Excalidraw MCP Server

Excalidraw canvas access for AI agents to create, view, and save diagrams locally.

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53 2 dangerous tools45 tools★ 2,174TypeScriptMIT

Overview

The Excalidraw MCP Server provides a bridge between AI agents and Excalidraw, allowing agents to generate architecture diagrams and flowcharts programmatically. Agents can interact with a live canvas to refine layouts, fix overlaps, and iterate on visual designs before exporting the results as native .excalidraw files for repository integration. Designed for flexibility, the server offers 26 tools via stdio, a CLI, and a REST API. It handles rendering locally without requiring API keys, and includes the ability to perform screen captures so agents can visually assess their own work during the drawing process.

Our verdict

With a security score of 38/100, this tool carries a high risk level. It lacks any authentication method, meaning anyone with configuration access can execute commands, and it defaults to full write access without a read-only mode. It is best suited for experienced developers working in isolated environments who can manage these risks manually.

Supports 26 tools for granular canvas manipulation
Enables AI to self-correct layouts via screenshots
Operates fully local with no API keys required

Lacks authentication, allowing unauthorized command execution
Provides full write access to the filesystem by default
Maintained by community contributors rather than the official vendor

Setup

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-excalidraw": {
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-excalidraw-server"
      ],
      "command": "npx"
    }
  }
}

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows), then restart Claude Desktop. Some servers require API keys or tokens as environment variables — check the project's README and add an "env" object if needed.

No read-only mode — running this grants full read/write access.
No built-in authentication — anyone with access to this config can invoke every tool it exposes.

Tools

Tool	Description	Risk
start	Start the canvas server.	medium
stop	Stop the canvas server.	medium
status	Report current canvas server state.	low
add	Batch-create elements from a JSON array.	medium
apply	Execute a multi-op patch of create, update, or delete operations.	medium
get	Read elements by ID.	low
delete	Remove elements by ID.	medium
update	Update an element.	medium
query	Query elements using types, bounding boxes, or filters.	low
describe	Provide an AI-readable scene summary.	low
screenshot	Take a screenshot of the canvas.	low
export	Export the scene file.	low
import	Import elements from a file.	medium
mermaid	Convert Mermaid diagrams to canvas elements.	medium
snapshot	Save, list, or restore named canvas snapshots.	medium
arrange	Perform layout operations like align, distribute, group, ungroup, lock, unlock, or duplicate.	medium
share	Upload a scene to generate a shareable excalidraw.com URL.	medium
clear	Wipe the canvas.	high
install-skill	Install the portable agent skill.	medium
create_element	Create an element on the canvas.	medium
get_element	Retrieve a specific element by its ID.	low
update_element	Update an existing element on the canvas.	medium
delete_element	Delete an element from the canvas.	medium
query_elements	Query elements on the canvas based on criteria.	low
batch_create_elements	Create multiple elements on the canvas in a single operation.	medium
duplicate_elements	Duplicate existing elements on the canvas.	medium
align_elements	Align multiple elements on the canvas.	medium
distribute_elements	Distribute elements evenly on the canvas.	medium
group_elements	Group multiple elements together.	medium
ungroup_elements	Ungroup a group of elements.	medium
lock_elements	Lock elements to prevent accidental modification.	medium
unlock_elements	Unlock locked elements.	medium
describe_scene	Get a structured text summary of the current scene.	low
get_canvas_screenshot	Capture a screenshot of the current canvas.	low
export_scene	Export the current scene to a file.	low
import_scene	Import a scene from a file.	medium
export_to_image	Export the scene to an image format.	low
export_to_excalidraw_url	Export the scene to a shareable Excalidraw URL.	low
create_from_mermaid	Create elements on the canvas from a Mermaid string.	medium
clear_canvas	Wipe the canvas.	high
snapshot_scene	Create a snapshot of the current scene for persistence.	medium
restore_snapshot	Restore the scene from a previously created snapshot.	medium
set_viewport	Adjust the viewport view of the canvas.	medium
read_diagram_guide	Read the design guide for creating diagrams.	low
get_resource	Retrieve a resource from the server.	low

Compatibility

Client	Local	Docker	Remote	Read-only
ChatGPT
Claude Desktop
Cursor
VS Code
Windsurf

Frequently asked questions

›What are the system requirements for running the Excalidraw MCP server?

The server requires Node.js version 18 or higher.

›Does this MCP server require any external API keys to function?

No, the core drawing functionality runs fully locally and does not require any API keys.

›How does the server handle the canvas process?

The canvas server defaults to http://127.0.0.1:3000 and will automatically start when the CLI or MCP server launches, provided no other instance is listening.

›Is it possible to disable the automatic startup of the canvas server?

Yes, you can opt out of the auto-start behavior by setting the environment variable EXCALIDRAW_NO_AUTOSTART=1.

›Is the Excalidraw content ever uploaded to external servers?

Sharing is optional; if you choose to use the share feature, the tool uploads an encrypted scene to excalidraw.com.