🧬 OpenGenogram

A modern, open-source, browser-first McGoldrick-style genogram editor for therapists, social workers, educators, and students.

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Why OpenGenogram?

Family diagrams should not require fighting a general-purpose drawing tool or manually aligning every relationship.

OpenGenogram provides a focused editor for structured family diagrams while keeping the open-source edition local and inspectable.

Common approach	With OpenGenogram
General drawing or slide tools	Purpose-built people, family, and emotional relationship elements
Desktop-only software	Browser-based interface that can be deployed as a static site
Cloud-first editors	Projects stay in the current browser's IndexedDB
Manual transcription and layout	Optional MCP tools generate, validate, and lay out importable projects

Key Features

• McGoldrick-style notation: People, households, family boundaries, notes, family secrets, and relationship lines.
• Family and emotional relationships: Partner, child, sibling, twin, adoption or foster, and emotional relationship geometry.
• Practical editing: Undo and redo, multi-select, drag, resize, label controls, and view controls.
• Local multi-project workspace: Create, rename, delete, and reopen projects stored in the current browser.
• Portable project files: Import and export versioned JSON files with validation.
• Watermark-free PNG export: Export the open-source canvas as a PNG without a watermark.
• Local MCP server: Generate and validate genogram projects through compatible AI clients.
• Static and self-contained: No authentication, payment, analytics, cloud project storage, or backend API is included.

AI Workflow: Turn Case Notes into a Genogram

The optional local MCP server lets Codex, Claude Desktop, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible clients create an automatically laid-out project from structured case information.

1. Remove identifying or unnecessary sensitive information from the case notes.
2. Ask an MCP-enabled AI client to call generate_genogram.
3. Save the returned project with its suggested JSON filename.
4. Import the JSON file from the OpenGenogram dashboard.

Example prompt:

Use generate_genogram to create a genogram for Alex and Jordan, who are married, and their child Sam. Alex was born in 1988, Jordan in 1990, and Sam in 2016. Return an importable OpenGenogram project.

The MCP server itself does not call a model or make network requests. Your chosen AI client or model provider may still process the text you submit. Review the privacy boundary before using sensitive information.

Developer Quickstart

Use an active LTS Node.js release: 20.19+, 22.13+, or 24+.

git clone https://github.com/vsandre/OpenGenogram.git
cd OpenGenogram
npm install
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:3000.

Local MCP Server

Build the MCP executable:

npm run mcp:build

Add it to Codex, replacing the example with the absolute path to your clone:

codex mcp add OpenGenogram -- node /absolute/path/to/OpenGenogram/dist/genogram-mcp.mjs

Claude Desktop, Cursor, and other stdio MCP clients can use an equivalent configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "OpenGenogram": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/OpenGenogram/dist/genogram-mcp.mjs"]
    }
  }
}

The server exposes three tools:

• generate_genogram converts people, families, and relationships into a validated, automatically laid-out project.
• validate_genogram checks an existing project against the current schema.
• get_genogram_notation lists the accepted gender and relationship values.

Run npm run test:mcp to verify the bundled server over a real stdio connection.

Verify

npm run test:genogram
npm run test:mcp
npm run lint
npm run build

npm run build writes the deployable static site to out/.

Deploy

Run npm run build, then upload the contents of out/ to the root of any static host. The open-source app does not require environment variables or backend services.

If you want to run OpenGenogram under a subdirectory uncomment and change basepath und assetPrefix in next.config.ts.

Privacy Boundary

In this standalone open-source edition, genogram data stays in the current browser unless the user explicitly downloads a JSON or PNG file. No patient identifiers, names, or diagrams are sent to a project backend.

Project capacity depends on available browser storage. Clearing browser data can remove every local project, so download a JSON backup when the work matters.

The local MCP server does not make network requests. Information in prompts may still be processed by the AI client or model provider you choose. Check that provider's terms before submitting sensitive family or health information.

Local-first architecture alone does not establish HIPAA or other regulatory compliance. Organizations remain responsible for evaluating their own policies, devices, workflows, and service providers.

Contributing

Contributions from developers and genogram practitioners are welcome.

• Missing a symbol or relationship type? Open an issue with a reference and use case.
• Found a bug or have an improvement? Submit a focused pull request.

License

OpenGenogram is available under the MIT License. This product is derived from Genogram Canvas version 1.0.0. See THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md for dependency notices.