shadertoy-server.md

ShaderToy MCP App

MCP App · UI in chatFeatured

from"modelcontextprotocol"

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ShaderToy Server is an official example in modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps. It serves a WebGL shader view as an MCP App so compatible hosts can display a live GLSL preview inside the conversation.

Not for: A full shader IDE or guaranteed GPU compatibility. Browser WebGL support and the host's MCP Apps implementation determine whether the preview runs.

Source and setup verified on 2026-11-03

Visualization

shadersGLSLWebGLcreative

View on GitHub

Quick facts

Provider: Model Context Protocol project (official example)
Runtime: GLSL in browser WebGL
Protocol: MCP Apps ui:// resource
Repository stars: 3,042 on 2026-11-03

What you can do

Render GLSL shader output inline
Update shader parameters from tool data
Interact with a live WebGL canvas

Requirements

Node.js and npm
An MCP Apps-compatible host
WebGL support

setup.md

# 1. Use the official example

Clone ext-apps, install dependencies and run examples/shadertoy-server with the command in its README.

# Official example

https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/shadertoy-server

Use the checked-in example instructions rather than an unrelated ShaderToy package.

Always confirm the latest setup instructions with the maintainer before installing.

>Questions

Is ShaderToy MCP App an MCP App with inline UI?

Yes. The maintainer's source declares an MCP UI resource and links it to a tool result. It renders inline only in hosts that support MCP Apps.

Where were these details checked?

Against the maintainer's README, source, or official documentation at https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps/tree/main/examples/shadertoy-server, plus the GitHub API where a repository is available.