Connect Claude to Your AV Diagrams
By WireFlow Team · Published 2026-07-26 · Updated 2026-07-26 · 7 min read
WireFlow exposes a public REST API and a remote MCP server, so Claude can work on your real diagrams instead of describing them back to you. Create a personal API key in Settings, point Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or a claude.ai custom connector at the MCP endpoint, and Claude gets 22 tools to list, read, build, and edit show files, pull cable schedules and power reports, trace a signal path, and lay out an LED wall. It is included with every paid plan.
What connecting Claude actually does
Most AI drawing tools generate a picture. This is not that. The MCP connection gives Claude authenticated access to the same diagram records the editor uses, so a change Claude makes is a change you open in WireFlow a second later, with your devices, your ports, and your wiring rules intact.
In practice you stop describing the rig twice. You say "add a backup recorder to the Main Stage diagram and feed it off the switcher aux," and Claude reads the current diagram, finds the switcher, checks that the aux output and the recorder input are compatible, and saves the connection.
- Read an existing show file, including devices, connections, racks, and LED walls.
- Build a new diagram from a description, or from a gear list you paste in.
- Edit a saved diagram surgically, one operation at a time, without resending the whole file.
- Derive cable schedules, power reports, and gear lists from what is already drawn.
What you need first
- A paid WireFlow plan. API and MCP access is included with every paid plan. On a free account the panel shows an upgrade option instead. See plans and pricing.
- One of the Claude clients: Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or claude.ai with a custom connector.
- A few minutes. Key creation and connection take about five.
Connect it, step by step
- Open Settings and stay on the Account tab.
- Scroll to the Claude & API access panel and give the key a name you will recognize later, such as "Claude Code" or "Laptop".
- Click Create key, then copy the key immediately. The full value is shown exactly once.
- Add WireFlow's MCP endpoint to your Claude client and paste the key as the credential.
- Ask Claude to list your diagrams. If the names of your real shows come back, you are connected.
The exact client configuration, including the endpoint URL and the per-client setup screens, lives in the product guide: Connect WireFlow to Claude. Follow that for the current steps, since client setup UI changes more often than this article does.
What the 22 tools cover
The tools split into reading, deriving, and writing. Claude picks the right one; the value for you is knowing what is possible to ask for.
| Ask for this | What runs | What you get back |
|---|---|---|
| "What is on the Main Stage diagram?" | list_diagrams, get_diagram | Devices, connections, racks, and walls in the saved file |
| "Where does camera 2 end up?" | trace_signal | The path device to device, hop by hop |
| "Anything unconnected before I send this?" | lint_diagram | Dead inputs, mismatched ports, and gaps |
| "Give me the cable schedule" | get_cable_schedule | Every run, labeled end to end |
| "How much power does this draw?" | get_power_report | Load by device and by circuit |
| "Size a 20 by 10 foot wall" | design_led_wall | Cabinet grid, processor, power and data paths |
| "Add a backup recorder off the aux" | patch_diagram | A saved edit, with a revision captured first |
The derived documents are the same ones the editor produces, so a cable schedule Claude pulls matches the one you would export by hand. If you want the reasoning behind those documents, see how to build a cable schedule and how to create an AV tech pack.
What protects your show files
Handing write access to an agent is only reasonable if a mistake is cheap to undo. Three things make it cheap.
- A restorable revision is captured before every save. If an edit goes somewhere you did not intend, restore the previous state from the editor's revision history.
- A concurrent edit is rejected, not silently overwritten. If someone saved the diagram while Claude was working, the write fails with a conflict and Claude re-reads before retrying. Your colleague's work is never quietly replaced.
- The same wiring rules apply. The API refuses an HDMI output landing on an SDI input exactly as the editor does, so a diagram built through Claude is one your crew can actually rig.
What it will not do
Being clear about the edges saves you a frustrating first session.
- Live collaboration and site-map diagrams are read-only over the API. Duplicate the diagram first if you need Claude to edit one of those.
- Deleting requires the exact diagram name, compared case insensitively, so a wrong id cannot destroy the wrong show file.
- It is not a layout designer. Claude gets the connections and the data right. Positioning things beautifully on the canvas is still faster by hand.
- Free accounts have no access. The panel shows an upgrade option instead.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to be on a paid plan?
- Yes. API and MCP access is included with every paid WireFlow plan. Free accounts see an upgrade option in place of the key panel.
- Can Claude overwrite work my colleague just saved?
- No. A write against a diagram that changed since it was read fails with a conflict, and Claude re-reads before retrying. On top of that, a restorable revision is captured before every successful save.
- Which Claude clients work?
- Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and claude.ai as a custom connector. All three authenticate with the same personal API key you create in Settings.
- Can I use the REST API without Claude?
- Yes. The same key authenticates the public REST API, so your own scripts can list, read, build, and edit diagrams and pull cable schedules, power reports, and gear lists.
- What happens if I lose the key?
- You cannot view an existing key again after it is created. Revoke it in Settings and create a new one, then update your Claude client with the new value.
Let Claude work on your real diagrams
Create an API key and connect WireFlow to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or a claude.ai custom connector. 22 tools that read, build, and edit your actual show files. Included with every paid plan.