MQTT consultants

Q: What MQTT brokers does the n8n MQTT node work with?

The n8n MQTT node works with any standards-compliant MQTT broker, including Mosquitto (open-source, commonly self-hosted), HiveMQ, EMQX, AWS IoT Core, Azure IoT Hub, and CloudMQTT. If your devices already publish to a broker, n8n can subscribe to the same topics without changing your existing IoT setup.

Q: Can you connect MQTT sensor data to our business dashboards and databases?

Yes. We build n8n workflows that subscribe to MQTT topics, transform the incoming sensor data (parsing JSON payloads, converting units, filtering out noise), and write the results to your database (PostgreSQL, MySQL, BigQuery) or dashboard tool (Grafana, Google Sheets, Metabase). This gives your team real-time visibility into operational data without manual exports.

Q: Do we need to change our existing IoT setup to use n8n with MQTT?

Usually not. If your devices already publish to an MQTT broker, n8n simply subscribes to the same topics as an additional consumer. Your existing device firmware, broker configuration, and other subscribers remain unchanged. We just add n8n as a new subscriber that routes the data into your business systems.

We can help you automate your business with MQTT and hundreds of other systems to improve efficiency and productivity. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss implementing MQTT.

Get in touch

Book a call

About MQTT

MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) is a lightweight messaging protocol designed for devices with limited processing power and networks with constrained bandwidth. It uses a publish-subscribe model: devices publish messages to a topic on a central broker, and any client subscribed to that topic receives the message. MQTT runs over TCP/IP and is the dominant protocol for IoT (Internet of Things) communication, used in everything from factory sensor networks to smart building systems.

The n8n MQTT node allows workflows to subscribe to MQTT topics and trigger automations when messages arrive, or publish messages to topics as part of a workflow. This makes it possible to connect IoT device data to business systems — for example, reading temperature sensor data from a warehouse and triggering an alert in Slack, or receiving machine status updates from factory equipment and logging them to a database for reporting.

At Osher, we use the MQTT node in n8n to bridge the gap between operational technology (sensors, PLCs, edge devices) and business systems (databases, dashboards, notification channels). If your business collects data from physical devices and you are manually exporting or checking it, our system integration services can connect those data streams directly into your workflows so the information reaches the right people and systems in real time.

MQTT FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about how MQTT consultants can help with integration and implementation

What MQTT brokers does the n8n MQTT node work with?

Can you connect MQTT sensor data to our business dashboards and databases?

How do you handle unreliable MQTT connections in production?

We configure the appropriate MQTT Quality of Service (QoS) level for your use case — QoS 0 for non-critical telemetry, QoS 1 for important messages that must arrive at least once, or QoS 2 for critical data that must arrive exactly once. We also implement reconnection logic, dead-letter handling for failed messages, and monitoring alerts so you know immediately if the connection drops.

Can MQTT data trigger automated actions like alerts or work orders?

That is one of the most common use cases we build. An MQTT message from a sensor (e.g., temperature exceeds threshold, machine stops running, water level too high) triggers an n8n workflow that sends a Slack or SMS alert, creates a work order in your maintenance system, or escalates to an on-call engineer. The response time from sensor event to notification is typically under a few seconds.

Do we need to change our existing IoT setup to use n8n with MQTT?

What security measures do you put in place for MQTT integrations?

We configure TLS encryption for all MQTT connections, set up username/password or certificate-based authentication on the broker, implement topic-level access control so n8n only subscribes to the topics it needs, and ensure the n8n instance itself is secured with proper network isolation. For sensitive environments, we can also set up an MQTT bridge so your internal broker is never directly exposed.

How it works

We work hand-in-hand with you to implement MQTT

As MQTT consultants we work with you hand in hand build more efficient and effective operations. Here’s how we will work with you to automate your business and integrate MQTT with integrate and automate 800+ tools.

Step 1

Assess Your IoT Infrastructure and Data Flows

We review your existing IoT devices, MQTT broker setup, topic structure, and message payloads. We document what data is being published, how often, in what format, and where it currently ends up. This tells us exactly what n8n needs to subscribe to and what transformations are required.

Step 2

Define the Business Automations

Working with your team, we identify what should happen when specific MQTT messages arrive — alerts, database writes, dashboard updates, work order creation, or escalation procedures. We map each MQTT topic to a specific business action and define the rules (thresholds, filters, time windows) that govern when each action fires.

Step 3

Configure MQTT Connectivity in n8n

We set up the MQTT credentials in n8n, configure TLS, select the right QoS levels for each topic, and test the connection against your broker. We verify that n8n receives messages reliably and that the payload parsing works correctly with your specific message formats.

Step 4

Build the Processing Workflows

For each business automation, we build an n8n workflow that subscribes to the relevant MQTT topic, parses and transforms the incoming data, applies business logic (threshold checks, deduplication, aggregation), and sends the result to the target system — whether that is a database, a notification channel, or another API.

Step 5

Implement Monitoring and Error Handling

We add health checks that alert you if the MQTT connection drops, if message volume falls outside normal ranges, or if a workflow fails to process a message. Dead-letter queues capture any messages that could not be processed so nothing is silently lost.

Step 6

Deploy and Validate in Production

We deploy the workflows to your production n8n instance, monitor the first few days of real MQTT traffic to confirm everything processes correctly, and hand over documentation covering the topic subscriptions, workflow logic, and troubleshooting procedures.

Transform your business with MQTT

Unlock hidden efficiencies, reduce errors, and position your business for scalable growth. Contact us to arrange a no-obligation MQTT consultation.

Get in touch

Book a call