Excalidraw Skill
yctimlin/mcp_excalidraw
Excalidraw canvas toolkit for creating, editing, and refining diagrams on a live canvas.
Create inspectable teaching diagrams with the Excalidraw MCP server when a lesson needs a clear relationship, process, state, or boundary sketch.
Install Excalidraw
$ npx skills add madhvantyagi/Gnos --skill excalidraw -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install madhvantyagi/Gnos excalidraw --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/excalidraw .claude/skills/excalidraw && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "excalidraw" agent skill from https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos/tree/main/skills/excalidraw into .claude/skills/excalidraw/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "excalidraw", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos/tree/main/skills/excalidrawType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add madhvantyagi/Gnos --skill excalidraw -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install madhvantyagi/Gnos excalidraw --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/excalidraw .agents/skills/excalidraw && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "excalidraw" agent skill from https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos/tree/main/skills/excalidraw into .agents/skills/excalidraw/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "excalidraw", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add madhvantyagi/Gnos --skill excalidraw -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install madhvantyagi/Gnos excalidraw --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/excalidraw .cursor/skills/excalidraw && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "excalidraw" agent skill from https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos/tree/main/skills/excalidraw into .cursor/skills/excalidraw/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "excalidraw", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos.git --path skills/excalidraw--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add madhvantyagi/Gnos --skill excalidraw -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install madhvantyagi/Gnos excalidraw --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/excalidraw .gemini/skills/excalidraw && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "excalidraw" agent skill from https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos/tree/main/skills/excalidraw into .gemini/skills/excalidraw/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "excalidraw", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install madhvantyagi/Gnos excalidrawInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add madhvantyagi/Gnos --skill excalidraw -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/excalidraw .github/skills/excalidraw && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "excalidraw" agent skill from https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos/tree/main/skills/excalidraw into .github/skills/excalidraw/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "excalidraw", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add madhvantyagi/Gnos --skill excalidraw -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install madhvantyagi/Gnos excalidraw --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/excalidraw .opencode/skills/excalidraw && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "excalidraw" agent skill from https://github.com/madhvantyagi/Gnos/tree/main/skills/excalidraw into .opencode/skills/excalidraw/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "excalidraw", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
excalidraw- GitHub stars
- 339
- Token cost
- ~650 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 363 words
- Files
- 4 (incl. references)
- Skills in repo
- 12
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Create inspectable teaching diagrams with the Excalidraw MCP server when a lesson needs a clear relationship, process, state, or boundary sketch.
- Works in 4 steps: Read this page before using the… → Read color and type for every diagram. Set → Read the relevant pattern in diagram types → …
- Tasks that involve Diagrams
- SKILL.md covers Load only the instructions you… and Build the scene
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Excalidraw is an agent skill from madhvantyagi/Gnos. Create inspectable teaching diagrams with the Excalidraw MCP server when a lesson needs a clear relationship, process, state, or boundary sketch.
Its SKILL.md is about 650 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 4 other files, including reference files (for example `references/color-and-type.md`, `references/diagram-types.md` and `references/review-and-handoff.md`).
It sits in Development, covering Diagrams. It works with Excalidraw and Model Context Protocol. The repository describes itself as: Teaching harness , help you to learn anything , It teaches like real teacher , design curriculum , generate videos , simulations , images , pdfs , tracks your learning style etc. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Tasks that involve Diagrams
Example prompts
- “/excalidraw”
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Read this page before using the excalidraw MCP server.
- Read color and type for every diagram. Set
- Read the relevant pattern in diagram types
- Read review and handoff before sending
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 040fa15. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Excalidraw loads about 650 tokens when it runs, and up to ~2.4k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 39 tokens; SKILL.md has 363 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from madhvantyagi/Gnos at commit 040fa15, republished under its MIT licence (© madhvantyagi). 363 words, ~650 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/excalidraw/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 3 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- excalidraw
- description
- Create inspectable teaching diagrams with the Excalidraw MCP server when a lesson needs a clear relationship, process, state, or boundary sketch.
Excalidraw diagrams
Use Excalidraw when the learner needs to inspect a spatial relationship: what connects, contains, changes state, or crosses a boundary. The selected subject guide decides what must be true in the picture. This guide decides how to draw and check it. A diagram should answer one question, not decorate a lesson.
Load only the instructions you need
- Read this page before using the
excalidrawMCP server. - Read color and type for every diagram. Set the meaning of each color and the label hierarchy before drawing.
- Read the relevant pattern in diagram types for the relation in the lesson brief. Combine patterns only when the claim requires it.
- Read review and handoff before sending the result to the lesson coordinator.
The link to this page loads guidance only. A selected Excalidraw block is
produced by calling the excalidraw MCP server's read_me and create_view
tools, then inspecting the returned scene.
Keep the diagram's terms, symbols, units, arrow direction, and color meanings identical to the surrounding explanation and exercises. If the brief does not specify these, establish them from the active lesson.
Show full SKILL.md (178 more words)Show less
Build the scene
- Write the claim in one sentence: “A learner can see that …”. List the objects and the relation needed to support that claim.
- Call
read_mebefore the firstcreate_viewin a task, unless its current element format is already in context. Its schema is authoritative; do not guess field names, fonts, export commands, or link format. - Sketch the reading order and choose a camera that makes labels readable at the inline viewport. Place boundaries behind the objects they contain.
- Call
create_viewwith the schema returned byread_me. Draw in the order the learner should encounter the idea. Keep a final overview in frame. - Open the rendered view and perform the checks in review and handoff. Revise a specific defect; stop when the relation is accurate and legible.
If the server fails, make one correction based on its error. If it remains unavailable, use prose, a table, Mermaid, or a runnable trace and tell the coordinator what was substituted. Do not claim an Excalidraw view or ready artifact without an inspected result.
© madhvantyagi, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 3 other files (references) in skills/excalidraw of madhvantyagi/Gnos.
- SKILL.md
- references/color-and-type.md
- references/diagram-types.md
- references/review-and-handoff.md
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 040fa15
Compare with similar skills
Excalidraw next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw this skillmadhvantyagi/Gnos | 339 | — | ~650 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Excalidraw Skillyctimlin/mcp_excalidraw | 2.5k | — | ~4.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Excalidraw ArchitectBV-Venky/excalidraw-architect-mcp | 158 | — | ~2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Excalidraw Canvas Toolkitlingzhi227/agent-research-skills | 390 | — | ~3.8k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| Excalidraw Diagram DesignBV-Venky/excalidraw-architect-mcp | 158 | — | ~1.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Excalidraw MCP Diagrammingthomast1906/github-copilot-agent-skills | 202 | — | ~3.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | None |
Similar skills
Excalidraw Architect
BV-Venky/excalidraw-architect-mcp
Choose and compose the right Excalidraw diagram - architecture, flowchart, sequence, state, ER, swimlane, process, timeline, quadrant, pyramid, venn, loop, gantt, bar, line, scatter, and more -…
Excalidraw Canvas Toolkit
lingzhi227/agent-research-skills
Draws and refines Excalidraw diagrams on a live canvas through MCP tools or a REST API, with screenshots, file import and export, snapshots and Mermaid conversion.
Excalidraw Diagram Design
BV-Venky/excalidraw-architect-mcp
Guide for structuring graph input (nodes and edges) for the Excalidraw Architect MCP tool to produce clean, readable diagrams.
Excalidraw MCP Diagramming
thomast1906/github-copilot-agent-skills
Create and edit diagrams on a live Excalidraw canvas using the Excalidraw MCP server.
Excalidraw Diagrams
sammcj/agentic-coding
A skill your agent uses when asked to create or update Excalidraw diagrams.
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Related
Works with
Categories
Questions about Excalidraw
What does Excalidraw do?
Create inspectable teaching diagrams with the Excalidraw MCP server when a lesson needs a clear relationship, process, state, or boundary sketch. Excalidraw is an agent skill from madhvantyagi/Gnos. Create inspectable teaching diagrams with the Excalidraw MCP server when a lesson needs a clear relationship, process, state, or boundary sketch.
When should I use Excalidraw?
Excalidraw fits situations like: tasks that involve Diagrams.
How do I install Excalidraw in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add madhvantyagi/Gnos --skill excalidraw -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/excalidraw in madhvantyagi/Gnos) into .claude/skills/excalidraw in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Excalidraw in Codex?
Run `npx skills add madhvantyagi/Gnos --skill excalidraw -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/excalidraw in madhvantyagi/Gnos) into .agents/skills/excalidraw in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Excalidraw in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add madhvantyagi/Gnos --skill excalidraw -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/excalidraw, .gemini/skills/excalidraw, .github/skills/excalidraw and .opencode/skills/excalidraw in your project.
What does Excalidraw need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Excalidraw is instructions for the agent only.
Does Excalidraw access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Excalidraw safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Excalidraw use?
Excalidraw is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Excalidraw use?
About 650 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2.6k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 1.8k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Excalidraw?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Excalidraw: Excalidraw Skill (yctimlin/mcp_excalidraw, 2.5k stars), Excalidraw Architect (BV-Venky/excalidraw-architect-mcp, 158 stars), Excalidraw Canvas Toolkit (lingzhi227/agent-research-skills, 390 stars) and Excalidraw Diagram Design (BV-Venky/excalidraw-architect-mcp, 158 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Excalidraw?
madhvantyagi (a GitHub user) maintains it in madhvantyagi/Gnos, which has 339 GitHub stars. The repository holds 12 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 10, 2026.
Source: madhvantyagi/Gnos on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.