Build your own CUSTOM API MCP server

n8n template #3638

Summary

This n8n demonstrates how any organisation can quickly and easily build and offer MCP servers to their customers or internal staff to improve productivity. This MCP example uses PayCaptain.com as an example and shows how to create an MCP server which can search for and update employee data. How it works A MCP server trigger is used and connected to 3 custom workflow tools: Search Employee, Get Employee by ID and Update Employee. Each tool makes calls to the PayCaptain API to perform their respective tasks. Extra care is performed to strip out sensitive data and ensure we're not sharing too much. The Update Employee too also guards against updating fields which would preferably remain readonl

How to set it up

Open template #3638 on n8n.io and click Use for free, or copy the template JSON and paste it onto an empty canvas in n8n.
Create a credential under Credentials → Add credential: Google Sheets. Then open each of those nodes and pick the credential.
Click Execute workflow and step through each node's output to confirm the data looks right.
Toggle the workflow to Active so its trigger runs on its own.

Hand off to your agent

Prompt

Help me set up the n8n workflow "Build your own CUSTOM API MCP server" (https://n8n.io/workflows/3638). It uses: Google Sheets, HTTP Request, Call n8n Workflow Tool. Import the template JSON into my n8n instance, list every credential I need to create, and walk me through testing it.

Paste into Claude Code and it will do the rest.

Apps and nodes

Google Sheets HTTP Request Call n8n Workflow Tool

Questions

Yes. Jimleuk published it free on n8n.io as a verified creator, and it has 14K views. It runs on n8n Cloud or a self-hosted n8n instance.

Google Sheets. The other 2 nodes are built into n8n.

Similar workflows

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