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name: n8n-cli description: Use the n8n CLI to manage workflows, credentials, executions, and more on an n8n instance. Use when the user asks to interact with n8n, automate workflows, manage credentials, or operate their instance from the command line. allowed-tools: Bash(n8n-cli:), Bash(echo:), Bash(cat:*), Read, Write metadata: version: "1.0.2"

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>

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>

Promotions

Move projects between instances through a Git repository. A provider holds the credentials. An environment sets up one direction on a repository: promote pushes to Git, apply imports from Git. The instance can have one environment for each direction.

bash

# 1. Create a provider. An SSH provider returns a public key to add as a deploy key.
#    The response carries the provider fields at the top level, so `.id` and
#    `.publicKey` both work with --jq and --format=id-only.
echo '{"name":"GitHub","type":"git","auth":{"authType":"ssh-key","keyType":"ed25519"}}' \
  | n8n-cli promotion-provider create --stdin --json > provider.json
jq -r '.id' provider.json          # use as providerId in step 2
jq -r '.publicKey' provider.json   # add to the repository as a deploy key
 
# 2. Create an environment on that provider for each direction you need.
n8n-cli promotion-environment create --file=promote.json
n8n-cli promotion-environment create --file=apply.json
 
# 3. Connect each environment before you use it.
n8n-cli promotion-environment connect <promoteId>
n8n-cli promotion-environment connect <applyId>
 
# 4. Promote from this instance, or apply to it.
n8n-cli promotion-environment promote <promoteId>
n8n-cli promotion-environment apply <applyId>
 
# A project that exists only in the Apply package must exist here before you
# apply to it from its project. Create it empty, with the same ID:
n8n-cli promotion-environment list-missing-projects <applyId>
n8n-cli promotion-environment create-missing-projects <applyId>   # exits 1 if one fails

GitLab setup. A GitLab provider lists its repositories and branches, so read the remote URL and the branch names from it instead of guessing them:

bash

# gitlab-provider.json:
# {"name":"GitLab","type":"gitlab","config":{"schemaVersion":1,"baseUrl":"https://gitlab.example.com"},
#  "auth":{"authType":"token","password":"<GitLab access token>"}}
n8n-cli promotion-provider create --file=gitlab-provider.json --format=id-only   # providerId
n8n-cli promotion-provider list-repositories <providerId> --search=flows --json  # remoteUrl, fullPath
n8n-cli promotion-provider list-branches <providerId> <fullPath> --json          # isDefault marks the default branch
# Put remoteUrl and a branch name in the environment JSON, then create and connect as above.

Apply a reviewed commit only:

bash

# Review the changes. Take the commit SHA from the same response as the rows:
# a second request can read a newer commit.
n8n-cli promotion-environment list-changes <projectId> apply --json > reviewed-changes.json
jq '{commitSha, source, resources}' reviewed-changes.json
# The branch comes from the Apply environment.
n8n-cli promotion-environment get <applyId> --jq '.settings.branchName'
 
n8n-cli promotion-environment apply <applyId> \
  --expected-environment-id=<applyId> --expected-branch=<branch> --expected-commit-sha=<full sha>
# Exit 3: the source changed since the review. Review again.
# Exit 4: the Apply check found missing bindings, access requirements, or conflicts. Resolve them,
# then run the apply-continue command that apply printed:
n8n-cli promotion-environment apply-continue <applyId> \
  --expected-environment-id=<applyId> --expected-branch=<branch> --expected-commit-sha=<full sha>
# To also apply destructive data table changes and delete the team projects that the
# package does not hold, add --confirm-destructive-changes.

Promote or apply a selection of a project:

bash

# The table lists each changed resource with its TYPE and ID. Select workflows with -w and
# folders with --folder; the project is always included. A changed credential, data table,
# variable, or tag can't be selected: select a workflow from its USEDBY column instead.
n8n-cli promotion-environment list-changes <projectId> promote
n8n-cli promotion-environment promote-selection <projectId> -w <workflowId> --folder <folderId>
 
# Apply only the reviewed selection. Take the source and the revision from the same preview.
n8n-cli promotion-environment list-changes <projectId> apply --json > preview.json
jq '{commitSha, source, revision}' preview.json
n8n-cli promotion-environment apply-selection <projectId> -w <workflowId> \
  --expected-environment-id=<source.environmentId> --expected-branch=<source.branchName> \
  --expected-commit-sha=<commitSha> --expected-preview-revision=<revision>
# Exit 3: the source or the preview changed since the review. Review again.

Environment JSON for step 2 (promote.json; apply.json uses "direction":"apply" and "settings":{"schemaVersion":1,"branchName":"main"}):

json

{
  "name": "Production",
  "scope": "instance",
  "providerId": "prov-1",
  "remote": { "schemaVersion": 1, "remoteUrl": "git@github.com:acme/flows.git" },
  "direction": "promote",
  "settings": { "schemaVersion": 1, "baseBranchName": "main", "createBranchOnPromotion": false }
}

bash

# Providers
n8n-cli promotion-provider list
n8n-cli promotion-provider get <id>          # re-read the public key; the list omits it
echo '{"name":"New name"}' | n8n-cli promotion-provider update <id> --stdin
n8n-cli promotion-provider delete <id>       # fails while an environment uses it
n8n-cli promotion-provider list-repositories <id> --search=<text> --limit=20   # GitLab only
n8n-cli promotion-provider list-branches <id> <fullPath or repository id>      # GitLab only
 
# Environments
n8n-cli promotion-environment list --scope=instance --direction=promote
n8n-cli promotion-environment list --provider=<providerId>
n8n-cli promotion-environment get <id>
echo '{"name":"New name"}' | n8n-cli promotion-environment update <id> --stdin
n8n-cli promotion-environment delete <id>
n8n-cli promotion-environment disconnect <id>
 
# Change the settings. The write replaces the whole settings object,
# so send every setting you want to keep. Direction and scope cannot change.
echo '{"settings":{"schemaVersion":1,"baseBranchName":"main","createBranchOnPromotion":false}}' \
  | n8n-cli promotion-environment update <promoteId> --stdin
 
# Link projects to a "projects"-scoped environment
n8n-cli promotion-environment list-projects <id>
n8n-cli promotion-environment add-project <id> <projectId>
n8n-cli promotion-environment remove-project <id> <projectId>

Key points:

Pass every JSON body through --stdin or --file, never through a flag. This

keeps credentials off the command line.

type is git or gitlab. For git, authType is ssh-key or token, and

token means an HTTP(S) username and password. For gitlab, authType is token only: password is the GitLab access token (api and write_repository), config.baseUrl is required, and n8n ignores username. publicKey is null for a token provider. The token user needs the Developer role or higher to open merge requests. Protected branches can require the Maintainer role to push, and to merge when a reviewer approves.

list-repositories and list-branches work for gitlab providers only. A git

provider fails with an error. Pass the repository as plain fullPath (acme/flows), id, or an environment's remote.repositoryPath. Do not URL-encode it. Read remoteUrl, fullPath and branch names from --json output: the table shortens values longer than 60 characters to ....

createBranchOnPromotion is always required in promote settings.
promote and apply work on an instance environment of their direction

only, and need it connected first. Connecting one environment does not make another ready.

A project can have one environment for each direction. A direction without a

project environment uses the instance environment.

apply and apply-continue import nothing on exit code 3 (source-changed)

or 4 (blocked). Check $?, or the status field in JSON output, before you read counts. With --json, a blocked result lists what is missing under check.

The --expected-environment-id, --expected-branch, and

--expected-commit-sha flags go together: pass all three or none. The commit SHA must be the full SHA. --expected-preview-revision is separate and works only with apply-selection and apply-selection-continue.

API key scopes for this group are named promotions:*. promote also needs

variable:list when the workflows reference variables.

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

← v1.0.1 All versions

Skill v1.0.2

n8n CLI

Setup

Global Flags

Workflows

Executions

Credentials

Projects

Tags

Variables

Data Tables

Users

Promotions

Other

Composability Patterns

Workflow JSON Structure