n8n-codeflow

Build, manage, and version-control n8n workflows directly from your IDE.

An auth-free, local-first n8n server designed for developers who build workflows inside VS Code, Cursor, or any AI coding agent. Based on n8n v2.12.3.

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The problem

Building n8n workflows means switching between your IDE and a browser, logging in, configuring licenses, and losing all version control. If you use AI agents like Claude Code or Cursor to build workflows, they can't talk to your n8n instance because of auth and CORS restrictions.

The solution

n8n-codeflow is a local n8n server with zero friction:

• No authentication -- start building immediately
• No license required -- all features unlocked
• Open CORS -- any IDE, extension, or AI agent can access the API
• Port 5888 -- runs alongside your production n8n without conflicts
• Full REST API -- create, edit, execute, and export workflows programmatically

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Quick start

git clone https://github.com/nawneetgupta/n8n-codeflow.git
cd n8n-codeflow
pnpm install
pnpm build
pnpm start

Editor opens at http://localhost:5888

Requirements

• Node.js >= 22.16
• pnpm >= 10.22.0

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What's different from official n8n

	Official n8n	n8n-codeflow
Port	5678	5888
Auth	Required	None
License	Required	Bypassed
CORS	Restricted	Open (any origin)
Setup wizard	Yes	Skipped
Telemetry	Enabled	Disabled
Best for	Production	IDE / AI agents / local dev

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Use with AI coding agents

n8n-codeflow is built for AI-assisted workflow development. Point any agent at the REST API:

# Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot -- all work out of the box
# No auth tokens, no API keys, no CORS issues

# List workflows
curl http://localhost:5888/rest/workflows

# Create a workflow
curl -X POST http://localhost:5888/rest/workflows \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "My Workflow", "nodes": [], "connections": {}, "active": false}'

# Get a workflow
curl http://localhost:5888/rest/workflows/{id}

# Update a workflow
curl -X PATCH http://localhost:5888/rest/workflows/{id} \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"nodes": [...], "connections": {...}}'

# Execute a workflow
curl -X POST http://localhost:5888/rest/workflows/{id}/run

MCP integration

Pair with n8n-mcp to let AI agents interact with your n8n instance through the Model Context Protocol:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "n8n": {
      "url": "http://localhost:5888/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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IDE integration

CORS is fully open, so any browser-based tool can embed or communicate with the editor:

• VS Code / Cursor -- use the built-in browser or a webview extension
• Webview extensions -- embed the workflow editor directly in your IDE
• Custom tools -- build your own integrations against the REST API

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Version control workflows

Export workflows as JSON and commit them to git:

# Export all workflows
curl http://localhost:5888/rest/workflows | jq '.data[] | {name, nodes, connections}' > workflows/

# Import a workflow
curl -X POST http://localhost:5888/rest/workflows \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d @workflows/my-workflow.json

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Staying up to date

This fork tracks official n8n releases. To pull the latest:

git remote add upstream https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n.git
git fetch upstream
git merge upstream/release/x.x.x
pnpm install && pnpm build

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License

Sustainable Use License (same as n8n)