Visual Explainer (Claude Skill) — Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

Auto-detects the right format (page vs deck) from input shape
Self-contained HTML — no build step, just open in a browser
Diff and plan templates with side-by-side layouts
Project-recap and data-table layouts
Works with any agent that supports SKILL.md

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

visual-explainer-skill.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "visual-explainer-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/nicobailon/visual-explainer",
        "~/.claude/skills/visual-explainer"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "visual-explainer-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/nicobailon/visual-explainer",
        "~/.claude/skills/visual-explainer"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "visual-explainer-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/nicobailon/visual-explainer",
        "~/.claude/skills/visual-explainer"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "visual-explainer-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/nicobailon/visual-explainer",
        "~/.claude/skills/visual-explainer"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "visual-explainer-skill",
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/nicobailon/visual-explainer",
        "~/.claude/skills/visual-explainer"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "visual-explainer-skill": {
      "command": {
        "path": "git",
        "args": [
          "clone",
          "https://github.com/nicobailon/visual-explainer",
          "~/.claude/skills/visual-explainer"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add visual-explainer-skill -- git clone https://github.com/nicobailon/visual-explainer ~/.claude/skills/visual-explainer

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use Visual Explainer

Generate a stakeholder-friendly recap of a code review

👤 Tech leads briefing non-engineers ⏱ ~15 min intermediate

When to use: After a big PR you want a one-page recap a PM can read.

Prerequisites

Server/skill installed and authenticated — See repo README

Flow

Load the diff

Read PR #481's diff + reviews. Use the visual-explainer skill to produce a stakeholder recap.✓ Copied

→ A self-contained HTML file with the recap
Share

Add a slide-deck version too — 5 slides max.✓ Copied

→ Second HTML file in deck mode

Outcome: Two artifacts you can paste into a Slack thread.

Pitfalls

Don't paste full diffs — Don't paste full diffs — the skill expects pre-summarized inputs. Run a summarization pass first.

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: See provider docs for rate limits
Tokens per call: Varies by tool
Monetary: See repo README for pricing details
Tip: Cache tool results and avoid repeated identical calls.

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Credential storage: Use environment variables; never commit secrets

Data egress: Tool calls go to the provider's API as documented

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

HTML doesn't render properly

The skill outputs self-contained HTML. Open in a browser, not a markdown previewer.

Verify: Right-click → Open in browser

skill doesn't activate

Ensure it's installed at ~/.claude/skills/visual-explainer/ with SKILL.md intact.

Verify: Run `ls ~/.claude/skills` and check SKILL.md frontmatter

Alternatives

Visual Explainer vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
zarazhangrui/frontend-slides	You want pure slide decks	Slides only; no page mode

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills