Help Center

SearchK

Loading…Open app

Categories

• Getting started
  • What is Whimsical?
  • Getting started with flowcharts
  • Getting started with mind maps
  • Getting started with wireframes
  • What can you do with Whimsical?
  • Using Whimsical Boards
  • Working with Whimsical’s infinite canvas - video guide 🎥
  • 5 ways to create a new file
  • Getting started with Whimsical AI
  • How to create a new workspace
  • How to use AI-assisted mind mapping
  • Customizing file and folder icons
  • Mentions in Whimsical files
  • Customizing diagram shapes
  • Getting started with sequence diagrams
  • Using the command menu
• Whimsical boards
  • Commenting in Whimsical files
  • Getting started with flowcharts
  • Getting started with mind maps
  • Getting started with wireframes
  • Using Whimsical Boards
  • Mentions in Whimsical files
  • Customizing diagram shapes
  • Using sections on the Whimsical canvas
  • Sketch on the canvas with freehand drawing
  • Annotating files for more detail
  • Text-to-object pasting options
  • Adding and displaying links in Whimsical files
  • Linking to sections and objects
  • How to draw a line
  • How to filter selected objects
  • Presenting in Whimsical
  • Using the timer in boards
  • Working with the grid and auto-alignment
  • Working with connectors
  • Does Whimsical have cloud architecture icons?
  • Using tables in Whimsical
  • Using sticky notes in boards
  • Optimizing performance in larger boards
  • Using spellcheck
  • Setting custom thumbnails
  • How overlays work in Wireframe mode
  • Hiding cursors while collaborating
  • Measure between objects in Boards
  • Uploading files to Whimsical
  • Getting started with sequence diagrams
  • Working with Mermaid code in Whimsical
• Keyboard shortcuts
  • Keyboard shortcuts for Windows (PC)
  • Keyboard shortcuts for Mac
• Account settings
  • Notification inbox
  • How to change or reset your password
  • Customizing your notifications in Whimsical
  • How to verify your Whimsical account
  • How to delete your account
  • Adding your name and avatar to your account
  • Changing your account email address, or adding a new one
• Subscription & billing
  • Updating the credit card details on your account
  • How billing works in workspaces
  • Updating your billing information
  • How to cancel your subscription
  • Pricing and discounts
  • Where are my invoices
  • Understanding your Whimsical invoice
  • Sales tax and VAT
• Managing workspaces
  • How to create a new workspace
  • Requesting file access
  • Workspace discovery settings
  • Sorting files and folders
  • Changing workspace members’ roles
  • Adding and removing members
  • Creating and managing teams
  • Requesting workspace editor access
  • Linking between files
  • Member roles in Whimsical
  • How to delete a workspace
  • How to upgrade your workspace
  • Guest access
  • Changing your workspace name, logo, or URL
  • Offboarding users
  • Consolidating workspaces
  • Uploading files to Whimsical
  • Organizing your work with tabbed folders
  • SAML
  • Setting up SAML session expiry
  • Security
  • Prevent new workspace creation
• FAQs
  • Customizing file and folder icons
  • How to draw a line
  • How to filter selected objects
  • Does Whimsical have cloud architecture icons?
  • How overlays work in Wireframe mode
  • Moving and copying files
  • Using Whimsical on mobile
  • Does Whimsical have a dark mode?
  • File version history
  • Why are the colors of some elements toned down?
  • Does Whimsical support offline mode?
  • Teams, workspaces & sections explained
  • Does Whimsical work on iPad?
  • Free viewers commenting in workspaces
  • Whimsical desktop app
  • Is Whimsical available in other languages?
  • Inverting the zoom direction in Whimsical so it works more like Sketch
  • Troubleshooting issues and reporting bugs
  • How to add emojis
  • Team FAQs
  • How to restore deleted files from the trash
  • Searching in your Whimsical workspace
  • Organizing files in your workspace
  • I’ve upgraded but still don’t have access to the paid features
  • Why can't I edit my files?
  • Reporting content in Whimsical
  • Does Whimsical have an affiliate or referral program?
  • Collaborating with others in real time
  • Sharing files and managing access permissions
  • Hiding cursors while collaborating
  • How to switch between workspaces
  • Sharing feedback and feature requests
  • Markdown support in Whimsical
• Imports & exports
  • Text-to-object pasting options
  • Exporting content from Whimsical
  • Embedding Whimsical files
  • Importing to Whimsical
  • Working with Mermaid code in Whimsical
• Integrations
  • Embedding & integrating boards with Jira Issues
  • Integrating Whimsical with Google Docs
  • Embedding files in ClickUp views
  • Embedding files in Asana
  • Embedding Whimsical files
  • Whimsical AI Diagrams for ChatGPT
  • Creating Jira & Confluence Smart Links for Whimsical Files
  • Embedding files in Guru
  • Embedding files in Trello
  • Embedding & integrating boards in Notion
  • Integrating Whimsical and GitHub
  • Embedding files in Zendesk
  • Support Whimsical embeds in your app with EmbedKit
  • Whimsical previews and notifications in Slack
  • Embedding files in Canva
  • Integrating Whimsical and Linear
  • Embedding files in Nuclino
  • Embedding files in Monday
  • Embedding files in Medium
  • Embedding files in Slab
  • Embedding files in Coda
  • Whimsical API (Beta)
  • Whimsical desktop MCP (beta)
  • Whimsical Remote MCP
• Security, SAML & SCIM
  • SAML
  • SAML SSO in Whimsical
  • SAML SSO with Okta
  • SAML SSO with Auth0
  • SAML SSO with OneLogin
  • SAML SSO with Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD)
  • SAML SSO with Google Workspace (previously G-Suite)
  • SAML SSO with Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS)
  • SAML SSO with other identity providers
  • Setting up SAML session expiry
  • Managing email changes with SAML and SCIM
  • SCIM
  • Setting up SCIM with Okta
  • Setting up SCIM with JumpCloud
  • Setting up SCIM with Entra ID (Azure AD)
  • SCIM provisioning with Groups in Okta
  • SCIM user provisioning in Whimsical
  • SCIM provisioning with Groups in Entra ID (Azure AD)
  • Security
  • Setting up Two-factor Authentication (2FA)
  • Prevent new workspace creation
  • Whitelisting Whimsical domains
  • Signing in with your Whimsical account on multiple devices
• Color themes & templates
  • Customizing file and folder icons
  • Custom colors and themes
  • Creating and using templates
• Releases
• Terms & policies
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Notice
  • Data Processing Addendum
  • Subprocessor List
  • Cookie Policy
  • Security Policy
  • Acceptable Use Policy
  • AI Supplementary Terms
  • Master Services Agreement
  • Regional Privacy Notice Supplement
• Contact us

Whimsical statusStatusContact Us

• Help Center
• Integrations
• Whimsical desktop MCP (beta)

Whimsical desktop MCP (beta)

Welcome to the the beta version of Whimsical’s desktop MCP server.

Use it to:

• Visualize your codebase
• Map your system architecture
• Generate wireframes from prompts or code
• Build prototypes from your wireframes
• And more...

What will you make with it?

Whimsical’s desktop MCP (Model Context Protocol) server is built into the Whimsical desktop app and runs locally on your machine, so AI coding agents like Claude, Cursor, and Codex can read and write directly to your Whimsical workspace.

This doc should get you started using Whimsical with your AI agent - use the list on the right to jump to specific setup instructions.

If you run into any trouble or have questions, just reach out to our support team.

Step 1: Open the Whimsical desktop appCopied!Link to this section

Whimsical’s desktop MCP server is built into our desktop app, available for macOS and Windows. You can download it from here.

The desktop app must be running for the MCP server to work.

Step 2: Setup your MCP clientCopied!Link to this section

The desktop MCP server is designed to be used locally with coding agents. Follow the instructions below for your specific client to add the MCP server.

Claude CodeCopied!Link to this section

Run the following command in your terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http whimsical-desktop http://localhost:21190/mcp

CodexCopied!Link to this section

codex mcp add whimsical-desktop --url http://localhost:21190/mcp

CursorCopied!Link to this section

1. Open Cursor → Settings → Cursor Settings.
2. Go to Tools & MCP.
3. Click Add custom MCP or + New MCP server.
4. Enter the following configuration and save:

{ "mcpServers": { "whimsical-desktop": { "url": "http://localhost:21190/mcp" } } }

Claude DesktopCopied!Link to this section

Download the MCP installer for Claude Desktop here, and double click the downloaded file to install.

Just make sure the Whimsical desktop app is installed and running beforehand. 👌

Copilot in VS CodeCopied!Link to this section

Make sure you have access to Copilot in VS Code. Once you have access, you can connect to Whimsical’s MCP server by creating an mcp.json file in the .vscode folder of your project and adding the following:

{ "servers": { "whimsical-desktop": { "type": "http", "url": "http://localhost:21190/mcp" } } }

AntigravityCopied!Link to this section

1. Open the MCP store via the “…” dropdown at the top of the agent panel.
2. Click Manage MCP Servers.
3. Click View raw config.
4. Add the following configuration to mcp_config.json

{ "mcpServers": { "whimsical-desktop": { "serverUrl": "http://localhost:21190/mcp" } } }

OpenCodeCopied!Link to this section

Add the following to your opencode.json file:

{ "mcp": { "whimsical-desktop": { "type": "remote", "url": "http://localhost:21190/mcp", "enabled": true } } }

Note: You might need to restart OpenCode before the MCP server will connect.

Other clientsCopied!Link to this section

While we haven't tested other MCP clients, they might work with a similar config.

For clients that don't directly support local HTTP transport, you might be able to use mcp-remote option.

For example, for Claude Desktop you can also add the following config to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{ "mcpServers": { "whimsical-desktop": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "http://localhost:21190/mcp"\] } } }

Step 3: Verify the connectionCopied!Link to this section

• Make sure the desktop app is open - The MCP server only runs while the Whimsical desktop app is active. If the desktop app is not be running before you start your coding agent, your AI client will fail to connect.
• Ask your AI client “What Whimsical tools do you have available?” If the MCP is connected, you’ll get a list of tools such as create_diagram, search_files etc.
• You can always check directly:
  • Type /mcp in Claude code, Codex or OpenCode to see a list of connected MCP servers.
  • Check the MCP settings page in Claude desktop, Cursor, or Antigravity.
  • Run MCP: List Servers from the Command Palette in VS Code.

Step 3: Prompt your MCP clientCopied!Link to this section

Start a new client session and ask it to do things in Whimsical. To get started, you can ask it “What can you do with Whimsical MCP?”. 👌

So, what can it do?Copied!Link to this section

Create diagrams from your codebaseCopied!Link to this section

Ask your AI to turn code into visual diagrams in Whimsical. Try prompts like “Create a flowchart of the authentication flow in this codebase”, “Map the relationships between these microservices”, or “Generate a sequence diagram showing how this API request is processed”.

Search and reference your Whimsical filesCopied!Link to this section

Your AI can search and read Whimsical files so you can reference them in context. Try “Find the system architecture diagram I made last month” or “Summarize the user flow we mapped out in Whimsical”.

Plan and brainstorm visuallyCopied!Link to this section

Use your AI to create mind maps, wireframe outlines, and planning documents directly in Whimsical. Try “Create a mind map of the key features for this project” or “Make a wireframe outline for a new settings page”.

---

TroubleshootingCopied!Link to this section

Tools aren’t showing up in my AI clientCopied!Link to this section

Make sure the Whimsical desktop app is open before you launch Claude, or whichever client you’re using, as the MCP server only runs while the app is active. Then start a new session in your AI client (most clients only scan for MCP tools at session start).

If you’re using Claude Desktop or Cursor, double-check your config file for typos in the URL. It should be exactly http://localhost:21190/mcp .

I’m connected but getting errorsCopied!Link to this section

Check that you’re signed into your Whimsical account in the desktop app, as the MCP needs an active session to access your workspace. If you’re signed in but still seeing errors, try signing out and back in, then restart the desktop app.

The connection stopped workingCopied!Link to this section

Try quitting and relaunching the Whimsical desktop app, then start a fresh session in your AI client.

I can’t find my Whimsical contentCopied!Link to this section

The MCP can only access content in the workspace you’re currently signed into in the Whimsical desktop app. If you belong to multiple workspaces, make sure you’re signed into the right one. Check out this article if you’re unsure how to switch workspaces.

If you’re still having trouble, or have questions, just reach out to our support team.

Written by:

• Jack Jenkins
  

Summary

1. Whimsical desktop MCP (beta)
2. Step 1: Open the Whimsical desktop app
3. Step 2: Setup your MCP client
4. Claude Code
5. Codex
6. Cursor
7. Claude Desktop
8. Copilot in VS Code
9. Antigravity
10. OpenCode
11. Other clients
12. Step 3: Verify the connection
13. Step 3: Prompt your MCP client
14. So, what can it do?
15. Troubleshooting
16. Tools aren’t showing up in my AI client
17. I’m connected but getting errors
18. The connection stopped working
19. I can’t find my Whimsical content