How do I install Plots?

Copy the stdio config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does Plots need an API key?

No required environment variable is listed on this record.

When was Plots last checked?

Last checked 2026-11-09. MCP server for data visualization with Mermaid charts.

Plots MCP server

Why MCP Plots?

Instant, visual-first charts using Mermaid (renders directly in MCP clients like Cursor)
Simple prompts to generate charts from plain data
Zero-setup options via uvx, or install from PyPI/Docker
Flexible output formats: mermaid (default), PNG image, or text

Quick Usage

Ask your MCP client: "Create a bar chart showing sales: A=100, B=150, C=80"
Default output is Mermaid, so diagrams render instantly in Cursor

Quick Start

PyPI Installation (Recommended)

pip install mcp-plots
mcp-plots  # Start the server

For Cursor Users

Install the package: pip install mcp-plots

Add to your Cursor MCP config (~/.cursor/mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plots": {
      "command": "mcp-plots",
      "args": ["--transport", "stdio"]
    }
  }
}

Alternative (zero-install via uvx + PyPI):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plots": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-plots", "--transport", "stdio"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Cursor
Ask: "Create a bar chart showing sales: A=100, B=150, C=80"

Development Installation

uvx --from git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git run-server.py

Documentation → | Quick Start → | API Reference →

MCP Registry

This server is published under the MCP registry identifier io.github.MR901/mcp-plots. You can discover/verify it via the official registry API:

curl "https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0/servers?search=io.github.MR901/mcp-plots"

Registry metadata for this project is tracked in server.json.

Install with Smithery

This repository includes a smithery.yaml for easy setup with Smithery.

File: smithery.yaml
Docs: https://smithery.ai/docs/config#smitheryyaml

Example install using the Smithery CLI (adjust --client as needed, e.g. cursor, claude):

npx -y @smithery/cli install \
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mr901/mcp-plots/main/smithery.yaml \
  --client cursor

After installation, your MCP client should be able to start the server over stdio using the command defined in smithery.yaml.

Project layout

src/
  app/                # Server construction and runtime
    server.py
  capabilities/       # MCP tools and prompts
    tools.py
    prompts.py
  visualization/      # Plotting engines and configurations
    chart_config.py
    generator.py

Requirements

Python 3.10+
See requirements.txt

Setup Routes

uvx (Recommended)

The easiest way to run the MCP server without managing Python environments:

# Run directly with uvx (no installation needed)
uvx --from git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git run-server.py

# Or install and run the command
uvx --from git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git mcp-plots

# With custom options
uvx --from git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git mcp-plots --port 8080 --log-level DEBUG

Why uvx?

No Environment Management: Automatically handles Python dependencies
Isolated Execution: Runs in its own virtual environment
Always Latest: Pulls fresh code from repository
Zero Setup: Works immediately without pip install
Cross-Platform: Same command works on Windows, macOS, Linux

PyPI (Traditional Installation)

Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Run the server (HTTP transport, default port 8000)

python -m src --transport streamable-http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000 --log-level INFO

Run with stdio (for MCP clients that spawn processes)

python -m src --transport stdio

Local Development (from source)

git clone https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git
cd mcp-plots
pip install -e .
python -m src --transport stdio --log-level DEBUG

Docker

docker build -t mcp-plots .
docker run -p 8000:8000 mcp-plots

Environment variables (optional):

MCP_TRANSPORT (streamable-http|stdio)
MCP_HOST (default 0.0.0.0)
MCP_PORT (default 8000)
LOG_LEVEL (default INFO)

Tools

list_chart_types() → returns available chart types
list_themes() → returns available themes
suggest_fields(sample_rows) → suggests field roles based on data samples
render_chart(chart_type, data, field_map, config_overrides?, options?, output_format?) → returns MCP content
generate_test_image() → generates a test image (red circle) to verify MCP image support

Cursor Integration

This MCP server is fully compatible with Cursor's image support! When you use the render_chart tool:

Charts appear directly in chat - No need to save files or open separate windows
AI can analyze your charts - Vision-enabled models can discuss and interpret your visualizations
Perfect MCP format - Uses the exact base64 PNG format that Cursor expects

The server returns images in the MCP format Cursor requires:

{
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "image", 
      "data": "<base64-encoded-png>",
      "mimeType": "image/png"
    }
  ]
}

Example call (pseudo):

render_chart(
  chart_type="bar",
  data=[{"category":"A","value":10},{"category":"B","value":20}],
  field_map={"category_field":"category","value_field":"value"},
  config_overrides={"title":"Example Bar","width":800,"height":600,"output_format":"MCP_IMAGE"}
)

Return shape (PNG):

{
  "status": "success",
  "content": [{"type":"image","data":"<base64>","mimeType":"image/png"}]
}

Configuration

The server can be configured via environment variables or command line arguments:

Server Settings

MCP_TRANSPORT - Transport type: streamable-http or stdio (default: streamable-http)
MCP_HOST - Host address (default: 0.0.0.0)
MCP_PORT - Port number (default: 8000)
LOG_LEVEL - Logging level: DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, CRITICAL (default: INFO)
MCP_DEBUG - Enable debug mode: true or false (default: false)

Chart Settings

CHART_DEFAULT_WIDTH - Default chart width in pixels (default: 800)
CHART_DEFAULT_HEIGHT - Default chart height in pixels (default: 600)
CHART_DEFAULT_DPI - Default chart DPI (default: 100)
CHART_MAX_DATA_POINTS - Maximum data points per chart (default: 10000)

Command Line Usage

With uvx (recommended):

uvx --from git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git mcp-plots --help

# Examples:
uvx --from git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git mcp-plots --port 8080 --log-level DEBUG
uvx --from git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git mcp-plots --chart-width 1200 --chart-height 800

Traditional Python:

python -m src --help

# Examples:
python -m src --transport streamable-http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
python -m src --log-level DEBUG --chart-width 1200 --chart-height 800

Docker

Build image:

docker build -t mcp-plots .

Run container with custom configuration:

docker run --rm -p 8000:8000 \
  -e MCP_TRANSPORT=streamable-http \
  -e MCP_HOST=0.0.0.0 \
  -e MCP_PORT=8000 \
  -e LOG_LEVEL=INFO \
  -e CHART_DEFAULT_WIDTH=1000 \
  -e CHART_DEFAULT_HEIGHT=700 \
  -e CHART_DEFAULT_DPI=150 \
  -e CHART_MAX_DATA_POINTS=5000 \
  mcp-plots

Cursor MCP Integration

Quick Setup for Cursor

The Plots MCP Server is designed to work seamlessly with Cursor's MCP support. Here's how to integrate it:

1. Add to Cursor's MCP Configuration

Add this to your Cursor MCP configuration file (~/.cursor/mcp.json or similar):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plots": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from", 
        "git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git@main",
        "mcp-plots",
        "--transport", 
        "stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "LOG_LEVEL": "INFO",
        "CHART_DEFAULT_WIDTH": "800",
        "CHART_DEFAULT_HEIGHT": "600"
      }
    }
  }
}

2. Alternative: HTTP Transport

For HTTP-based integration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plots-http": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from", 
        "git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git@main", 
        "mcp-plots",
        "--transport", 
        "streamable-http",
        "--host", 
        "127.0.0.1",
        "--port", 
        "8000"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Local Development Setup

For local development (if you have the code cloned):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plots-dev": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "src", "--transport", "stdio"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/mcp-plots",
      "env": {
        "LOG_LEVEL": "DEBUG"
      }
    }
  }
}

4. Verify Integration

After adding the configuration:

Restart Cursor
Check MCP connection in Cursor's MCP panel

Test with a simple chart:

Create a bar chart showing sales data: A=100, B=150, C=80

MERMAID-First Approach

This server prioritizes MERMAID output by default because:

✅ Renders instantly in Cursor - No external viewers needed
✅ Interactive - Cursor can analyze and discuss the diagrams
✅ Lightweight - Fast generation and display
✅ Scalable - Vector-based, works at any zoom level

Chart Types with Native MERMAID Support:

line, bar, pie, area → xychart-beta format
histogram → xychart-beta with automatic binning
funnel → Styled flowchart with color gradients
gauge → Flowchart with color-coded value indicators
sankey → Flow diagrams with source/target styling

Available Tools

`render_chart`

Main chart generation tool with MERMAID-first approach.

Parameters:

chart_type - Chart type (line, bar, pie, scatter, heatmap, etc.)
data - List of data objects
field_map - Field mappings (x_field, y_field, category_field, etc.)
config_overrides - Chart configuration overrides
output_format - Output format (mermaid [default], mcp_image, mcp_text)

Special Modes:

chart_type="help" - Show available chart types and themes
chart_type="suggest" - Analyze data and suggest field mappings

`configure_preferences`

Interactive configuration tool for setting user preferences.

Parameters:

output_format - Default output format (mermaid, mcp_image, mcp_text)
theme - Default theme (default, dark, seaborn, minimal)
chart_width - Default chart width in pixels
chart_height - Default chart height in pixels
reset_to_defaults - Reset all preferences to system defaults

Features:

Persistent Settings - Saved to ~/.plots_mcp_config.json
Live Preview - Shows sample chart with current settings
Override Support - Use config_overrides for one-off changes

Documentation

Additional Resources

Complete Documentation - Technical documentation hub
Quick Start - 5-minute setup guide
Integration Guide - MCP client setup and configuration
API Reference - Complete tool specifications and examples
Advanced Guide - Architecture, deployment, and development
Sample Prompts - Ready-to-use testing examples

Chart Examples

Basic Bar Chart:

{
  "chart_type": "bar",
  "data": [
    {"category": "Sales", "value": 120},
    {"category": "Marketing", "value": 80},
    {"category": "Support", "value": 60}
  ],
  "field_map": {
    "category_field": "category", 
    "value_field": "value"
  }
}

Time Series Line Chart:

{
  "chart_type": "line",
  "data": [
    {"date": "2024-01", "revenue": 1000},
    {"date": "2024-02", "revenue": 1200},
    {"date": "2024-03", "revenue": 1100}
  ],
  "field_map": {
    "x_field": "date",
    "y_field": "revenue"
  }
}

Funnel Chart:

{
  "chart_type": "funnel",
  "data": [
    {"stage": "Awareness", "value": 1000},
    {"stage": "Interest", "value": 500}, 
    {"stage": "Purchase", "value": 100}
  ],
  "field_map": {
    "category_field": "stage",
    "value_field": "value"
  }
}

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

MCP_TRANSPORT - Transport type (streamable-http | stdio)
MCP_HOST - Host address (default: 0.0.0.0)
MCP_PORT - Port number (default: 8000)
LOG_LEVEL - Logging level (default: INFO)
MCP_DEBUG - Enable debug mode (true | false)
CHART_DEFAULT_WIDTH - Default chart width in pixels (default: 800)
CHART_DEFAULT_HEIGHT - Default chart height in pixels (default: 600)
CHART_DEFAULT_DPI - Default chart DPI (default: 100)
CHART_MAX_DATA_POINTS - Maximum data points per chart (default: 10000)

User Preferences

Personal preferences are stored in ~/.plots_mcp_config.json:

{
  "defaults": {
    "output_format": "mermaid",
    "theme": "default",
    "chart_width": 800,
    "chart_height": 600
  },
  "user_preferences": {
    "output_format": "mcp_image",
    "theme": "dark"
  }
}

🚀 Advanced Usage

Custom Themes

Available themes: default, dark, seaborn, minimal, whitegrid, darkgrid, ticks

High-Resolution Charts

uvx --from git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git mcp-plots \
  --chart-width 1920 \
  --chart-height 1080 \
  --chart-dpi 300

Performance Optimization

Use max_data_points to limit large datasets
MERMAID output is fastest for quick visualization
PNG output for high-quality static images
SVG output for scalable vector graphics

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: Charts not rendering in Cursor

Solution: Ensure output_format="mermaid" (default)
Check: MCP server connection in Cursor

Issue: uvx command not found

Solution: Install uv: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Issue: Port already in use

Solution: Use different port: --port 8001

Issue: Large datasets slow

Solution: Sample data or increase --max-data-points

Debug Mode

uvx --from git+https://github.com/mr901/mcp-plots.git mcp-plots \
  --debug \
  --log-level DEBUG

📝 Notes

Matplotlib runs headless (Agg backend) in the container
For large datasets, sample your data for responsiveness
Chart defaults can be overridden per-request via config_overrides
MERMAID charts render instantly in Cursor for the best user experience
User preferences persist across sessions and apply to all charts by default

Add this server

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server facts

Tools

Questions

How do I install Plots?

Does Plots need an API key?

What transport does Plots use?

When was Plots last checked?

Documentation

Why MCP Plots?

Quick Usage

Quick Start

PyPI Installation (Recommended)

For Cursor Users

Development Installation

MCP Registry

Install with Smithery

Project layout

Requirements

Setup Routes

uvx (Recommended)

PyPI (Traditional Installation)

Local Development (from source)

Docker

Tools

Cursor Integration

Configuration

Server Settings

Chart Settings

Command Line Usage

Docker

Cursor MCP Integration

Quick Setup for Cursor

1. Add to Cursor's MCP Configuration

2. Alternative: HTTP Transport

3. Local Development Setup

4. Verify Integration

MERMAID-First Approach

Available Tools

render_chart

configure_preferences

Documentation

Additional Resources

Chart Examples

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

User Preferences

🚀 Advanced Usage

Custom Themes

High-Resolution Charts

Performance Optimization

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debug Mode

📝 Notes

`render_chart`

`configure_preferences`