Excalidraw canvas toolkit for creating, editing, and refining diagrams on a live canvas. Use when an agent needs to (1) draw or lay out diagrams, (2) iteratively refine them by describing the scene and screenshotting its own work, (3) export/import .excalidraw files or PNG/SVG images, (4) save/resto

Excalidraw Skill Step 0: Pick an Interface Three interfaces drive the same live canvas. Pick the first one that applies: 1. MCP tools — if excalidraw/ tools (e.g. batch create elements ) are in your tool list, prefer them: results land directly in your context, and screenshots come back as images without touching disk. 2. CLI (default when no MCP tools are present): No setup needed — any canvas touching command auto starts the canvas server on http://127.0.0.1:3000 (first npx run downloads the package). If the CLI is installed globally ( npm i g mcp excalidraw server ), the shorter alias excalidraw canvas <command works too. 3. REST API (last resort, e.g. from application code): HTTP endpoints on http://127.0.0.1:3000 — see references/cheatsheet.md for payloads. The server must already be running. The canvas URL comes from EXPRESS SERVER URL (default http://127.0.0.1:3000 ). Remind the user to open that URL in a browser — screenshots, image export, mermaid conversion, and viewport control need an open tab (CLI exits with code 4 when it's missing). CLI Quick Reference Results are JSON on stdout — except describe (plain text) and raw content output when out is omitted ( export scene JSON, screenshot format svg ). Diagnostics on stderr. Exit codes: 0 ok, 1 error, 2 usage, 3 canvas unreachable, 4 browser tab required. Task Command Start / stop / inspect server start , stop , status Create elements (batch) add elements.json or echo '[...]' \ add or add one '{...}' Multi op patch in one call apply patch.json — {"create":[...],"update":[{"id":"a","set":{...}}],"delete":[...]} Read one / query many get <id , query [ type t] [ bbox x0,y0,x1,y1] [ filter k=v] [ filter json '{...}'] Update / delete update <id set '{...}' , delete <id [...] Understand the scene describe (plain text summary: ids, positions, labels, connections) See the scene screenshot [ out f.png] (PNG without out → temp file path in JSON; SVG without out → raw SVG) Layout operations arrange align\ distribute\ group\ ungroup\ lock\ unlock\ duplicate ids a,b,c [ to left\ horizontal\ ...] Scene files export [ out scene.excalidraw] , import [scene.excalidraw ] [ replace] — a .excalidraw.md out path writes Obsidian's format (see File I/O) Mermaid → canvas mermaid [diagram.mmd ] (or stdin) Snapshots snapshot save\ list\ restore <name Share link share (encrypted upload → excalidraw.com URL) Wipe canvas clear yes Install / upgrade this skill install skill dir <skills root (agent chooses project/global root) Element Format (CLI and MCP) The CLI and MCP tools accept the same agent friendly format and normalize it automatically: Labels : put "text": "My Label" on any shape — converted to Excalidraw's bound label format for you. Arrow binding : "startElementId": "a" / "endElementId": "b" — arrows auto route to element edges. fontFamily : pass a string name ( "helvetica" , "cascadia" , "excalifont" , ...) or string number "1" – "8" . points : both [[x,y], ...] tuples and [{"x":..,"y":..}] objects are accepted. Patch updates : in apply , update entries can use either direct fields ( {"id":"a","x":120} ) or a set object ( {"id":"a","set":{"x":120}} ). Do not mix both forms in one update entry. Raw REST is stricter : labels must be "label": {"text": "..."} , bindings must be "start": {"id": "..."} / "end": {"id": "..."} . Only worry about this when POSTing to the API directly. Coordinate System The canvas uses a 2D coordinate grid: (0, 0) is the origin , x increases rightward , y increases downward . Plan your layout before writing any JSON. General spacing guidelines: Vertical spacing between tiers: 80–120px (enough that arrows don't crowd labels) Horizontal spacing between siblings: 40–60px minimum; give labeled arrows 120px+ Shape width: max(160, labelCharCount 12) to keep the label on one line Shape height: 60px single line, 80px two line labels Background/zone padding: 50px on all sides around contained elements Styling for a professional look: "fillStyle": "solid" on shapes gives crisp flat fills — the default is a sketchy hachure pattern Pair pastel backgroundColor fills with their darker strokeColor (palette in the cheatsheet) "strokeStyle": "dashed" on zone borders and async arrows reads as "boundary / background" Layout Anti Patterns (Critical for Complex Diagrams) These are the most common mistakes that produce unreadable diagrams. Avoid all of them. 1. Do NOT use label.text (or text ) on large background zone rectangles When you put a label on a background rectangle, Excalidraw creates a bound text element centered in the middle of that shape — right where your service boxes will be placed. The text overlaps everything inside the zone and cannot be repositioned. Wrong: Right — use a free standing text element anchored at the top of the zone: The free standing text element sits at the top corner of the zone and doesn't interfere with elements placed inside. 2. Avoid cross zone arrows in complex diagrams An arrow from an element in one layout zone to an element in a distant zone will draw a long diagonal line crossing through everything in between. In a multi zone infra diagram this produces an unreadable tangle of spaghetti. Design rule: Keep arrows within the same zone or tier. To show cross zone relationships, use annotation text or separate the zones so their edges are adjacent (no elements between them), and route the arrow along the edge. If you must connect across zones, use an elbowed arrow that travels along the perimeter — never through the middle of another zone. 3. Use arrow labels sparingly Arrow labels are placed at the midpoint of the arrow. On short arrows, they overlap the shapes at both ends. On crowded diagrams, they collide with nearby elements. Only add an arrow label when the relationship name is genuinely essential (e.g., protocol, port number, data direction). If you're adding a label to every arrow, reconsider — it usually adds visual noise, not clarity. Keep arrow labels to ≤ 12 characters. Prefer omitting them entirely on dense diagrams. Quality: Why It Matters (and How to Check) Excalidraw diagrams are visual communication. If text is cut off, elements overlap, or arrows cross through unrelated shapes, the diagram becomes confusing and unprofessional — it defeats the whole purpose of drawing it. So after every batch of elements, verify before adding more. Quality Checklist After each add / apply / batch create elements , take a screenshot and check: 1. Text truncation — Is all label text fully visible? Truncated text means the shape is too small. Increase width and/or height . 2. Overlap — Do any shapes share the same space? Background zones must fully contain children with padding. 3. Arrow crossing — Do arrows cut through unrelated elements? If yes, route them around using curved or elbowed arrows (see Arrow Routing below). 4. Arrow label overlap — Arrow labels sit at the midpoint. If they overlap a shape, shorten the label or adjust the arrow path. 5. Spacing — At least 40px gap between elements. Cramped layouts are hard to read. 6. Readability — Font size ≥ 16 for body text, ≥ 20 for titles. 7. Zone label placement — If you used text / label.text on a background zone rectangle, the zone label will be centered in the middle of the zone, overlapping everything inside. Fix: delete the bound text element and add a free standing text element at the top of the zone instead (see Layout Anti Patterns above). If you find any issue: stop, fix it, re screenshot, then continue. Say "I see [issue], fixing it" rather than glossing over problems. Only proceed once all checks pass. Workflow: Drawing a New Diagram Mermaid vs. Direct Creation — Which to Use? Use mermaid / create from mermaid when: the user already has a Mermaid diagram, or the structure maps cleanly to a flowchart/sequence/ER diagram with standard Mermaid syntax. It's fast and handles conversion automatically, though you get less control over exact layout. Create elements directly when: you need precise layout control, the diagram type doesn't map to Mermaid well (e.g., custom architecture, annotated cloud diagrams), or you want elements positioned in a specific coordinate grid. Steps (CLI shown; MCP tools are 1:1 — see cheatsheet) 1. Plan your coordinate grid — map out tiers and x positions before writing JSON. (MCP mode: call read diagram guide for colors/sizing; the same guidance lives in references/cheatsheet.md .) 2. Optional fresh start: npx y mcp excalidraw server clear yes 3. Create shapes and arrows in one call. Custom id fields (e.g. "id": "auth svc" ) make later updates easy: (The positional is optional — with no file argument, add reads stdin.) 4. Set shape widths using max(160, labelLength 12) . 5. screenshot → view the file → run the Quality Checklist → fix issues before the next batch. Arrow Routing — Avoid Overlaps Straight arrows can cross through elements in complex diagrams. Use curved or elbowed arrows when needed: Curved arrows (smooth arc over obstacles): The intermediate waypoint [50, 40] lifts the arrow upward. roundness: {type: 2} makes it smooth. Elbowed arrows (right angle / L shaped routing): When to use which: Fan out (one source → many targets): curved arrows with waypoints spread to avoid overlapping Cross lane (connecting to side panels): elbowed arrows that go up, then across, then down Long horizontal connections: curved arrows with a slight vertical offset Rule: If an arrow would pass through an unrelated shape, add a waypoint to route around it. Workflow: Iterative Refinement Pairing describe with screenshot is what makes this skill powerful. describe ( describe scene in MCP) → structured text: element IDs, types, positions, labels, connections. Use it to know what's on the canvas before making programmatic updates (find IDs, understand bounding boxes). screenshot ( get canvas screenshot in MCP) → PNG of the actual rendered canvas. Use it for visual quality verification — it shows exactly what the user sees, including truncation, overlap, and arrow routing. The CLI prints the saved file path as JSON; read/view that file. Feedback loop: Workflow: Refine an Existing Diagram 1. describe to understand current state — note element IDs and positions. 2. Identify elements by id or label text (not by x/y coordinates — they change). 3. update <id set '{...}' to resize/recolor/move; delete <id to remove; or bundle everything in one apply patch. Bound arrows re route automatically when you move or resize their endpoints — no need to delete and recreate them. 4. screenshot to confirm the change looks right. 5. If updates fail: check the ID exists with get <id ; unlock with arrange unlock ids <id if locked. Workflow: Mermaid Conversion Requires an open browser tab (conversion runs in the frontend; exit code 4 tells you to open the canvas URL). Afterwards screenshot to verify layout. If the auto layout is poor (nodes crowded, edges crossing), find problem elements with describe and reposition them with update . Workflow: File I/O Export scene: export out diagram.excalidraw (no out → JSON to stdout) Import scene: import diagram.excalidraw (append) or import diagram.excalidraw replace Image: screenshot out diagram.png / screenshot format svg out diagram.svg (browser tab required) Share link: share — encrypts the scene and returns a shareable excalidraw.com URL This is how diagrams live in a repo: commit the .excalidraw file, and re import + edit + export it when the architectu

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