mcp_excalidraw
MCP server and Claude Code skill for Excalidraw — programmatic canvas toolkit to create, edit, and export diagrams via AI agents with real-time canvas sync.
mcp_excalidraw is an MCP server and agent skill that provides AI agents with programmatic control over a live Excalidraw canvas for creating, editing, and exporting technical diagrams. Unlike the official Excalidraw MCP chat widget, this toolkit gives coding agents element-level CRUD operations, layout tools, screenshot capabilities, and file I/O so they can iteratively refine architecture diagrams and flowcharts. Agents can see their work via screenshots, fix overlaps and truncation, then export diagrams as .excalidraw files committed alongside code. The toolkit runs entirely locally (no API keys required) and works through MCP protocol, CLI commands, or REST API.
Key Features
Use Cases
- 01Generate architecture diagrams from code and commit them as .excalidraw files in documentation folders
- 02Create self-verifying flowcharts where the agent screenshots, detects overlaps, and fixes layout automatically
- 03Maintain synchronized diagrams in Obsidian vaults that update when code architecture changes
- 04Build CI/CD diagram generation pipelines using the CLI without MCP configuration
- 05Collaborate with multiple agents on the same live canvas concurrently
- 06Convert Mermaid syntax to editable Excalidraw diagrams for further refinement
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mcp_excalidraw — FAQ
What is mcp_excalidraw and how does it differ from the official Excalidraw MCP?+
mcp_excalidraw is an MCP server and agent skill that gives coding agents a persistent Excalidraw workbench with 26 tools for element-level control, screenshots, and file export. The official Excalidraw MCP is a chat widget that generates diagrams from a single prompt without iterative refinement or persistence.
How do I install mcp_excalidraw for Claude Code?+
Run 'npx -y mcp-excalidraw-server install-skill' to install the agent skill into ~/.claude/skills, or configure the MCP server with 'claude mcp add excalidraw --scope user -- npx -y mcp-excalidraw-server'. The CLI-based skill approach requires zero MCP configuration.
Which AI clients does mcp_excalidraw work with?+
It works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex CLI, OpenCode, and Google Antigravity as an MCP server. Any agent that can run shell commands can also use the CLI interface directly without MCP configuration.
Does mcp_excalidraw require API keys or cloud services?+
No API keys are required. The toolkit runs entirely locally under MIT license, with core drawing happening on your machine. The only optional outbound call is the 'share' command that uploads encrypted diagrams to excalidraw.com.
Can the AI see the diagrams it creates?+
Yes, agents use the 'describe' tool for structured text summaries and 'screenshot' for rendered PNG images. This allows them to catch truncated labels, overlaps, and bad arrow routing, then fix elements iteratively.
Do I need a browser open to use mcp_excalidraw?+
Only for screenshots, image export, viewport control, and Mermaid conversion. Element creation, querying, updating, and exporting .excalidraw JSON files all work headless.
How do I install mcp_excalidraw?+
Open the source repository on GitHub and follow its README. mcp_excalidraw is a mcp server — MCP Agents Market links you directly to the official repo.
Is mcp_excalidraw free?+
mcp_excalidraw is an open-source project hosted on GitHub. Check the repository for its license and any usage requirements.