Point it out.
Build it better.

Small package.
Native feedback.

Add the library to your GPUI app. Install the bridge separately if you want your coding agent to read and respond to annotations through MCP.

01 Add the native library

In your app’s Cargo.toml, enable native and turn off default features. Ely’s pinned source and assets come bundled in the package.

[dependencies]
gpui-agentation = { version = "0.4.0", default-features = false, features = ["native"] }
gpui = { package = "gpui-pre", version = "=0.3.8", default-features = false, features = ["stacker"] }

Use the same gpui-pre version and registry source throughout your app. Other GPUI sources produce incompatible Rust types.

02 Install the optional MCP bridge

cargo install gpui-agentation --version 0.4.0 --locked

The default install builds the portable bridge executable. It does not compile GPUI or Ely and does not launch your app.

Wire it in once.

Keep the integration at your application root. Register meaningful component boundaries you want to select, rather than wrapping every widget.

These instructions target the 0.4.0 Agentation API. Gate all annotation imports, initialization, fields, and render hooks with #[cfg(debug_assertions)]: release builds expose no annotation API.

1. Initialize Agentation

   Configure gpui_agentation::Assets on your Application, then call gpui_agentation::init(cx) in the launch callback. Agentation handles its bundled Ely setup and focus internally.

2. Mount once per window

   Root initialization · debug onlyCopy

   let feedback = gpui_agentation::Agentation::mount(
       "My app", "gpui://my-app/home",
       "target/agentation/feedback.json", 4748, window, cx,
   )?;

3. Render your screen

   Root render · debug onlyCopy

   self.feedback.root(
       "home", "Home screen", content, window, cx,
   )

   Ordinary controls need no wrappers. Add target(id, label, child) only for finer inspection targets. Keep IDs stable and unique.

Give your agent
the whole comment.

Run your native app in debug mode, then add the installed bridge to an MCP client that supports stdio servers. The bridge forwards requests to the app’s local listener.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gpui_agentation": {
      "command": "gpui-agentation",
      "args": ["--url", "http://127.0.0.1:4748/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Use your client’s equivalent server configuration if its schema differs. The agent can read pending annotations, acknowledge them, reply, and resolve or dismiss feedback. Keep the native app running while using these tools.

Loopback only. No API key. Browser origins are rejected by the native API. The site’s illustrations do not connect to your local server.

Make it fit your app.

The integration points are small and explicit. Start with the defaults and adjust the context your agent needs.

App name & route

Name the app when mounting. Call set_route(url, window, cx) on navigation to group saved feedback by screen.

Selectable components

Choose which component roots to register with target(id, label, child). Keep IDs stable and unique within the window.

Storage

Set a local JSON path when mounting. Use one running app process per store file; keep feedback files out of version control.

Local port

Change the mount port if 4748 is in use, and match it in your MCP client’s --url. A busy port leaves local notes usable.

Drawing tools

Use Inspect, Box, Arrow, and Pen in the native toolbar. Four built-in color swatches distinguish drawing strokes.

Build features

Use native for the debug library, default mcp for the bridge, or both when developing this package.

Version 0.4.0 does not expose a public toolbar layout or custom palette builder.