carto-preview-builder-map
carto-preview-builder-map
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. |