
Napkin
Open a browser whiteboard from Copilot CLI so you can sketch and stick-note ideas, then feed the snapshot back to the agent for analysis and next steps.
Overview
Napkin is an agent skill most often used in Idea (also Validate, Build) that opens a browser whiteboard from Copilot CLI and lets the agent analyze your drawings and sticky notes from a snapshot.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill napkinWhat is this skill?
- Copies bundled napkin.html to the Desktop and opens it in the default browser (macOS/Linux/Windows)
- Draw, sketch, and sticky notes on an interactive canvas aimed at non-developer stakeholders
- Agent ingests a PNG snapshot plus optional JSON and responds with analysis and suggestions
- Slash-style triggers such as "let's napkin," "open a napkin," or "start a whiteboard"
- Prompts before overwriting an existing ~/Desktop/napkin.html so sessions are not lost by accident
- Bundled asset copied to ~/Desktop/napkin.html
Adoption & trust: 1.8k installs on skills.sh; 34.6k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You need to explore messy ideas visually with non-technical collaborators, but chat alone does not preserve sketches, spatial layout, or quick annotations.
Who is it for?
Solo builders and operators who run Copilot CLI and want a zero-setup whiteboard for discovery sessions with PMs, legal, or business stakeholders.
Skip if: Teams that need real-time multi-user boards, version history in the cloud, or deep Figma-grade design systems without manual export.
When should I use this skill?
User says "let's napkin," "open a napkin," "start a whiteboard," or uses the slash command for visual collaboration.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get a running local whiteboard session and a shareable snapshot the agent can interpret for analysis, suggestions, and concrete next steps.
- Local napkin.html on Desktop
- PNG snapshot (and optional JSON) for agent analysis
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Visual discovery and unstructured thinking usually happen before you lock scope or write specs—canonical shelf is early journey. Discover fits open-ended exploration with drawings and notes rather than a formal prototype or landing page.
Where it fits
Map a new product concept with sticky notes before competitor research deepens.
Sketch user flows on the board so scope conversations stay aligned with non-dev stakeholders.
Whiteboard a launch checklist or org chart the agent turns into a prioritized action list.
How it compares
Use for lightweight local visual thinking with the agent—not as a replacement for dedicated design tools or MCP diagram servers.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is napkin for?
Napkin is for Copilot CLI users—especially solo builders working with lawyers, PMs, and business stakeholders—who want visual brainstorming without developer jargon.
When should I use napkin?
Use it in Idea/discover to map opportunities, in Validate/scope to align on flows before prototyping, or in Build/pm when you need a quick diagram before writing specs—whenever you say "let's napkin" or want a whiteboard.
Is napkin safe to install?
Review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page and the skill source; the workflow writes/opens a local HTML file on your Desktop and uses your browser—no cloud whiteboard is implied by the skill itself.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Napkin
# Napkin — Visual Whiteboard for Copilot CLI Napkin gives users a browser-based whiteboard where they can draw, sketch, and add sticky notes to think through ideas visually. The agent reads back the whiteboard contents (via a PNG snapshot and optional JSON data) and responds conversationally with analysis, suggestions, and next steps. The target audience is lawyers, PMs, and business stakeholders — not software developers. Keep everything approachable and jargon-free. --- ## Activation When the user invokes this skill — saying things like "let's napkin," "open a napkin," "start a whiteboard," or using the slash command — do the following: 1. **Copy the bundled HTML template** from the skill assets to the user's Desktop. - The template lives at `assets/napkin.html` relative to this SKILL.md file. - Copy it to `~/Desktop/napkin.html`. - If `~/Desktop/napkin.html` already exists, ask the user whether they want to open the existing one or start fresh before overwriting. 2. **Open it in the default browser:** - macOS: `open ~/Desktop/napkin.html` - Linux: `xdg-open ~/Desktop/napkin.html` - Windows: `start ~/Desktop/napkin.html` 3. **Tell the user what to do next.** Say something warm and simple: ``` Your napkin is open in your browser! Draw, sketch, or add sticky notes — whatever helps you think through your idea. When you're ready for my input, click the green "Share with Copilot" button on the whiteboard, then come back here and say "check the napkin." ``` --- ## Reading the Napkin When the user says "check the napkin," "look at the napkin," "what do you think," "read my napkin," or anything similar, follow these steps: ### Step 1 — Read the PNG snapshot (primary) Look for a PNG file called `napkin-snapshot.png`. Check these locations in order (the browser saves it to the user's default download folder, which varies): 1. `~/Downloads/napkin-snapshot.png` 2. `~/Desktop/napkin-snapshot.png` Use the `view` tool to read the PNG. This sends the image as base64-encoded data to the model, which can visually interpret it. The PNG is the **primary** way the agent understands what the user drew — it captures freehand sketches, arrows, spatial layout, annotations, circled or crossed-out items, and anything else on the canvas. If the PNG is not found in either location, do NOT silently skip it. Instead, tell the user: ``` I don't see a snapshot from your napkin yet. Here's what to do: 1. Go to your whiteboard in the browser 2. Click the green "Share with Copilot" button 3. Come back here and say "check the napkin" again The button saves a screenshot that I can look at. ``` ### Step 2 — Read the clipboard for structured JSON (supplementary) Also try to grab structured JSON data from the system clipboard. The whiteboard copies this automatically alongside the PNG. - macOS: `pbpaste` - Linux: `xclip -selection clipboard -o` - Windows: `powershell -command "Get-Clipboard"` The JSON contains the exact text content of sticky notes and text labels, their positions, and their colors. This supplements the PNG by giving you precise text that might be hard to read from a screenshot. If the clipboard doesn't contain JSON data, that's fine — the PNG alone gives the model plenty to work with. Do not treat a missing clipboard as an error. ### Step 3 — Interpret both sources together Synthesize the visual snapshot and the structured text into a coherent understanding of what the user is thinking or planning: - **From the PNG:** Describe what you see — sketches, diagrams, flowcharts, groupings, arrows, spatial layout, annotations, circled items, crossed-out items, emphasis marks. - **From th