Connect AI tools and scripts

Let Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT or your own scripts draw in your Nodeslate account. They can create diagrams from Mermaid, SQL or plain lines, read what's on a diagram, and add new diagrams beside existing ones. Every diagram they make opens in Nodeslate, fully editable.

1. Make an API key

In Account settings, under API keys, choose Create key and copy it. It starts with ns_ and is shown once. Treat it like a password: anyone with it can create and read your diagrams. Revoke it there at any time.

2. Connect an AI tool (MCP)

Nodeslate runs an MCP server at https://nodeslate.app/mcp. Tools that support remote MCP servers with a header connect directly.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http nodeslate https://nodeslate.app/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer ns_YOUR_KEY"

Cursor, VS Code and other tools with remote MCP

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nodeslate": {
      "url": "https://nodeslate.app/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ns_YOUR_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop starts local servers, so it reaches Nodeslate through the small mcp-remote bridge. Add this to its config file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nodeslate": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://nodeslate.app/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer ${NODESLATE_KEY}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NODESLATE_KEY": "ns_YOUR_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Connectors added through a web app's settings page usually need OAuth sign-in, which isn't available yet. Use one of the options above.

What the AI can do

• create_diagram: makes a diagram and returns its link.
• list_diagrams: finds your diagrams by title or box text.
• read_diagram: reads boxes, connections, components and tables.
• add_to_diagram: adds another diagram beside what's on a canvas, such as a schema next to a flow.

Try asking: “Draw our checkout flow as a flowchart in Nodeslate”, or “Read my Signup diagram and add the database tables it needs”.

3. Or call the API

Send the key as Authorization: Bearer ns_…. Diagrams are drawn the first time they're opened.

Create a diagram

curl https://nodeslate.app/api/public/v1/diagrams \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ns_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title": "Sign up", "format": "mermaid", "source": "flowchart TD\n  A[Sign up] --> B{Email valid?}\n  B -- Yes --> C[Create account]\n  B -- No --> D[Show error]"}'

Returns {"id", "title", "type", "url", "updated_at"}.

Everything else

• GET /diagrams?q=words: your diagrams, newest first.
• GET /diagrams/:id: boxes, connections, components and tables.
• POST /diagrams/:id/additions: adds a diagram beside what's there. Same body as creating, with an optional title.

Formats

• mermaid: a flowchart (with subgraphs, which become components), a mindmap, or an erDiagram. Best for anything with branches.
• sql: CREATE TABLE statements from Postgres, MySQL, SQLite or SQL Server, drawn as an Entity Relationship diagram with keys and relationships.
• lines: one line per box, the way you'd type in Nodeslate. Each line follows the one before; A -> B: label links two boxes.

Set type to flowchart, mind_map, architecture, entity_relationship, org_chart, journey or sequence to choose the diagram type, or leave it as auto.

With lines, an org chart, journey or mind map is an indented outline: the first line is the top, and each indent goes under the line above. Journey steps can end with : 1 to : 5 for how they feel. A sequence takes one message per line, A -> B: text, or B --> A: reply.

Limits

• Diagrams made through the API count toward your plan, the same as any other.
• Up to 120 requests a minute and 30 new diagrams an hour per account.
• Up to 200,000 characters of source per request.