How to Connect to Live CSV Data in n8n Workflows and Agents (via CData Connect AI)

n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool that allows you to connect various applications and services to automate tasks and processes. When combined with CData Connect AI Remote MCP, you can leverage n8n to interact with your CSV data in real-time. This article outlines the process of connecting to CSV using Connect AI Remote MCP and creating a basic workflow in n8n to interact with your CSV data.

CData Connect AI offers a dedicated cloud-to-cloud interface for connecting to CSV data. The CData Connect AI Remote MCP Server enables secure communication between n8n and CSV. This allows you to ask questions and take actions on your CSV data using n8n, all without the need for data replication to a natively supported database. With its inherent optimized data processing capabilities, CData Connect AI efficiently channels all supported SQL operations, including filters and JOINs, directly to CSV. This leverages server-side processing to swiftly deliver the requested CSV data.

In this article, we show how to build a simple chat agent in n8n to conversational explore (or Vibe Query) your data. The connectivity principals apply to any n8n workflow. With Connect AI you can build workflows and agents with access to live CSV data, plus hundreds of other sources.

Step 1: Configure CSV Connectivity for n8n

Connectivity to CSV from n8n is made possible through CData Connect AI Remote MCP. To interact with CSV data from n8n, we start by creating and configuring a CSV connection in CData Connect AI.

1. Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection

2. Select "CSV" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to CSV.

   Connecting to Local or Cloud-Stored (Box, Google Drive, Amazon S3, SharePoint) CSV Files

   CData Drivers let you work with CSV files stored locally and stored in cloud storage services like Box, Amazon S3, Google Drive, or SharePoint, right where they are.

   Setting connection properties for local files

   Set the URI property to local folder path.

   Setting connection properties for files stored in Amazon S3

   To connect to CSV file(s) within Amazon S3, set the URI property to the URI of the Bucket and Folder where the intended CSV files exist. In addition, at least set these properties:

   • AWSAccessKey: AWS Access Key (username)
   • AWSSecretKey: AWS Secret Key

   Setting connection properties for files stored in Box

   To connect to CSV file(s) within Box, set the URI property to the URI of the folder that includes the intended CSV file(s). Use the OAuth authentication method to connect to Box.

   Dropbox

   To connect to CSV file(s) within Dropbox, set the URI proprerty to the URI of the folder that includes the intended CSV file(s). Use the OAuth authentication method to connect to Dropbox. Either User Account or Service Account can be used to authenticate.

   SharePoint Online (SOAP)

   To connect to CSV file(s) within SharePoint with SOAP Schema, set the URI proprerty to the URI of the document library that includes the intended CSV file. Set User, Password, and StorageBaseURL.

   SharePoint Online REST

   To connect to CSV file(s) within SharePoint with REST Schema, set the URI proprerty to the URI of the document library that includes the intended CSV file. StorageBaseURL is optional. If not set, the driver will use the root drive. OAuth is used to authenticate.

   Google Drive

   To connect to CSV file(s) within Google Drive, set the URI property to the URI of the folder that includes the intended CSV file(s). Use the OAuth authentication method to connect and set InitiateOAuth to GETANDREFRESH.

   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add CSV Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

A Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect AI from n8n. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect AI app to open the settings page.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give the PAT a name and click Create.
4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

With the connection configured and a PAT generated, we are ready to connect to CSV data from n8n.

Step 2: Connect n8n to CData Connect AI

Follow these steps to connect to CData Connect AI in n8n:

1. Sign in to n8n.io or create a new account.
2. Create a Workflow in n8n that uses the MCP Client tool. The example Workflow below acts as a chatbot. OpenAI was used as the Chat Model, and Simple Memory was used for the Memory.
3. Configure the MCP Client node in the Workflow:
   • Set Endpoint to https://mcp.cloud.cdata.com/mcp (found in the "Connect Data to AI" ribbon in Connect AI)
   • Set Server Transport to HTTP Streamable
   • Set Authentication to Header Auth and set the following properties to use Basic authentication:
     • Set Name to Authorization
     • Set Value to Basic EMAIL:PAT, replacing the EMAIL and PAT with your Connect AI email address and the PAT created previously. For example: Basic [email protected]:Uu90pt5vEO..."
     
   

Optional Step: Give the AI Agent context

This step establishes the AI Agent's role and provides context for the conversation through the System Message parameter in the AI Agent node. By providing a system message that explicitly informs the agent about its role as an MCP Server expert and lists the available tools, you can enhance the agent's understanding and response accuracy. For example, you can set the System Message to:

You are an expert at using the MCP Client tool connected which is the CData Connect AI MCP Server. Always search thoroughly and use the most relevant MCP Client tool for each query. Below are the available tools and a description of each:
queryData: Execute SQL queries against connected data sources and retrieve results. When you use the queryData tool, ensure you use the following format for the table name: catalog.schema.tableName
getCatalogs: Retrieve a list of available connections from CData Connect AI. The connection names should be used as catalog names in other tools and in any queries to CData Connect AI. Use the `getSchemas` tool to get a list of available schemas for a specific catalog.
getSchemas: Retrieve a list of available database schemas from CData Connect AI for a specific catalog. Use the `getTables` tool to get a list of available tables for a specific catalog and schema.
getTables: Retrieve a list of available database tables from CData Connect AI for a specific catalog and schema. Use the `getColumns` tool to get a list of available columns for a specific table.
getColumns: Retrieve a list of available database columns from CData Connect AI for a specific catalog, schema, and table.
getProcedures: Retrieve a list of stored procedures from CData Connect AI for a specific catalog and schema
getProcedureParameters: Retrieve a list of stored procedure parameters from CData Connect AI for a specific catalog, schema, and procedure.
executeProcedure: Execute stored procedures with parameters against connected data sources
  

Step 3: Explore Live CSV Data with n8n

With the Workflow created in n8n and the MCP Client connected, you can now interact with your CSV data using n8n. The MCP Client node allows you to send queries and receive responses from the CSV data source in real-time.

Open the Workflow in n8n and execute it to start interacting with your CSV data. You can ask questions, retrieve data, and perform actions on your CSV data using the MCP Client node:

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