The Whimsical MCP gives AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and Codex a set of tools to read and write content in your Whimsical workspace. Whimsical offers 2 servers: remote and desktop. This article lists the tools available in each server.

Remote MCP (recommended)Copied!Link to this section

Hosted by Whimsical. Works with Claude, Cursor, Codex, and other clients that support remote MCP. These tools operate on your cloud workspace, and files are referenced by ID. They also work together: a typical session might search for a file, read its content, then create or edit a diagram based on what it finds.

search

Search across your Whimsical workspace by title or content.

Use this to find existing boards, docs, folders, and sections before creating something new, or to pull relevant files into context. Supports filtering to file and folder titles only, or searching across all content, including shapes and text on boards.

Example prompts:

• "Find the system architecture diagram from last quarter"
• "Search for files about the onboarding flow"
• "Do we have any wireframes for the settings page?"

fetch

Read the contents of a Whimsical board, doc, or folder by ID.

Returns the text content of the file. For boards, this includes all shapes, sticky notes, text, and diagram nodes. For docs, it returns the full text. Can also return a PNG image snapshot of a board. Use search first to find the file ID.

Example prompts:

• "Read the user flow diagram and summarise the key steps"
• "What does our current API architecture diagram show?"
• "Take a screenshot of that wireframe and describe what's in it"

file_tree

Browse the folder hierarchy in your workspace.

Use this to see how files are organized, find a specific folder to create new content in, or get an overview of a project area.

Example prompts:

• "Show me the folder structure of my workspace"
• "What's inside the Q3 Planning folder?"
• "Where are the design files for the mobile app?"

list_workspaces

List all Whimsical workspaces you belong to.

Returns workspace names, IDs, and your role (member or guest). Useful when you have access to multiple workspaces and need to target the right one.

Example prompts:

• "Which Whimsical workspaces do I have access to?"
• "Switch to the Design Team workspace"

how_to

Look up Whimsical-specific syntax and formatting guides before creating content.

Returns guides for topics like flowcharts, wireframes, mind maps, sequence diagrams, sticky notes, tables, and boards, as well as reference lookups for icons, colors, and font sizes. AI assistants usually call this on their own before generating complex content (for example, fetching the wireframe layout format before building a wireframe), so you rarely need to prompt it directly.

create

Create a new Whimsical file: a board, flowchart, mind map, sequence diagram, wireframe, sticky note set, or table.

This is the primary tool for generating new visual content. Diagrams are auto-laid-out; boards support freeform placement. New files are created in your workspace, and a link is returned.

Example prompts:

• "Create a flowchart of the OAuth authentication flow"
• "Generate a mind map of the key features we're building this quarter"
• "Make a sequence diagram showing how an API request flows through our system"
• "Build a wireframe for a new settings page with a sidebar and form fields"
• "Create a board visualizing the relationships between our microservices"
• "Create a table comparing the three pricing tiers"
• "Add some sticky notes brainstorming ideas for the new feature"

Supported file types:

• flowchart: Process flows and decision trees, auto-laid-out
• mindmap: Hierarchical idea maps, auto-laid-out
• sequence_diagram: Interaction diagrams between actors, auto-laid-out
• wireframe: UI mockups with flexbox layout
• board: Freeform canvas with full positional control
• sticky_notes: Clusters of sticky notes, auto-laid-out
• table: Structured data tables from markdown or column/row data

generate_diagram

Create an auto-laid-out flowchart, mind map, or sequence diagram in a single step.

A convenience wrapper around create for semantic diagrams. It makes the file and lays it out automatically, so it's a good fit when the structure matters more than exact positioning. For sketches, whiteboards, or anything where absolute positions matter, use create with a board instead.

Example prompts:

• "Generate a flowchart of the deployment pipeline"
• "Turn these steps into a sequence diagram"

generate_mind_map

Create a mind map from an indented outline.

Give it a simple outline (a root topic with nested children) and it builds and lays out the mind map automatically.

Example prompts:

• "Generate a mind map of our Q3 initiatives with sub-topics for each"
• "Turn this outline into a mind map"

generate_wireframe

Create a UI wireframe with an automatic flexbox layout.

Builds a wireframe from a description of the screen (containers, buttons, inputs, images, and icons) and arranges everything with flexbox so it stays aligned.

Example prompts:

• "Generate a wireframe for a login screen"
• "Create a wireframe of a dashboard with a sidebar and cards"

doc_create

Create a new Whimsical document with markdown content.

Supports headings, lists, links, code blocks, and tables. Use this for text-heavy content rather than create.

Example prompts:

• "Create a doc outlining the technical spec for the new API"
• "Write up the meeting notes as a Whimsical doc"
• "Make a document listing the pros and cons of each approach"

edit

Add, update, or delete objects on an existing Whimsical board or doc.

For boards: add shapes, text, sticky notes, connectors, icons, and tables; update position, color, size, or text; delete objects. For docs: insert, update, or delete blocks. Also supports find-and-replace across a diagram, and structural updates for mind maps and sequence diagrams.

Example prompts:

• "Add a 'Rate Limiting' step to the API flow diagram"
• "Update the status on that flowchart from 'Draft' to 'Approved'"
• "Add a new section to the architecture doc about caching"
• "Remove the deprecated service from the microservices diagram"
• "Replace all instances of 'User' with 'Customer' in the diagram"

wireframe_edit

Reflow or edit the elements of an existing wireframe.

Add, restyle, or rearrange wireframe elements (buttons, inputs, text, and containers), then re-run the flexbox layout so everything stays aligned. Use this to iterate on a wireframe created with create; the generic edit tool covers boards and docs, but wireframe elements are edited here.

Example prompts:

• "Add a search bar to the top of that wireframe"
• "Make the primary button full-width"
• "Rearrange the settings screen into two columns"

auto_layout

Re-arrange a flowchart using automatic layout.

Useful after adding or editing shapes to clean up positioning. Connectors re-route automatically. Supports top-to-bottom, left-to-right, and other orientations, as well as compact and default spacing.

Example prompts:

• "Tidy up the layout of that flowchart after the changes"
• "Re-arrange the flowchart left-to-right instead of top-to-bottom"

delete

Delete a Whimsical file, or objects within a board.

Removes a board, doc, folder, or diagram from your workspace, or deletes specific objects from a board. Deleted files are moved to the Whimsical trash, so they can be recovered.

Example prompts:

• "Delete that draft wireframe"
• "Remove the old architecture board"

comment_read

Read the comment threads on a Whimsical board or doc.

Returns all threads with their author, timestamp, and content. Can read all comments on a file, or filter to comments on a specific object or block. Useful for pulling design feedback or decisions into context before making edits.

Example prompts:

• "What feedback is there on the checkout wireframe?"
• "Summarise the comments on the architecture board"
• "Are there any unresolved comments on this doc?"

comment_edit

Create, reply to, edit, resolve, reopen, or delete a comment thread on a Whimsical board or doc.

Useful for leaving notes, recording decisions, or flagging questions directly on a file. Comments support markdown formatting.

Example prompts:

• "Leave a comment on the wireframe asking about the empty state"
• "Reply to the thread about the login flow with a summary of what we decided"
• "Mark that comment thread as resolved"
• "Reopen the comment about the navigation layout"

Desktop MCPCopied!Link to this section

Runs locally inside the Whimsical desktop app. Once the desktop app is running, you connect your AI assistant to it over localhost. Unlike the Remote MCP, the Desktop MCP acts on the file you currently have open and has live access to the app, so it can navigate between files, undo and redo, and capture snapshots of what's on screen. The tools are grouped by what they act on:

GeneralCopied!Link to this section

• help: Discover documentation and syntax guides for the desktop tools
• inspect_state: Get metadata for the current file, or look up any item by ID
• navigate: Open a board, document, or folder in the app
• delete: Delete board objects, or move files and folders to trash
• undo: Undo the last action
• redo: Redo the last undone action

BoardCopied!Link to this section

• board_read: Read the objects on a board
• board_create: Create a new board
• board_clear: Remove all objects from a board
• board_edit: Add, update, or delete objects on a board via structured operations
• board_repl: Compose or manipulate board objects programmatically with ClojureScript, best for dense or iterative layouts
• board_snapshot: Capture the board as a PNG image
• flexbox_compose: Create and arrange board objects using CSS flexbox layout
• content_read: Read the detailed content of any board object
• content_edit: Edit the rich-text content of a board object
• table_edit: Edit the cells, rows, and columns of a table

DocCopied!Link to this section

• doc_read: Read a document
• doc_create: Create a new document, optionally with content
• doc_edit: Edit a document's content

Mind mapCopied!Link to this section

• mindmap_read: Read a mind map as an indented outline
• mindmap_create: Create a mind map from an indented outline
• mindmap_edit: Edit a mind map's structure

FlowchartCopied!Link to this section

• flowchart_read: Read a flowchart
• flowchart_create: Create a flowchart
• flowchart_edit: Edit a flowchart's nodes and connectors

Sequence diagramCopied!Link to this section

• sequence_diagram_read: Read a sequence diagram
• sequence_diagram_create: Create a sequence diagram
• sequence_diagram_edit: Edit a sequence diagram

WireframeCopied!Link to this section

• wireframe_create: Create a wireframe frame with a flexbox-rendered layout

CommentCopied!Link to this section

• comment_read: Read the comment threads on a file
• comment_edit: Create, reply to, edit, resolve, reopen, or delete a comment thread

WorkspaceCopied!Link to this section

• folder_create: Create a folder in your workspace
• file_tree: Show the workspace folder structure
• search: Search files, folders, and content by name or full text

How the tools work togetherCopied!Link to this section

Most tasks combine several tools in sequence. For example:

"Update our architecture diagram to add the new caching layer"

1. search - finds the architecture board
2. fetch - reads the current diagram content
3. edit - adds the new caching layer node and connectors
4. auto_layout - tidies up the positions

"Summarise the feedback on our latest wireframes"

1. search - finds the wireframe files
2. comment_read - retrieves all comment threads
3. AI summarises the feedback in the chat

"Turn this codebase into a system architecture diagram"

1. AI reads the codebase (via its own tools)
2. create - generates a new board or flowchart in Whimsical
3. Link returned in chat for review

"Create a spec doc in the right project folder"

1. file_tree - browses the workspace to find the target folder
2. doc_create - creates the document in that folder

Tips for better promptsCopied!Link to this section

• Be specific about the diagram type. "Create a flowchart" or "create a sequence diagram" gets better results than "make a diagram".
• Reference existing files by name. "Update the authentication flowchart" gives the AI enough to search for the right file.
• Describe the content, not just the task. "Create a mind map of our Q3 initiatives: Discovery, Payments, and Growth, with sub-topics for each" produces richer output than "create a mind map".
• Ask it what it can do. Prompt "What can you do with Whimsical MCP?" at the start of a session to see a summary of available tools.