Deploy and Host node-red-mcp on Railway

node-red-mcp is a visual automation environment that combines Node-RED with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing you to build workflows using AI tools like OpenAI through a graphical interface. This template sets up both the Node-RED interface and the MCP backend required to process AI prompts.

About Hosting node-red-mcp

This template deploys two services:

• A Node-RED instance with volume persistence to store flows
• A Node.js MCP Host that connects to OpenAI using the MCP SDK

After deployment, you must configure Node-RED to communicate with the backend:

1. Go to your deployed mcp-host service in Railway.
2. Copy the public URL (e.g. https://your-mcp-host.up.railway.app)
3. In the Node-RED UI, open the mcp-tools node configuration.
4. Paste the copied URL into the field labeled "URL do MCP Host".

This will allow Node-RED to communicate with the backend and execute AI prompts using the MCP protocol.

Common Use Cases

• Build AI-powered workflows using a drag-and-drop interface
• Connect GPT agents with external tools visually
• Rapidly prototype AI applications with minimal backend code

Dependencies for node-red-mcp Hosting

• OpenAI API Key (provided at runtime in the /execute endpoint)
• Docker support on Railway (enabled by default)

Deployment Dependencies

• Node-RED
• @modelcontextprotocol/sdk
• node-red-contrib-mcp-tools

Why Deploy node-red-mcp on Railway?

Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.

By deploying node-red-mcp on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.