Excalidraw Architect — Claude Code MCP server: diagrams from text
Describe your system in words and get a real .excalidraw file with the layout already worked out, ready to keep editing.
claude mcp add excalidraw-architect-mcp -- uvx excalidraw-architect-mcpWhat Excalidraw Architect does
Excalidraw Architect splits the what from the where. Your model names the components, actors and connections; the engine picks a layout algorithm for that diagram type and writes a .excalidraw file. No coordinates to guess, so boxes stop overlapping.
It covers 25 diagram types: architecture, sequence diagrams, ER models, swimlanes, timelines, Gantt charts, quadrants, funnels and hand-sketched charts. Over 50 technologies such as Kafka, PostgreSQL and Redis get styled automatically. SVG and PNG export runs without a browser or Node.js, and generation stays offline — no API keys.
Revisions go through the same channel: add a node, drop a connection or rewire a diagram in plain language, since the spec lives inside the file. Everything runs through uvx, so uv has to be installed and on your PATH — otherwise claude mcp add writes the entry but the server never starts.
What it helps with
- sketch a service architecture without placing blocks by hand
- show the message order between services
- build an ER model from entities and fields
- export a diagram to SVG or PNG for docs
- revise an existing diagram in words instead of dragging nodes
Example prompts for the agent
- Draw the architecture for our service: API gateway, PostgreSQL, Redis and Kafka in between
- Add one more node to the diagram — a message queue in front of the worker
- Make a sequence diagram for the checkout flow
How to install Excalidraw Architect
Platform CLI
claude mcp add excalidraw-architect-mcp -- uvx excalidraw-architect-mcpuvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from excalidraw-architect-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
codex mcp add excalidraw-architect -- uvx excalidraw-architect-mcpuvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from excalidraw-architect-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"excalidraw-architect": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"excalidraw-architect-mcp"
]
}
}
}uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from excalidraw-architect-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"servers": {
"excalidraw-architect": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"excalidraw-architect-mcp"
]
}
}
}uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from excalidraw-architect-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add excalidraw-architect uvx excalidraw-architect-mcpuvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from excalidraw-architect-mcp <command>
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Excalidraw Architect
How do I install Excalidraw Architect in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add excalidraw-architect-mcp -- uvx excalidraw-architect-mcp.
What does Excalidraw Architect do?
It turns a text description into Excalidraw diagrams: picks the layout for the diagram type, styles known technologies and saves a .excalidraw file you can edit.
Does it need API keys or a browser?
No. It runs offline, and SVG and PNG export skips the browser and Node.js. You do need uvx available.
