 2. Creates a project folder in Google Drive 3. Sends a welcome email with onboarding docs 4. Creates a task in my project management tool 5. Notifies the team in Slack
Invoice Automation copy prompt
Build me an n8n workflow that: 1. Triggers on the 1st of every month 2. Pulls client data from a Google Sheet 3. Generates invoices using a template 4. Emails each invoice automatically 5. Logs sent invoices back to the sheet
Inspiration

More to Build

Lead Generation
Form capture → enrich → CRM
Social Monitoring
Track mentions → alert Slack
Email Follow-ups
Triggered sequences automatically
Data Syncing
Sheets ↔ CRM ↔ project tools
Meeting Prep
Pull CRM context before every call
Weekly Reports
Auto-pulled from multiple sources
Checklist

You're Done ✓

✓
Installed Node.js
✓
Running n8n locally for free
✓
Claimed free license key
✓
Got your API key
✓
Installed Claude Code
✓
Connected Claude Code to n8n
✓
Built your first workflow
✓
Tested and activated it
Common Questions
Do I need to know how to code?
No. You describe what you want in plain English. Claude Code figures out the rest.
Is n8n really free?
Yes — when you self-host it, which is exactly what this guide shows. Running it locally costs nothing and has no usage limits.
Is Claude Code free?
Claude Code is free to install but requires a Claude Pro plan to use. You can get that at claude.ai.
What if a workflow doesn't work?
Just tell Claude Code what went wrong. It can debug, fix, and re-deploy. You can also check the Execution Log inside n8n for more detail.
Can I sell these workflows to clients?
Absolutely. Businesses pay serious money for lead gen, onboarding, and invoice automations. You can build them in minutes and offer them as a done-for-you service.