Runtime Observability Layer for Flutter Apps

A standalone external tool that connects to a running Flutter app, monitors performance and errors in real-time, detects anomalies, and exposes structured observation + action tools via MCP (Model Context Protocol).

Dashability is not a testing framework and not just an MCP server. It is a runtime observability layer that understands and reacts to a Flutter app while it is running.

How It Works

Flutter App (running) → VM Service WebSocket → Dashability
  → Observers (frame timing, logs, widget rebuilds)
  → Anomaly Detection (rule-based filtering)
  → Context Compression (token-efficient JSON)
  → MCP Server (stdio) → AI Host (Claude, etc.)
  → Optional: Appium actions back to the app

Dashability attaches externally to your Flutter app, no code changes needed. It connects to the Dart VM Service that Flutter exposes in debug/profile mode, observes runtime signals, and serves them to an AI agent via MCP tools.

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Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Dart SDK >= 3.11.1
• Flutter SDK (for running/attaching to apps)
• (Optional) Appium server for autonomous app interaction

1. Install

dart pub global activate dashability

2. Configure Your AI Host

# Interactive - pick from supported hosts
dashability install-mcp

# Or specify directly
dashability install-mcp claude-code
dashability install-mcp cursor
dashability install-mcp claude-desktop

# See all supported hosts
dashability install-mcp --list

Supported hosts: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode.

3. Start Dashability

Running dashability with no arguments shows an interactive menu:

Dashability - Runtime Observability Layer for Flutter Apps

1. Start MCP Server
2. Install MCP
3. List Devices
4. Run App
5. Attach to App

Select an option (1-5):

You can also pass flags directly:

# Run a Flutter app and connect automatically
dashability --project-dir ./my_app -d emulator-5554

# Attach to an already-running Flutter app
dashability --attach

# Direct connect with a known VM Service URI
dashability --uri ws://127.0.0.1:12345/xxxxx=/ws

Agent Workflow

Dashability is designed for an autonomous observe-fix-verify loop. The AI agent drives the entire workflow:

1. Connect - call get_connection_status, then list_devices to find devices, ask the user which to use, call run_app to launch the app (or attach_to_app for an already-running app)
2. Observe - call get_current_metrics, get_logs, get_anomalies, get_widget_hotspots to see real runtime performance data
3. Fix - modify the code based on real observations (frame drops, rebuild spikes, errors)
4. Verify - call stop_app, then run_app again to relaunch, observe again to confirm the fix
5. Repeat - loop steps 2-4 until the app runs clean
6. Done - call stop_app when finished

The MCP server delivers these instructions to any connected agent automatically. No special prompting needed.

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MCP Tools

Lifecycle

Tool	Description
list_devices	List available Flutter devices (emulators, simulators, physical)
run_app	Run a Flutter app in a project directory on a chosen device
attach_to_app	Attach to an already-running Flutter app (or connect via URI)
stop_app	Stop the Flutter app and disconnect observers
get_connection_status	Check if Dashability is connected

Observation

Tool	Description
get_current_metrics	Current FPS, error count, rebuild hotspots
get_recent_frames	Frame timing data (build/render ms)
get_widget_tree	Full widget tree (summary, user widgets only, configurable depth)
get_widget_hotspots	Top rebuilding widgets by count
get_logs	Recent log entries, filterable by level
get_anomalies	Detected anomalies since last call (compressed context)

Actions (requires Appium)

Tool	Description
tap	Tap element by text or accessibility ID
scroll	Scroll in a direction
type_text	Type into an input field

Validation (requires Appium)

Tool	Description
assert_visible	Check if element is visible on screen

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Project Structure

dashability/
├── core/       dashability           - Engine, MCP server, and CLI entry point
├── extensions/ dashability_extensions - Optional in-app instrumentation (zero deps)
└── example/    Demo Flutter app      - Deliberately janky widgets for testing

Dashability

The main package. Contains the engine (connectors, observers, analysis, actions), Flutter process management, MCP server, and CLI entry point.

• Connectors - Abstract Connector interface + FlutterConnector (VM Service over WebSocket)
• Observers - FrameObserver, LogObserver, RebuildObserver + ObserverManager
• Analysis - AnomalyDetector (rule-based), ContextCompressor (token-efficient JSON), typed event models
• Actions - AppiumActor for tap/scroll/type via Appium
• Flutter Process - FlutterProcess for managing flutter run, flutter attach, flutter devices
• MCP Server - dart_mcp with ToolsSupport mixin, stdio transport

dashability [options]

Flag	Description
--uri, -u	VM Service WebSocket URI (direct connect)
--project-dir, -p	Flutter project directory (runs flutter run)
--device, -d	Target device ID
--flavor	Build flavor
--attach, -a	Attach to an already-running Flutter app
--profile	Use profile-mode thresholds (120fps budget)
--appium-url	Appium server URL, enables action/validation tools

Dashability Extension

Optional tiny package users can add as dev_dependency for richer custom event reporting. Zero external dependencies - uses only dart:developer.

import 'package:dashability_extensions/dashability_extensions.dart';

DashabilityReporter.interaction('user_drew_stroke');
DashabilityReporter.metric('canvas_points', 1523);
DashabilityReporter.screen('ImageEditor');

Dashability works fully without this package.

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Running the Example App

# Option 1: Let Dashability handle everything
dashability --project-dir ./example --profile

# Option 2: Run manually and attach
cd example && flutter run --profile
# In another terminal:
dashability --attach

# Option 3: Start MCP server, agent does the rest
dashability
# Select "1. Start MCP Server" from the menu

The example app includes:

• Janky Counter - rebuilds every frame with expensive computation
• Heavy List - unoptimized scroll list with 10,000 items
• Error Thrower - triggers a deliberate exception

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Development

# Run tests
cd core && dart test

# Lint
cd core && dart analyze
cd extensions && dart analyze

# Compile to native binary (for development)
dart compile exe core/bin/dashability.dart

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Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your feature or bug fix.
3. Submit a pull request with a detailed description of changes.

Please adhere to our Code of Conduct when interacting with the project.

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Security

If you discover any security vulnerabilities, please report them via yashashm.dev@gmail.com. We take security issues seriously and appreciate your efforts to responsibly disclose them. Read more at SECURITY

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Code of Conduct

This project is governed by a Code of Conduct. By participating, you agree to uphold a welcoming and inclusive environment.

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License

Dashability is licensed under the License.