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Templates, Data Tables & Self-Help Tools Guide

data/skills/n8n-mcp-tools-expert/OPERATIONS_GUIDE.md

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Templates, Data Tables & Self-Help Tools Guide

Reference depth for template search/deploy, data table management, and the self-help/diagnostic tools.

Template Library

search_templates

javascript
// Search by keyword (default mode)
search_templates({
  query: "webhook slack",
  limit: 20
});

// Search by node types
search_templates({
  searchMode: "by_nodes",
  nodeTypes: ["n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest", "n8n-nodes-base.slack"]
});

// Search by task type
search_templates({
  searchMode: "by_task",
  task: "webhook_processing"
});

// Search by metadata (complexity, setup time)
search_templates({
  searchMode: "by_metadata",
  complexity: "simple",
  maxSetupMinutes: 15
});

get_template

javascript
get_template({
  templateId: 2947,
  mode: "structure"  // nodes+connections only
});

get_template({
  templateId: 2947,
  mode: "full"  // complete workflow JSON
});

n8n_deploy_template (Deploy Directly)

javascript
// Deploy template to your n8n instance
n8n_deploy_template({
  templateId: 2947,
  name: "My Weather to Slack",  // Custom name (optional)
  autoFix: true,  // Auto-fix common issues (default)
  autoUpgradeVersions: true  // Upgrade node versions (default)
});
// Returns: workflow ID, required credentials, fixes applied

(Full deploy parameters and a worked example also appear in WORKFLOW_GUIDE.md.)

Data Table Management

Two surfaces, don't confuse them:

  • n8n_manage_datatable (below) — MCP tool for managing tables, rows and columns from outside a workflow (e.g. creating tables during workflow scaffolding, seeding data, or inspecting state from Claude). Covered here.
  • nodes-base.dataTable node — the in-workflow node you drop into a workflow to read/write rows during execution. For its parameter shapes, operation values, filter syntax, and gotchas (e.g. the deleteRows reserved-word workaround, the id isNotEmpty trick for "all rows"), see n8n-node-configuration → OPERATION_PATTERNS.md → Storage Nodes → Data Table.

Rule of thumb: use the MCP tool to set up a table once and the workflow node to read/write rows on every execution.

n8n_manage_datatable

Unified tool for managing n8n data tables, their rows and their columns. Supports CRUD operations on tables and rows with filtering, pagination, and dry-run support, plus column changes through n8n's MCP server.

Table Actions: createTable, listTables, getTable, updateTable, deleteTable Row Actions: getRows, insertRows, updateRows, upsertRows, deleteRows Column Actions (n8n's MCP server, N8N_MCP_ACCESS_TOKEN, n8n 2.34+): addColumn, deleteColumn, renameColumn

javascript
// Create a data table
n8n_manage_datatable({
  action: "createTable",
  name: "Contacts",
  columns: [
    {name: "email", type: "string"},
    {name: "score", type: "number"}
  ]
})

// Get rows with filter
n8n_manage_datatable({
  action: "getRows",
  tableId: "dt-123",
  filter: {
    filters: [{columnName: "status", condition: "eq", value: "active"}]
  },
  limit: 50
})

// Insert rows
n8n_manage_datatable({
  action: "insertRows",
  tableId: "dt-123",
  data: [{email: "[email protected]", score: 10}],
  returnType: "all"
})

// Update with dry run (preview changes)
n8n_manage_datatable({
  action: "updateRows",
  tableId: "dt-123",
  filter: {filters: [{columnName: "score", condition: "lt", value: 5}]},
  data: {status: "inactive"},
  dryRun: true
})

// Upsert (update or insert)
n8n_manage_datatable({
  action: "upsertRows",
  tableId: "dt-123",
  filter: {filters: [{columnName: "email", condition: "eq", value: "[email protected]"}]},
  data: {score: 15},
  returnData: true
})
javascript
// Column actions: the Public API cannot change columns after a table exists,
// so these run through n8n's MCP server. projectId is the project owning the
// table; when omitted it is resolved from the instance's projects (PROJECT_REQUIRED
// asks for it when more than one project could own the table).
n8n_manage_datatable({
  action: "addColumn",
  tableId: "dt-123",
  column: {name: "status", type: "string"}   // letters/digits/underscores, starts with a letter, max 63 chars
})

n8n_manage_datatable({
  action: "renameColumn",
  tableId: "dt-123",
  columnId: "col-456",   // from getTable
  name: "state"
})

// deleteColumn drops the column's VALUES with it, and there is no undo.
// A column's type cannot be changed after creation, so "make this column a number"
// means drop-and-re-add — read the values out with getRows first if they matter.
n8n_manage_datatable({
  action: "deleteColumn",
  tableId: "dt-123",
  columnId: "col-456"
})

Column types are string, number, boolean and date. The column actions also accept timeoutMs (5000-600000, default 30000).

Filter conditions: eq, neq, like, ilike, gt, gte, lt, lte

Best practices:

  • Use dryRun: true before bulk updates/deletes to verify filter correctness
  • Define column types upfront (string, number, boolean, date)
  • Use returnType: "count" (default) for insertRows to minimize response size
  • deleteRows requires a filter - cannot delete all rows without one

Self-Help Tools

Get Tool Documentation

javascript
// Overview of all tools
tools_documentation()

// Specific tool details
tools_documentation({
  topic: "search_nodes",
  depth: "full"
})

// Code node guides
tools_documentation({topic: "javascript_code_node_guide", depth: "full"})
tools_documentation({topic: "python_code_node_guide", depth: "full"})

AI Agent Guide

javascript
// Comprehensive AI workflow guide — accessed via tools_documentation
// (there is no standalone ai_agents_guide tool)
tools_documentation({topic: "ai_agents_guide", depth: "full"})
// Returns: Architecture, connections, tools, validation, best practices

Health Check

javascript
// Quick health check
n8n_health_check()

// Detailed diagnostics
n8n_health_check({mode: "diagnostic"})
// → Returns: status, env vars, tool status, API connectivity