The workflow JSON from our Field Notes, collected here so you can copy-paste or download and import straight into n8n (Workflows → Import from File / paste JSON). Free, no signup, fair-use with attribution. Each one links back to the article that explains it. Swap in your own credentials and endpoints before running.
1 · MCP Server Trigger — expose your workflows as tools
Turns n8n into an MCP server: a lookup_customer Postgres tool and a draft_quote sub-workflow, behind Bearer auth. From the n8n + MCP playbook. Download mcp-server-trigger.json
{
"name": "SMB Tools — MCP Server",
"nodes": [
{ "parameters": { "path": "smb-tools", "authentication": "bearerAuth" },
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.mcpTrigger", "typeVersion": 1, "name": "MCP Server Trigger" },
{ "parameters": { "toolDescription": "Look up a customer by email...", "operation": "executeQuery",
"query": "SELECT name, plan, open_invoices FROM customers WHERE email = $1" },
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.postgresTool", "typeVersion": 2, "name": "lookup_customer" },
{ "parameters": { "name": "draft_quote", "description": "Draft a quote PDF and return a link.",
"workflowId": "={{ $env.QUOTE_WORKFLOW_ID }}" },
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.toolWorkflow", "typeVersion": 2, "name": "draft_quote" }
]
}2 · AI Agent + MCP Client Tool — borrow an external server's tools
An n8n AI Agent (Claude Sonnet) that pulls two whitelisted tools from an external MCP server over Streamable HTTP. Tool scoping built in. From the MCP playbook. Download support-agent-mcp-client.json
{
"name": "Support Agent — with external MCP tools",
"nodes": [
{ "type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent", "name": "Support Agent" },
{ "parameters": { "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5" },
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatAnthropic", "name": "Anthropic Chat Model" },
{ "parameters": { "endpointUrl": "https://orders.internal.example.com/mcp",
"serverTransport": "httpStreamable", "authentication": "headerAuth",
"include": "selected", "includeTools": ["get_order_status", "get_tracking_link"] },
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.toolMcp", "name": "Orders MCP" }
]
}3 · Voice agent — BookSlots (webhook → calendar → log)
The n8n side of a Vapi/Retell voice agent's booking tool: a webhook books the slot in Google Calendar, logs the call (with the recording-consent flag) to Airtable, and responds fast. From the AI voice agents playbook. Download voice-agent-bookslots.json
{
"name": "Voice Agent — BookSlots tool",
"nodes": [
{ "parameters": { "httpMethod": "POST", "path": "voice/book-slot", "responseMode": "responseNode" },
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.webhook", "name": "Vapi Tool Call" },
{ "parameters": { "operation": "create", "calendar": "primary",
"start": "={{ $json.body.start }}", "summary": "=Appt: {{ $json.body.caller_name }}" },
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleCalendar", "name": "Create Event" },
{ "parameters": { "operation": "create", "table": "Calls" },
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.airtable", "name": "Log Call" },
{ "parameters": { "respondWith": "json" },
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.respondToWebhook", "name": "Respond to Vapi" }
]
}In n8n: Workflows → Add workflow → ⋯ → Import from File (or paste the JSON). Then open each node, attach your own credentials, and change endpoints/IDs to yours. These are starting points, not drop-in production — add error handling (see our reliability playbook) before going live.
Want one of these built, wired, and monitored?
Custom workflow (cloud, keep your subscriptions) — from $750 / £560 / €650 / A$1,100. Local self-hosted setup (removes the monthly subscriptions) — from $1,500 / £1,120 / €1,290 / A$2,250 one-off. Start with a 15-minute map.