Can I use IdeaBoard MCP with my existing projects?

Yes. The Desktop App MCP renders visualizations directly on your open canvas, so you can add AI-generated visuals to any existing IdeaBoard project, including local file-mode (.board) projects.

AI Skills are pre-built prompts that teach Claude Code how to use IdeaBoard MCP tools for specific tasks automatically. They are available in the GitHub repo and the MockFlow Recipe Library.

Is IdeaBoard MCP free?

The Loginless Web MCP is completely free. The CLI npm package requires a MockFlow account (free tier available). The Desktop App MCP is included with the MockFlow Desktop App. The npm package is open source under the MIT license.

Are there rate limits?

Yes. Only visualization tool calls are counted. Loginless Web MCP: 5 per 30 minutes + 20 per day per session. CLI MCP Basic: 10 per 30 minutes per user. CLI MCP Paid: 30 per 30 minutes per user. Desktop Basic: 10 per 30 minutes. Desktop Paid/App Store: 30 per minute. Every response includes RateLimit headers.

IdeaBoard MCP Server - AI-Powered Flowcharts, Mind Maps, Kanban Boards & More

Choose Your Setup

Three ways to connect

Use IdeaBoard MCP from a browser, the desktop app, or the command line.

Easiest — No install, no login

Loginless Web MCP

Add IdeaBoard as a connector in Claude.ai or ChatGPT. No installation, no account required. A new board is created and you get a shareable URL.

How it works:

Step 1: Open Claude.ai → Settings → Connectors

Step 2: Paste: https://app.mockflow.com/ideaboard/mcp

Step 3: Ask Claude to create a flowchart — done!

Best for: Managers, marketers, anyone who uses Claude.ai or ChatGPT in the browser. No technical knowledge needed.

Setup Guide →

Most powerful — Direct on canvas

Desktop App MCP

Built into the MockFlow Desktop App. AI creates visuals directly on your open canvas — no URLs, no waiting.

How it works:

Step 1: Open Desktop App → open an IdeaBoard project

Step 2: In Claude Code / Cursor, run:
claude mcp add --transport http -s user mockflow-ideaboard http://localhost:21193/mcp

Step 3: Ask: "Create a flowchart for..."

Multiple tools + layout_board (bento grid layout)

Best for: Designers, product teams, daily MockFlow users. Works with offline/file-mode projects.

Download App →

For developers — Saved to your account

CLI Web MCP

Install from npm, log in via browser (OAuth), and boards are saved to your MockFlow account.

How it works:

Step 1: npm install -g @mockflow/ideaboard-mcp

Step 2: mockflow-ideaboard-mcp login

Step 3: mockflow-ideaboard-mcp

Best for: Developers using Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code Copilot.

npm Package →

Works With

Connect your favorite AI tools

ChatGPT

Coming soon

Codex (OpenAI)

Coming soon

AI Tools

Everything you can create

Each tool accepts a natural-language prompt and returns a shareable board URL.

Flowcharts & Diagrams

render_flowchart

Flowcharts, UML, circuit, bio, P&ID, and 11 diagram categories.

Mind Maps

render_mindmap

Hierarchical brainstorming with balanced branches.

Cloud Architecture

render_cloudarchitecture

AWS, Azure, GCP, and Cisco network diagrams.

Charts

render_chart

Pie, bar, line, area, scatter, bubble, radar charts.

Kanban Boards

render_kanban

Project management with columns, cards, and priorities.

Gantt Charts

render_gantt

Project timelines with phases, tasks, and progress.

Calendars

render_calendar

Event scheduling and planning calendars.

Data Tables

render_table

Structured data tables from CSV format.

Spreadsheets

render_spreadsheet

Formulas, formatting, and calculated fields.

Whiteboards

render_whiteboard

Sticky notes and sections for brainstorming.

Customer Journeys

render_customerjourney

Customer experience with stages and satisfaction scores.

Storyboards

render_storyboard

Film and video scene planning with descriptions.

Database Schemas

render_database

Database schemas with tables and relationships.

Swimlane Diagrams

render_swimlane

Cross-functional process flows with lanes.

Maps

render_map

Geographic markers and coordinates on maps.

Knowledge Graphs

render_knowledgegraph

Bubble network showing how concepts relate to each other.

Documents

render_markdown

Rich text documents with AI-generated images.

Desktop Only

Board Layout

layout_board

After creating multiple visualizations, call this tool to arrange them in a professional bento-box grid layout with a titled section wrapper. Provide a board title and all recently created items are automatically organized.

How It Works

Three steps to visual

1

Describe

Tell your AI what you need — a flowchart, a mind map, a kanban board.

2

Generate

Your AI calls the IdeaBoard MCP server and the visualization is created automatically.

3

Edit

Open the board in MockFlow to edit, collaborate, and share with your team.

Example Prompts

What you can ask AI to create

Project Management "Create a kanban board for our Q2 product launch with backlog, in progress, review, and done columns."

Software Architecture "Draw an AWS architecture with API Gateway, Lambda, DynamoDB, and S3."

Marketing "Create a customer journey map for the SaaS onboarding experience."

Film Production "Create a storyboard for a 30-second product commercial."

Data Analysis "Create a pie chart showing revenue by region for Q1."

Education "Create a mind map about the causes and effects of climate change."

Use Cases

IdeaBoard MCP for every team

Product manager using AI to create kanban boards and Gantt charts

Product Management

Scan your PRD and create a kanban board with sprint tasks. Generate Gantt charts from project timelines.

Engineer using AI to create architecture and ER diagrams

Software Engineering

Analyze your codebase and create architecture diagrams. Generate ER diagrams from database migrations.

Designer creating customer journey maps and storyboards with AI

Design & UX

Create customer journey maps from user research. Generate storyboards for product walkthroughs.

Marketer using AI to create mind maps and campaign calendars

Marketing & Strategy

Turn meeting notes into mind maps. Create campaign calendars from content plans.

Film director using AI to create storyboards and shot lists

Film & Media

Generate storyboards from scripts. Create shot lists as kanban boards.

Educator using AI to create mind maps and flowcharts

Education & Research

Create mind maps from lecture notes. Generate flowcharts for process documentation.

AI Skills

Pre-built prompts for Claude Code

Skills teach Claude Code how to use IdeaBoard tools for specific tasks. Install a skill once, and it triggers automatically when Claude detects a matching intent.

How to install a skill

Copy the skill file to your Claude Code skills directory:

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/mockflow-decision-flowchart
# Copy SKILL.md from the GitHub repo skills/ directory

Then use it naturally in Claude Code:

# Triggers automatically:
"Should I use React or Vue?"

# Or invoke directly:
/mockflow-decision-flowchart Should I buy or rent?

Skills Library

Browse the IdeaBoard Skills Library for more pre-built prompts. Each skill can be installed in Claude Code.

Create custom skills

Use the AI Prompt Box inside IdeaBoard to create, test, and refine custom prompts — then export them as Claude Code skills.

Open Source

Built in the open

# Install IdeaBoard MCP Server
npm install -g @mockflow/ideaboard-mcp

npm: @mockflow/ideaboard-mcp mockflow/ideaboard-mcp

MIT License

FAQ

IdeaBoard MCP — Frequently asked questions

IdeaBoard MCP includes tools like render_flowchart, render_mindmap, render_knowledgegraph, render_cloudarchitecture, render_chart, render_kanban, render_gantt, render_calendar, render_table, render_spreadsheet, render_whiteboard, render_customerjourney, render_storyboard, render_database, render_swimlane, render_map, render_markdown — plus the Desktop-only layout_board tool for bento grid layouts.

layout_board is a Desktop App exclusive tool that arranges multiple visualizations into a professional bento-box grid layout with a titled section wrapper. After creating several boards, call layout_board to organize them automatically. This tool is only available when using the MockFlow Desktop App MCP.

Yes. The Desktop App MCP renders visualizations directly on your open canvas, so you can add AI-generated flowcharts, mind maps, and other visuals to any existing IdeaBoard project — including local file-mode (.board) projects.

Mida AI is MockFlow's built-in AI assistant that lives inside the IdeaBoard and WireframePro editors. It generates, modifies, and transforms content directly on your canvas with full context of your project.

MCP servers let you use MockFlow's visualization tools from external AI tools like Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code Copilot. MCP is ideal when you're already working in your IDE or AI chat and want to create visuals without switching to MockFlow.

In short: Mida AI is the full experience inside MockFlow. MCP brings MockFlow's tools to wherever your AI already is.

AI Skills are pre-built prompts that teach Claude Code how to use IdeaBoard MCP tools for specific tasks. For example, the "decision flowchart" skill automatically creates a yes/no decision tree when you ask "Should I use React or Vue?" Skills are available in the GitHub repo and the IdeaBoard Skills Library.

The Loginless Web MCP is completely free — no account, no limits. The CLI npm package requires a MockFlow account (free tier available) for saving boards to your workspace. The Desktop App MCP is included with the MockFlow Desktop App. The npm package is open source under the MIT license.

Yes. Only visualization tool calls (e.g. render_flowchart, render_mindmap) are counted — protocol messages like initialize and tools/list are unlimited.

Loginless Web MCP	5 visualizations / 30 minutes + 20 / day (per session)
CLI MCP (Basic)	10 tool calls / 30 minutes (per user)
CLI MCP (Paid)	30 tool calls / 30 minutes (per user)
Desktop App (Basic)	10 tool calls / 30 minutes
Desktop App (Paid / App Store)	30 tool calls / minute

IdeaBoard MCP Server

Three ways to connect

Loginless Web MCP

How it works:

Desktop App MCP

How it works:

CLI Web MCP

How it works:

Connect your favorite AI tools

Everything you can create

Three steps to visual

Describe

Generate

Edit

What you can ask AI to create

IdeaBoard MCP for every team

Product Management

Software Engineering

Design & UX

Marketing & Strategy

Film & Media

Education & Research

Pre-built prompts for Claude Code

How to install a skill

Skills Library

Create custom skills

Built in the open

IdeaBoard MCP — Frequently asked questions

Start creating with AI

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