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How to Connect n8n to NinjaTrader 8 with CrossTrade MCP

n8n is a self-hostable workflow automation platform. The built-in MCP Client Tool sub-node attaches to an AI Agent and calls CrossTrade tools. OAuth2 with Dynamic Client Registration landed in n8n 1.119.0 (Nov 2025); HTTP Streamable transport landed in 1.104.0 (Jul 2025). For OAuth-protected MCP servers like CrossTrade, you need n8n 1.119.0 or newer.

OAuth scope: mcp:readWorkflow / automation

Prerequisites

RequirementDetail
CrossTrade subscriptionElite
CrossTrade Add-Onv1.13.0 or higher
NinjaTrader 8Running, broker connected
AccountSim101 for first runs
OAuth scopemcp:read
Config fileMCP Client Tool sub-node → Credentials → MCP Client Tool (OAuth2 API)
CrossTrade MCP server
https://app.crosstrade.io/v1/api/mcp
Transport: streamable-http. Auth: OAuth 2.1 + PKCE. Request scope mcp:read. Read-only. Inspect accounts, orders, positions, journal, NinjaScript.

Step 1: Self-host or use n8n Cloud (1.119.0+ for OAuth MCP)​

Docker:

docker run -it --rm -p 5678:5678 n8nio/n8n

npm:

npx n8n

n8n Cloud: 14-day free trial on Starter/Pro, no credit card.

Version cliff for OAuth MCP

OAuth2 + Dynamic Client Registration support for MCP arrived in n8n 1.119.0 (Nov 3, 2025). For CrossTrade's OAuth-protected MCP server, you need 1.119.0 or newer. HTTP Streamable transport arrived in 1.104.0 (Jul 21, 2025). The MCP Client Tool / Server Trigger nodes themselves shipped in 1.88.0 (Apr 10, 2025).

Step 2: Build a minimal workflow​

[Chat Trigger]  →  [AI Agent]
                       │ ai_tool input
                       ▼
                 [MCP Client Tool]  (CrossTrade endpoint)
                       │
                       │ ai_languageModel input
                       ▼
                 [OpenAI Chat Model] (or Claude / Gemini)

Or replace Chat Trigger with Schedule Trigger (cron) or Webhook for unattended workflows.

Step 3: Configure the MCP Client Tool sub-node​

  1. On the canvas, click + next to your AI Agent's Tool input.
  2. Search for "MCP Client Tool" (not "MCP Client" — that's a different, older node).
  3. In the node panel:
    • Endpoint: https://app.crosstrade.io/v1/api/mcp
    • Server Transport: HTTP Streamable (recommended; SSE is legacy)
    • Authentication: OAuth2
  4. Click Create New Credential under the credential picker.
    • n8n creates an MCP Client Tool (OAuth2 API) credential (internal type: mcpClientOAuth2Api).
    • Because CrossTrade supports Dynamic Client Registration, n8n auto-handles client_id/client_secret. You paste nothing.
  5. Click Connect my account.
  6. A browser popup opens, redirects to CrossTrade's OAuth consent, you approve mcp:read, browser redirects back to n8n's callback.
  7. n8n stores access/refresh tokens. Auto-refresh on 401 since 1.119.0.
  8. Tools to Include: select All (or Selected + pick specific tool names).

Step 4: Wire the AI Agent​

  • Use the default Tools Agent type (it's the only one that handles MCP correctly).
  • For chat-driven: set Source for Prompt to Connected Chat Trigger Node.
  • For programmatic / webhook: set Source for Prompt to Define below and bind to {{ $json.body.message }} or similar.
  • System Message: "You are a trading assistant. Use the CrossTrade tools to inspect NinjaTrader 8 state."

Example: end-of-day risk email​

Cron: 16:30 ET, weekdays
  ↓
AI Agent (Claude / GPT):
  System: "Use CrossTrade tools. For each account, pull yesterday's closed
  trades and current watermarks. Compute distance to trailing drawdown.
  Produce a markdown risk brief with sections per account. Read-only."
  ↓
Send Email: subject "EOD risk brief"

The agent calls ListAccounts, GetJournalTrades, GetWatermarks etc. and returns the markdown body that n8n emails to you.

Headless / unattended note​

OAuth setup is interactive — a human must complete the browser popup once. After that, runs are fully unattended; n8n auto-refreshes on 401.

The trap: if CrossTrade's refresh token expires (e.g. 90-day idle), unattended workflows silently fail. Mitigation: ensure the workflow runs at least once inside the refresh-token lifetime, OR document a periodic re-auth cadence.

For pure-headless / no-browser environments:

# On a dev workstation, complete OAuth once
n8n export:credentials --id=<id> --decrypted --output=cred.json

# On the headless instance
n8n import:credentials --input=cred.json

Caution for trade-enabled workflows​

n8n workflows run unattended. Default to mcp:read. Do not put mcp:trade actions in a workflow without a human approval step (e.g., a Telegram bot confirmation node, or a Wait node that pings you to approve before continuing).

FAQ​

Free / paid?​

Built-in MCP nodes work on Community Edition (free, self-hosted) AND on n8n Cloud paid tiers. The MCP nodes are not gated.

MCP Client Tool vs MCP Server Trigger?​

  • MCP Client Tool: sub-node, attaches to AI Agent, calls an external MCP server. What you want for CrossTrade.
  • MCP Server Trigger: exposes an n8n workflow AS an MCP server for other AI clients to call. Not relevant for consuming CrossTrade MCP.

The community n8n-nodes-mcp package?​

A third-party package by nerding-io that predates the built-in node. Recommend the built-in node — it's first-party and gets official updates.

OAuth handshake

The first tool call surfaces an authorization URL. Open it in a browser, approve mcp:read, and return to the harness. The access token is stored by the harness (keychain, config file, or memory depending on the client).

See CrossTrade MCP OAuth for the full flow, and 403/408 troubleshooting if the handshake fails.

Verify the connection

Smoke-test before doing anything stateful:

Call GetMcpCapabilities and McpSelfTest. Then ListAccounts and GetConnections.
Report add-on version, NT8 version, and which accounts are linked.
Read-only scope
You authorized mcp:read. The agent can inspect state but cannot place orders, deploy strategies, or write NinjaScript files.

Troubleshooting

SymptomLikely causeFix
403 insufficient_scopeToken authorized at mcp:read but tool requires mcp:tradeReauthorize the connection and select mcp:trade
OAuth callback failsSystem browser blocked the redirect or popupCopy the auth URL manually, complete it, paste the code back
Tools list is empty after connectServer registered but session did not refreshRestart the harness or trigger a tool list refresh
Add-on offline errorNT8 not running, or add-on not loadedConfirm NT8 is open and the CrossTrade add-on (v1.13.0+) is installed
OAuth flow ignored / no popupn8n below v1.119.0 does not support OAuth2 + DCR for MCPUpgrade n8n to 1.119.0 or newer
redirect_uri_mismatch on n8n CloudOpen issue #23712 — credential dialog shows oauth.n8n.cloud but actually sends instance-specific URLEnsure CrossTrade's OAuth issuer accepts both forms, or rely on DCR to handle dynamically
Bearer auth dynamic header dropped on tool callTools to Include set to Selected breaks dynamic Bearer expressions (issue #23421)Leave Tools to Include = All, or hard-code the token instead of using an expression
MCP Client Tool node has no Execute buttonIt's a sub-node, not a top-level nodeWire it into an AI Agent's Tool input port — it doesn't run standalone

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