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Draw.io MCP Server for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

Draw.io MCP Server gives Claude Desktop control over diagrams in a browser.

What you can do with Draw.io in Claude Desktop

Keep assistant-driven diagram edits tied to explicit files and pages, with a bundled browser editor.

  • Assign diagram work to explicit pages while keeping a multi-file session organized.
  • Refine connectors, labels, and grouped shapes in an existing architecture drawing.
  • Bring Mermaid material into a Draw.io editing session.

Before you start: Draw.io in Claude Desktop

  • Node.js version 22 or above
  • MCP host to launch the server
  • Browser to open the included editor

This is the README's included-editor configuration. Restart the MCP host, then browse to http://localhost:3000/ for the editor UI; that address is not the MCP transport endpoint. An extension-based session can omit --editor. Do not assume the blocked desktop path works like either browser option.

Draw.io Claude Desktop configuration

  1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

    For Draw.io MCP Server, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

  2. Add Draw.io MCP Server to Claude Desktop

    Use the drawio-mcp-server entry below in mcpServers. Keep Draw.io MCP Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

  3. Check Draw.io MCP Server in Claude Desktop

    Draw.io MCP Server: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

Config file · macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "drawio-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "drawio-mcp-server",
        "--editor"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Draw.io tools available to Claude Desktop

Draw.io's stored tool list documents 6 tools; compare it with Claude Desktop's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

list-documents

When Claude Desktop requests list-documents from Draw.io, review the action before approving it.

Find connected diagram instances before choosing the document to edit.

get-current-page

When Claude Desktop requests get-current-page from Draw.io, review the action before approving it.

Identify the active page in a diagram.

list-pages

When Claude Desktop requests list-pages from Draw.io, review the action before approving it.

Discover the pages belonging to a document.

copy-page

When Claude Desktop requests copy-page from Draw.io, review the action before approving it.

rename-page

When Claude Desktop requests rename-page from Draw.io, review the action before approving it.

create-page

When Claude Desktop requests create-page from Draw.io, review the action before approving it.

Draw.io: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting Draw.io in Claude Desktop

  • Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for Draw.io MCP Server. If npx drawio-mcp-server (Node.js/npm) is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
  • Draw.io MCP Server uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
  • Known limitation: Runtime requirements start at Node.js 22.
  • Known limitation: Firefox needs a TLS-enabled connection.
  • Known limitation: The experimental desktop integration is presently blocked by upstream CSP behavior.
  • General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

Draw.io MCP Server — details. Claude Desktop guide

Frequently asked questions

Claude Desktop loads Draw.io MCP Server from claude_desktop_config.json: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ on macOS, or %APPDATA%\Claude\ on Windows. Open it via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

Claude Desktop's drawio-mcp-server example uses stdio.

Draw.io MCP Server's Claude Desktop configuration invokes npx drawio-mcp-server (Node.js/npm).

Draw.io MCP Server's stored list contains 6 tools, including list-documents, get-current-page, list-pages. Compare those names with Claude Desktop's connected tool list; the stored list is not a live check.

Run with --editor to use the locally hosted Draw.io interface. The extension is the alternative for attaching an existing browser session.

Document discovery identifies connected instances, and target_document selects the destination. Page-scoped calls additionally require target_page.

Yes. The README describes import and export for SVG and PNG containing embedded XML, alongside plain XML interchange.