Files
claude-hidden-toolkit/tool-catalog/hidden-tools/preview-tools.md
T
DMontgomery40 efbb13827b Add tool-catalog: 24 hidden tools from desktop app binary analysis
Documents 24 tools found in Claude.app binary (app.asar/index.js) that are
not listed in the deferred tools system-reminder. Organized into 7 categories:

- Widget Tools (2): inline SVG/HTML rendering via @ant/imagine-server
- Preview Tools (13): dev server and browser preview in code tasks
- Computer Use (1, 13 actions): desktop automation via screenshot-then-act
- Terminal & Roots (2): IDE-plugin-only terminal reader and MCP roots
- Office Add-in (5): Excel/Word/PowerPoint integration via Claude add-in
- Conversation (1): internal compaction service, not user-callable
- Feature Flags & Codenames: flags, codenames, Swift APIs, config keys

Each tool includes verification status (CONFIRMED/NOT FOUND/UNTESTED),
parameter schemas, and session-type availability matrix.

Tone cleanup: removed speculative language per CLAUDE.md style guide.
States facts from binary analysis, marks unverified claims explicitly.
2026-03-19 19:27:18 -06:00

5.8 KiB

Preview Tools

Status: CONFIRMED in Claude Desktop code task sessions (via start_code_task from Dispatch). Registered under mcp__Claude_Preview__ namespace. Not available in Cowork task sessions, Dispatch orchestrator, or Claude Code CLI.

Total: 13 tools

Verified: 2026-03-19. preview_start successfully launched a Vite dev server (port 9322). preview_list returned [] when no servers running, then showed the running server. preview_screenshot, preview_snapshot, preview_eval, preview_console_logs all returned valid responses. Screenshot showed blank page due to misconfigured launch.json (not a tool issue).


preview_start

Start a dev server by name from .claude/launch.json. Reuses the server if already running.

Parameter Type Required Description
name string yes Server name from .claude/launch.json

Notes: Tool description says "ALWAYS use this instead of Bash for running servers." Requires a .claude/launch.json config file in the project.


preview_stop

Stop a server started with preview_start.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID to stop

preview_list

List servers started with preview_start. Returns serverId values for use with other preview_* tools.

No parameters.


preview_logs

Get server stdout/stderr output.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID
level enum no "all" (default) or "error" (lines containing error/exception/failed/fatal)
lines number no Max lines to return (default 50)
search string no Filter for specific text

preview_console_logs

Get browser console output (log, info, warn, error, debug).

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID
level enum no "all" (default), "error" (errors only), "warn" (warnings + errors)
lines number no Max lines to return (default 50, max 200)

preview_screenshot

Take a screenshot of the page. Returns compressed JPEG.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID

Notes: Tool description warns: "DO NOT rely on it for verifying colors, font sizes, or precise styles — use preview_inspect with specific CSS properties instead."


preview_snapshot

Get an accessibility tree snapshot of the page. Returns text content, roles, and element UIDs.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID

Notes: "PREFERRED over screenshot for verifying text, element presence, and page structure." UIDs can be used with preview_click / preview_fill.


preview_inspect

Inspect a DOM element by CSS selector. Returns text content, className, tagName, id, computed styles, and bounding box.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID
selector string yes CSS selector (e.g. '.button', '#header')
styles string[] no CSS properties to return (e.g. ['padding', 'color']). Defaults to common properties.

Notes: "BEST tool for verifying visual properties like colors, fonts, spacing, and dimensions — more accurate than screenshots."


preview_click

Click an element by CSS selector.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID
selector string yes CSS selector (e.g. 'button.primary', '#submit', '[data-testid="btn"]')
doubleClick boolean no Perform a double-click

preview_fill

Fill an input, textarea, or select element with a value.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID
selector string yes CSS selector for the input element
value string yes Value to fill. For select elements, matches by value or text.

preview_eval

Execute JavaScript in the preview page. For debugging and inspection only.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID
expression string yes JavaScript expression to evaluate in page context. Return value is sent back.

Notes: "Do NOT use this to implement UI changes the user requests — edit the source code instead. Any DOM modifications via eval are temporary and lost on reload. Wrap multi-step logic in an IIFE."


preview_network

List network requests or inspect a specific response body.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID
filter enum no "all" (default) or "failed" (4xx/5xx and network errors). Ignored when requestId provided.
requestId string no If provided, returns full response body for that request.

Notes: Without requestId, lists all requests with URL, method, status, and requestId. With requestId, returns the full response body.


preview_resize

Resize the preview viewport for responsive layout testing.

Parameter Type Required Description
serverId string yes Server ID
preset enum no "mobile" (375x812), "tablet" (768x1024), "desktop" (1280x800). Overrides width/height.
width number no Viewport width in pixels
height number no Viewport height in pixels
colorScheme string no Color scheme emulation for dark mode testing