Datadef
Generate and edit data-architecture diagrams from your AI.
Documentação
Datadef MCP
Data-architecture diagrams your AI generates, edits, and exports — from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI, or any MCP client. Typed tables with columns, pipelines, column-level lineage, 2,000+ real tool icons. Exported PNGs come back inline in the chat.
This repo is the public home of the remote MCP server at https://datadef.io/mcp (Streamable HTTP). There is nothing to install from here — it exists for directories, install links, and issues.
What it draws — live
The diagram below is not a screenshot. It is a public Datadef diagram embedded by URL — when the diagram is edited, this image updates with it. That is the loop this server exists for: your agent draws and maintains the diagram, and every doc that embeds it stays current.

Connect
Two ways in — both included in the 7-day free trial:
- OAuth (no key): add
https://datadef.io/mcpas a connector in Claude or ChatGPT and sign in when prompted. Claude Code works keyless too:claude mcp add --transport http datadef https://datadef.io/mcp. - API key (headless): create one at datadef.io/settings/mcp and send it as a Bearer header — right for CI and scripts.
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http datadef https://datadef.io/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer dd_live_YOUR_KEY"
Cursor / Claude Desktop (via the mcp-remote bridge)
{
"mcpServers": {
"datadef": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y", "mcp-remote", "https://datadef.io/mcp",
"--header", "Authorization: Bearer dd_live_YOUR_KEY"
]
}
}
}
VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json)
{
"servers": {
"datadef": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://datadef.io/mcp",
"headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:datadef-key}" }
}
}
}
Gemini CLI (~/.gemini/settings.json) — note httpUrl, not url; plain url is legacy SSE there and fails silently:
{
"mcpServers": {
"datadef": {
"httpUrl": "https://datadef.io/mcp",
"headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer $DATADEF_API_KEY" }
}
}
}
One-click install buttons live at datadef.io/settings/mcp.
Tools
Three layers. Outcome-level — describe an intent, Datadef's pipeline carries it out: create_diagram, list_diagrams, get_diagram, edit_diagram, export_diagram, get_design_guide. Repository sync — repo_status and repo_refresh inspect and re-run the sync that keeps a diagram and its architecture.md regenerated from a connected GitHub/GitLab/Azure DevOps branch or tag. Terraform repositories get a dedicated pipeline: every .tf file parsed (no init, no state, no cloud credentials), modules drawn as zones, per-environment counts kept honest. Atomic — 25 canvas_* tools your model drives directly (add/update/remove nodes, connect edges, set columns, add lineage, group, align, layout, validate), so the agent that already knows your repo can draw what it finds. The datadef_design_guide prompt teaches any model the design standard before it draws.
Anonymous initialize and tools/list are open — point any MCP inspector at the endpoint to browse the surface before creating a key.
Why a diagram tool wants an agent
The agent that just changed your dbt project still has the whole change in context. Telling it "update the architecture diagram too" costs one sentence — and an embedded diagram () updates everywhere the canvas does. Docs stop rotting.
Run as a container
For clients or checkers that want a runnable image, the included Dockerfile bridges stdio to the hosted server:
docker build -t datadef-mcp .
docker run -i -e DATADEF_API_KEY=dd_live_YOUR_KEY datadef-mcp
Links
- Try without an account: datadef.io/scratch
- MCP guide: datadef.io/guides/en/mcp-diagram-server
- Issues and feedback: right here.