Workflows MCP Server

Store, query, and create YAML workflow playbooks for LLM agents via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP.

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What is the Workflows MCP server?

Store, query, and create YAML workflow playbooks for LLM agents via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP. That is what the workflows mcp server brings to an AI assistant: the same capability, reachable through the Model Context Protocol rather than a separate app or dashboard.

The short version

  • Declarative tool definitions — single file per primitive, framework handles registration and validation
  • Unified error handling — handlers throw, framework catches, classifies, and formats
  • Pluggable auth: none, jwt, oauth
  • Swappable storage backends: in-memory, filesystem, Supabase, Cloudflare KV/R2/D1
  • Structured logging with optional OpenTelemetry tracing
  • STDIO and Streamable HTTP transports

The tools it exposes

The server publishes 7 tools. What each one is for:

  • workflow_list — List all permanent workflows in the index, with optional keyword, category, and tag filters
  • workflow_get — Retrieve a complete workflow definition by name, with global instructions prepended
  • workflow_create — Write a new permanent workflow YAML to the library
  • workflow_create_temp — Write a temporary one-shot workflow, indexed but excluded from list results
  • workflow_delete — Permanently remove a permanent workflow by name and optional version
  • Prerequisites — The Prerequisites tool exposed by this server
  • Installation — The Installation tool exposed by this server

What it needs from you

Configuration is passed through the environment: MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, WORKFLOWS_DIR, GLOBAL_INSTRUCTIONS_PATH. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

  • Bun v1.3.2 or higher (or Node.js v24+). - A local directory containing YAML workflow files (or use the bundled workflows-yaml/ seed).

Getting it running

Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.

How it compares

Among the file and storage access options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Workflows's toolset — workflow_list, workflow_get, workflow_create and 4 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by cyanheads; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against Workflows's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Things to watch

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
workflow_listList all permanent workflows in the index, with optional keyword, category, and tag filters.
workflow_getRetrieve a complete workflow definition by name, with global instructions prepended.
workflow_createWrite a new permanent workflow YAML to the library.
workflow_create_tempWrite a temporary one-shot workflow, indexed but excluded from list results.
workflow_deletePermanently remove a permanent workflow by name and optional version.
PrerequisitesThe Prerequisites tool exposed by this server.
InstallationThe Installation tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Workflows MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "workflows-mcp-server": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["@cyanheads/workflows-mcp-server@latest"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
        "WORKFLOWS_DIR": "/absolute/path/to/your/workflows-yaml"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

  • Bun v1.3.2 or higher (or Node.js v24+). - A local directory containing YAML workflow files (or use the bundled workflows-yaml/ seed).
VariableDescriptionRequired
MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPEConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
WORKFLOWS_DIRFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional
GLOBAL_INSTRUCTIONS_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Workflows to workflow list.
  • Use Workflows to workflow get.
  • Use Workflows to workflow create.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Workflows to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 7 tools (workflow_list, workflow_get, workflow_create, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Workflows directly.