Renders a lightweight inline preview of an existing saved CARTO Builder map via the CARTO MCP server. The user references the map (by URL, ID, or name); the agent resolves it with read_maps and loads it inline with view_map.
Tool contract. This skill consumes the read_maps and view_map tools exposed by the CARTO MCP server. The tools' input shapes and access-control rules (the user must own, be shared on, or have public access to the map) are documented in the tools' own MCP descriptions — read them via the MCP host's tool-inspector or by calling tools/list. This skill stays focused on routing, name → ID resolution, and setting expectations on the lightweight preview; it does NOT duplicate the tools' specs.
This skill is MCP-only — there's no CLI equivalent for inline rendering — and needs an MCP-Apps host (Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, ChatGPT). Detection signals and host support: carto-basics/references/access-paths.md.
Step 1 — detect what's available
Both view_map and read_maps must be in your tool list, and the host must render MCP Apps. Token vs OAuth: on a token MCP session view_map is offered but read_maps is not — loading by explicit URL/ID still works; name-based search needs an OAuth session (or ask the user for the map URL).
| Setup | What to do |
|---|---|
| Tools present + host renders | Proceed normally. |
| Tools present + host doesn't render (Gemini CLI, Codex CLI, MCP Inspector, MCPJam — text-only) | Tell the user the host can't render maps inline; suggest opening the Builder URL directly. |
view_map not present |
The MCP server isn't attached. Tell the user; don't try to reconstruct the saved map from scratch. |
Resolution rules (URL / ID / name)
| User input | What to do |
|---|---|
Builder URL https://<workspace>.app.carto.com/builder/<mapId> |
Extract <mapId> from the URL; pass it to view_map directly. |
| Bare UUID | Pass it to view_map directly. |
| Name / topic ("the retail-stores map", "my last week's accidents analysis") | Search with read_maps first (by the topic hint), then load by ID. See match handling below. |
For name-based lookup, restrict to the user's own maps if they said "my map". Default sort is updated_at desc — most recently edited first.
Match handling (after read_maps)
| Result | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 match | Load it via view_map with the matched ID. Confirm to the user which map you're loading by name. |
| >1 matches | List names + dates + thumbnails. Ask the user to pick. Don't guess. |
| 0 matches | Tell the user no saved map matches. Offer carto-render-inline-map (an ad-hoc view_map spec) as an alternative for the same data. |
Set expectations on the preview (always)
The preview is lightweight:
- ✓ Layers, basemap, viewport, popups, legend — exactly as configured in Builder, including stroke styles (dashed / dotted lines and polygon borders).
- ✗ Widgets, SQL parameters, map description, AI agent configuration, and other Builder-only features are NOT included.
After loading, tell the user: "Loaded [name] as a lightweight preview. Widgets, SQL parameters, and the map description aren't included — click 'Open in Builder' in the rendered widget for the full experience." Set this expectation BEFORE the user asks why the preview looks different from the live Builder map.
Post-creation preview workflow
After a map is created via carto-create-builder-maps (create_map over MCP, or carto maps create on the CLI), pass the returned mapId to view_map to preview inline — the fastest edit → save → preview loop for styling iterations. Still the lightweight preview: debugging widgets or SQL parameters needs the full Builder.
When to pick a different skill
- Ad-hoc visualization, no saved map exists →
carto-render-inline-map(an ad-hocview_mapspec). - Authoring / editing a permanent map →
carto-create-builder-maps(create_map/update_mapover MCP, or thecarto mapsCLI). - Building a from-scratch deck.gl app →
carto-develop-app.
Anti-patterns to avoid
- Reconstructing a saved map from a hand-built deck.gl spec instead of loading it by ID. If the user references an existing map, ALWAYS resolve via
read_mapsand load the saved map first. Re-rendering loses fidelity (saved layers, popups, legend) AND it's slower. - Skipping
read_mapswhen the user references a map by name. Don't guess the ID. Search first. - Promising widgets, SQL parameters, or map description in the preview. They're not rendered. Set expectations upfront.
- Picking the most-recent match silently when
read_mapsreturns multiple. Surface the choices and let the user pick.