The idea is:
Add API support to update workflows as draft only, without auto-publishing to production. Currently, when you update a published workflow via the API (PUT /api/v1/workflows/{id}), changes immediately affect the live/production version. There’s no way to save changes as a draft for review first - unlike the n8n 2.0 UI which properly separates draft edits from the published version.
Suggested implementation (any of these would work):
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New query parameter:
PUT /api/v1/workflows/{id}?draft=true -
Separate endpoint:
PUT /api/v1/workflows/{id}/draft -
Require explicit publish: API changes stay as draft, add
POST /api/v1/workflows/{id}/publishto push live
My use case:
I’m using AI-assisted tools (n8n-mcp, Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) to help build and modify n8n workflows. These tools interact with n8n through the API.
The problem: When AI updates a published workflow via the API, changes go straight to production with no review step. This is risky - one bad AI suggestion could break a live workflow.
In the UI, I can safely edit and review before clicking “Publish.” But the API doesn’t offer this same safety net, forcing me to either:
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Duplicate workflows before editing (clunky, clutters workspace)
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Accept the risk of breaking production (not ideal)
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Avoid using AI tools on published workflows entirely
I think it would be beneficial to add this because:
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AI-assisted workflow development is growing rapidly - Tools like n8n-mcp (12.5k+ GitHub stars), Claude Code, Cursor, and other MCP-based tools all rely on the API. They need a safe way to iterate without accidentally breaking production workflows.
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Consistency with the UI - n8n 2.0 introduced the Save & Publish model specifically to prevent accidental production deployments. The API should support the same workflow.
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CI/CD pipelines - Teams want to programmatically stage workflow changes before deploying, similar to standard code deployment practices.
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Enterprise adoption - Production safety is critical for business-critical automations. This gap makes the API risky for production environments.
Any resources to support this?
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n8n 2.0 Save & Publish documentation: https://docs.n8n.io/workflows/publish/
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n8n-mcp project (12.5k stars, affected by this): https://github.com/czlonkowski/n8n-mcp
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Related issue - webhooks bypassing publish system: https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/issues/23549
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n8n 2.0 breaking changes (mentions new publish system): https://docs.n8n.io/2-0-breaking-changes/
Are you willing to work on this?
Yes! I’m not an extremely experienced developer, but I’m willing to contribute to the best of my ability if given the chance. I’d be happy to:
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Help with testing and QA
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Write documentation
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Assist with implementation if someone can guide me through the codebase
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Provide detailed feedback from a user perspective
I’m motivated to help solve this since it directly impacts my workflow with AI-assisted development tools.