Connecting DataForSEO MCP Server to your n8n workflows

In this guide, we’ll walk through the installation and configuration of the DataForSEO MCP Server in n8n step by step. Let’s get started!

1 First, go to Nodejs.org and download the latest version of Node.js for your operating system.

2 Once this is installed, open your Terminal (for macOS) or PowerShell / Command Prompt (for Windows) and set your environment variables. Remember to replace your_username and your_password with your actual DataForSEO API login and password.

Ensure that you use DATAFORSEO_SIMPLE_FILTER. Many tools struggle with handling nested structures, and this option enables a simplified DataForSEO filters schema.

macOS/Linux

export DATAFORSEO_USERNAME=your_username
export DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD=your_password
export DATAFORSEO_SIMPLE_FILTER="true"

Windows PowerShell

$env:DATAFORSEO_USERNAME = "your_username"
$env:DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD = "your_password"
$env:DATAFORSEO_SIMPLE_FILTER = "true"

Windows Command Prompt

set DATAFORSEO_USERNAME="your_username"
set DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD="your_password"
set DATAFORSEO_SIMPLE_FILTER="true"

3 Run the following command to install n8n globally:

npm install n8n -g

In case you encounter an “access denied” error on Mac, just run this:

sudo su

It will switch you to admin mode and allow the installation to proceed. You may need to run the previous command to install n8n globally once more.

4 After that, start n8n by typing this command:

n8n start

5 Open the provided link in your browser.

You’ll need to register or sign in to your n8n instance.

6 Back in the Terminal/Powershell, start the DataForSEO MCP server with this command:

npx dataforseo-mcp-server http

It launches the server using an HTTP protocol.

7 Now, switch to n8n and create a new workflow. As your first step, add an AI Agent, then:

• Choose a Chat Model.
• Set your preferred Memory option.
• Under Tools, find the MCP Client Tool.

In the MCP Client settings shown below, you’ll need to specify your HTTP endpoint. You can copy it from here:

https://mcp.dataforseo.com/mcp

Then, choose Header Authentication. Under Value, input a Base64-encoded string with your DataForSEO API login and password.

Once everything is set up, try sending a chat message to test the workflow.

That’s it! You’ve successfully set up the DataForSEO MCP Server with n8n.