rahmanef63 sc-n8n — n8n control via @n8n/cli
Use the official @n8n/cli binary (n8n-cli) against the user-selected n8n instance. Do not assume a fixed hostname, backup location, deployment platform, shell profile, project, or workflow set.
Required connection state
| Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
N8N_URL |
Base URL of the selected n8n instance, for example https://n8n.example.com |
N8N_API_KEY |
Public API key for that instance; keep it in the selected SI-Coder credential store or another secure local source |
~/.n8n-cli/config.json |
Optional CLI-local configuration; never treat it as the only possible source of truth |
Install the binary only when needed:
npm i -g @n8n/cli
# or use: npx @n8n/cli ...
Auth resolution
When diagnosing which account/instance is active, inspect explicit CLI flags first, then environment variables, then CLI config. Environment variables can override a value saved in the CLI config, so a newly written config value may appear ignored when an older environment variable is still present.
If the API returns 401 or an invalid-signature error, do not guess that the header format is wrong. Verify the selected instance/account, then create or rotate an API key from the official n8n UI and store it through the safe SI-Coder credential handoff. Never print the key during verification.
Connect / verify
n8n-cli config show
n8n-cli workflow list --format=id-only
A successful read-only workflow listing is the preferred smoke check before mutations.
Command surface
Every command supports --help. Common output formats are table, json, and id-only when supported by the installed CLI version.
| Topic | Typical commands |
|---|---|
workflow |
list · get · create · update · delete · activate · deactivate · tags · transfer |
execution |
list · get · retry · stop · delete |
credential |
list · get · schema · create · delete · transfer |
project |
list · get · create · update · delete · members |
tag |
list · create · update · delete |
variable |
list · create · update · delete |
data-table |
list · get · create · delete · rows operations |
user |
list · get |
config |
set-url · set-api-key · show |
source-control |
pull |
package |
export · import when supported by the installed CLI |
audit / auth |
inspect with --help because availability can vary by CLI version |
Safe recipes
# inspect before changing
n8n-cli workflow list
n8n-cli workflow get <id> --format=json
# recent failures
n8n-cli execution list --status=error --limit=10
# create from reviewed JSON
cat workflow.json | n8n-cli workflow create --stdin
# inspect a credential schema before creating metadata
n8n-cli credential schema <credentialType>
# portable workflow package when supported
n8n-cli package export --workflow-id=<id> --output=export.n8np
Backup / restore policy
Do not assume backups live in a particular directory or that n8n is deployed with a particular provider. Before a destructive or broad workflow change:
- identify the selected n8n instance;
- inspect the affected workflow/project IDs;
- export the relevant workflow/package when the CLI supports it, or use the deployment provider's existing backup mechanism;
- record an Evidence Receipt for high-risk changes;
- verify the workflow after the mutation.
Rules
- Read before write; use dry-run functionality when the installed subcommand provides it.
- Require explicit confirmation for delete, bulk deactivate, transfer, or other destructive/broad operations.
- Never bulk-edit workflows based on names alone when IDs can disambiguate them.
- Never assume production webhooks, workflows, projects, credentials, URLs, or backup paths from repository documentation.
- Treat CLI capabilities as version-dependent; check
n8n-cli <command> --helpwhen behavior matters. - Keep credentials outside memory, evidence, recipes, logs, and tool payloads.
Linked SI-Coder skills
sc-dokploymay be used when the user-selected n8n deployment actually runs on Dokploy.sc-gitmay help when a workflow is intentionally replaced by a repository-native automation.
These are optional internal SI-Coder capabilities, not external project dependencies.