n8n Setup

Connect n8n to graph8 to automate workflows with your campaigns, accounts, contacts, and intelligence data.

n8n

Tip

n8n runs headless, so it does not use the interactive browser OAuth flow. Instead it authenticates to the remote graph8 MCP server with a personal or org API key sent as an Authorization: Bearer header. There is no session_id to copy and no config file with a session_id — those belonged to a decommissioned setup.

What is n8n?

n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool. With the graph8 MCP integration you can:

• Trigger workflows when campaigns, deals, or contacts change
• Sync graph8 data into your CRM or data warehouse
• Build custom automations against graph8’s tools and index

Prerequisites

• An n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud)
• A graph8 account (get started free — 1,000 credits, no card required)
• A graph8 API key:
  • Personal API key — Profile → Developer (scoped to you inside the active org), or
  • Org API key — Settings → API (admin only; for shared/service automations)

Note

Keep the API key in n8n Credentials, not hard-coded in nodes. That way you rotate it in one place. graph8 API keys are long-lived — they do not expire after 24 hours of inactivity, so there is no per-run “session refresh” to manage.

Setup

There are two ways to call graph8 from n8n. Both point at the same endpoint:

https://be.graph8.com/mcp/

MCP Client Tool node

Recent n8n versions ship a native MCP Client Tool node.

1. Add the MCP Client Tool node to your workflow (or attach it to an AI Agent node as a tool).

2. Set the server URL

   https://be.graph8.com/mcp/

3. Set authentication to Header Auth

   Add a header credential:

   Field	Value
   Name	Authorization
   Value	Bearer YOUR_G8_API_KEY

   Replace YOUR_G8_API_KEY with your personal or org API key (they start with g8_).

4. Select tools and run

   The node lists the graph8 tools your role grants. Pick a tool (for example g8_list_campaigns) and execute the node to verify the connection.

HTTP Request node

If your n8n version has no MCP node, call the JSON-RPC endpoint with an HTTP Request node:

{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://be.graph8.com/mcp/",
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_G8_API_KEY",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
  },
  "body": {
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "tools/call",
    "params": {
      "name": "g8_list_campaigns",
      "arguments": {
        "status": "active"
      }
    },
    "id": 1
  }
}

Store the API key as an n8n Header Auth credential and reference it from the node rather than pasting it into the body or URL.

Available Actions

Once connected, your n8n workflows can call any graph8 MCP tool your role grants. Tool names are prefixed with g8_. A few common ones:

Note

Exact tool names are mode-dependent. When the endpoint runs in combined all mode, GTM tools are namespaced — e.g. g8_gtm_list_campaigns instead of g8_list_campaigns. The unprefixed names below are the canonical form; the MCP node lists the exact names your role grants, and you can always confirm them in the MCP Tool Reference.

Tool	Description
g8_list_campaigns	List campaigns with an optional status filter
g8_get_campaign	Get details for a specific campaign
g8_search_companies	Search companies already in your CRM
g8_find_companies	Search graph8’s company index for new accounts
g8_search_contacts	Search contacts already in your CRM
g8_get_deals	List pipeline deals with stage / text filters
g8_list_intelligence_data	List intelligence data (scrapes, enrichment, competitor research)
g8_tool_search	Discover and activate other tools by keyword

For the complete list with parameters and return shapes, see the MCP Tool Reference.

Example Workflows

Sync New Campaigns to Slack

1. Trigger: Schedule (every hour) or Webhook
2. graph8 tool: g8_list_campaigns with status="active"
3. Filter Node: Only new campaigns since the last run
4. Slack Node: Post to #marketing

Enrich CRM with Company Intelligence

1. Trigger: Webhook from CRM (new deal created)
2. graph8 tool: g8_find_companies (or g8_search_companies) by name
3. graph8 tool: g8_list_intelligence_data for the company
4. HTTP Node: Update the CRM record with the intelligence data

Daily Pipeline Report

1. Trigger: Schedule (9am daily)
2. graph8 tool: g8_get_deals
3. Code Node: Summarize the pipeline by stage
4. Email Node: Send the report to the sales team

Troubleshooting

n8n specifics live here. Generic MCP issues (auth, permissions, tool names, timeouts) are answered in the MCP FAQ.

Workflow execution errors

• Use n8n’s Execute Workflow in single-step mode to isolate which node fails
• Inspect the HTTP Request / MCP node response body for the actual server error
• For self-hosted n8n, check the container logs for connection-level errors

Other issues

• Authentication failed → FAQ (check the Authorization: Bearer header and that the key is not revoked)
• Tool not found → FAQ
• Rate limiting (50 rps cap) → FAQ
• Timeouts on long-running tools → FAQ

Credentials & Keys

• Store the API key as an n8n Header Auth credential (Authorization: Bearer g8_...) so it can be rotated in one place.
• Revoke or rotate keys from Profile → Developer (personal) or Settings → API (org). Revocation is immediate — the next call returns 401.
• Prefer a dedicated org API key for production automations so it is decoupled from any one person’s account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use n8n Cloud or do I need self-hosted?

Both work. n8n Cloud and self-hosted instances connect to graph8 the same way — the remote endpoint with a Bearer API key. The HTTP Request node method works universally if your version has no MCP node.

Do I need to do the OAuth browser sign-in like Claude Desktop?

No. The browser OAuth flow is for interactive clients (Claude, Cursor, etc.). n8n is headless and authenticates with an API key in the Authorization header instead.

Are there rate limits on MCP calls from n8n?

Yes — 50 requests per second and 1,000 per minute per org across REST, SDK, and MCP. Add delays in high-volume workflows; a burst over the cap returns HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header.

Can I trigger n8n workflows from graph8?

Use webhooks. Configure an outbound webhook in graph8 that calls your n8n webhook trigger URL when events occur (campaign created, intelligence complete, etc.).

How do I test MCP calls before building full workflows?

Run a single node with a read-only tool like g8_list_campaigns and use n8n’s Execute step button to inspect the response before wiring it into the rest of the flow.

Related

• MCP Overview
• What You Can Ask
• Automation Platforms