# Tldraw Migrate

> Migrate a project to a newer version of the tldraw SDK. Use when upgrading tldraw packages, fixing TypeScript errors after a tldraw upgrade, or when the user mentions tldraw migration.

- Skill: `tldraw/tldraw-migrate` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 7 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tldraw/tldraw-migrate`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tldraw/tldraw-migrate/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tldraw (https://skillmd.com/u/tldraw)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tldraw/tldraw-migrate

---


# tldraw migration assistant

You are helping migrate a project to a newer version of the tldraw SDK. Follow this process carefully.

Throughout this skill, `${SKILL_DIR}` refers to this skill's own directory (where `SKILL.md`, the helper `.mjs` scripts, and the cached `references/` folder live). The auto-fetch blocks below resolve it from the `SKILL_DIR` env var if set, otherwise probe the common skill locations (`.claude/skills/`, `.agents/skills/`, `.codex/skills/`, `.cursor/skills/`, `skills/`). When you run shell commands later in the workflow that reference `${SKILL_DIR}`, substitute the same absolute path. If you placed this skill somewhere else, set `SKILL_DIR` before running the auto-fetch blocks.

**Arguments**: `/tldraw-migrate [from-version] [target]`. Both optional. `from-version` defaults to the previous tldraw version detected from git history. `target` defaults to `latest` (the latest stable release on npm); pass a dist-tag (`canary`, `next`, `beta`) or a pre-release semver (e.g. `4.6.0-canary.abc123`) to migrate to a pre-release.

Resolved migration: !`SKILL_DIR="${SKILL_DIR:-$(for d in .claude/skills/tldraw-migrate .agents/skills/tldraw-migrate .codex/skills/tldraw-migrate .cursor/skills/tldraw-migrate skills/tldraw-migrate; do [ -d "$d" ] && printf %s "$d" && break; done)}" && FROM=$(node "$SKILL_DIR/detect-versions.mjs" $ARGUMENTS || true) && TARGET=$(node "$SKILL_DIR/detect-target.mjs" $ARGUMENTS) && if [ -z "$FROM" ]; then echo "ERROR: could not detect previous tldraw version. Pass it explicitly: /tldraw-migrate <from-version> [target]" >&2; else echo "from $FROM → target $TARGET"; fi`

## Resources (auto-fetched on invocation)

The three blocks below are written for Claude Code's `!`-prefix auto-execute syntax. **If you are an agent that doesn't auto-run these (Cursor, Codex, plain Claude, etc.), execute each one as a shell command before continuing** — they download the changelog, full docs, and (for pre-release targets) next-release notes that the rest of the workflow depends on.

!`SKILL_DIR="${SKILL_DIR:-$(for d in .claude/skills/tldraw-migrate .agents/skills/tldraw-migrate .codex/skills/tldraw-migrate .cursor/skills/tldraw-migrate skills/tldraw-migrate; do [ -d "$d" ] && printf %s "$d" && break; done)}" && mkdir -p "$SKILL_DIR/references" && CHANGELOG="$SKILL_DIR/references/tldraw-releases.txt" && PREV=$(node "$SKILL_DIR/detect-versions.mjs" $ARGUMENTS || true) && if [ -z "$PREV" ]; then echo "ERROR: could not detect previous tldraw version — skipping changelog fetch. Pass it explicitly: /tldraw-migrate <from-version> [target]" >&2; else node "$SKILL_DIR/fetch-release-notes.mjs" "$PREV" > "$CHANGELOG" && echo "Saved changelog (from $PREV, sourced from github.com/tldraw/tldraw) to $CHANGELOG ($(wc -l < "$CHANGELOG") lines)"; fi`

!`SKILL_DIR="${SKILL_DIR:-$(for d in .claude/skills/tldraw-migrate .agents/skills/tldraw-migrate .codex/skills/tldraw-migrate .cursor/skills/tldraw-migrate skills/tldraw-migrate; do [ -d "$d" ] && printf %s "$d" && break; done)}" && DOCS="$SKILL_DIR/references/tldraw-full-docs.txt" && STALE=$(find "$DOCS" -mtime +30 2>/dev/null) && if [ -s "$DOCS" ] && [ -z "$STALE" ]; then echo "Using cached full docs at $DOCS ($(wc -l < "$DOCS") lines) — delete the file or wait 30 days to refresh"; else curl --fail -sS https://tldraw.dev/llms-full.txt -o "$DOCS" && echo "Saved full docs to $DOCS ($(wc -l < "$DOCS") lines)"; fi`

!`SKILL_DIR="${SKILL_DIR:-$(for d in .claude/skills/tldraw-migrate .agents/skills/tldraw-migrate .codex/skills/tldraw-migrate .cursor/skills/tldraw-migrate skills/tldraw-migrate; do [ -d "$d" ] && printf %s "$d" && break; done)}" && mkdir -p "$SKILL_DIR/references" && TARGET=$(node "$SKILL_DIR/detect-target.mjs" $ARGUMENTS) && case "$TARGET" in canary|next|beta|alpha|rc|*-canary*|*-next*|*-beta*|*-alpha*|*-rc*) NEXT="$SKILL_DIR/references/tldraw-next.mdx" && curl --fail -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tldraw/tldraw/main/apps/docs/content/releases/next.mdx -o "$NEXT" && echo "Pre-release target ($TARGET) — saved next-release notes to $NEXT ($(wc -l < "$NEXT") lines)" ;; *) echo "Stable target ($TARGET) — skipping next-release notes" ;; esac`

- **[Filtered changelog](references/tldraw-releases.txt)** — release notes for stable versions between the previous version and now, pulled directly from `apps/docs/content/releases/` on `tldraw/tldraw` main (GitHub is the source of truth, not tldraw.dev). Each breaking change (marked `💥`) carries a `<details><summary>Migration guide</summary>` block with a before/after recipe. **These migration blocks are the primary source for version-specific fixes** — this skill intentionally does not duplicate them. When you hit a TS error, grep for the relevant API name in this file and read its migration block.
- **[Full docs](references/tldraw-full-docs.txt)** — complete tldraw SDK docs (~1.5MB). Do NOT read this upfront. Use Grep or Read with line ranges to search for specific topics as needed (e.g., custom shapes, TLTextOptions).
- **[Next-release notes](references/tldraw-next.mdx)** — *only present when the target is a pre-release.* The in-progress release notes (raw MDX from `main`) for the upcoming version. Same `<details><summary>Migration guide</summary>` structure. The stable changelog won't cover canary/next deltas; this file is where you'll find them.

**Searching for migration recipes:**

Always grep *both* the stable changelog and `next.mdx` (the latter only exists for pre-release targets — `2>/dev/null` swallows the missing-file warning). Migration blocks routinely run 40–80 lines, so use `-A60` as the default after-context.

```sh
# List every breaking change with a migration block
grep -nE '💥|<summary>Migration guide' ${SKILL_DIR}/references/tldraw-releases.txt ${SKILL_DIR}/references/tldraw-next.mdx 2>/dev/null

# Find the migration recipe for a specific symbol
grep -n -B2 -A60 'getIndicatorPath\|TLUserStore\|EmbedShapeUtil' ${SKILL_DIR}/references/tldraw-releases.txt ${SKILL_DIR}/references/tldraw-next.mdx 2>/dev/null
```

## Step 1: Understand the environment

Before making any changes, scan the project to understand what you're working with. Run these in parallel:

- **Package manager**: Check for lock files (`yarn.lock`, `pnpm-lock.yaml`, `bun.lockb`, `package-lock.json`). Use the corresponding tool throughout.
- **tldraw packages**: `grep -E "tldraw|@tldraw" package.json` — which packages are installed, and at what versions? Note: not every project uses all tldraw packages.
- **Source directory**: figure out where the project's TypeScript sources live (commonly `src/`, `app/`, or `lib/`; Next.js App Router projects don't have `src/`). Use this directory for every grep below — don't assume `src/`.
- **Import style**: `grep -r "from '@tldraw" <source-dir> --include="*.ts" --include="*.tsx" -l | head -5` — does the project import from `'tldraw'`, `'@tldraw/editor'`, or both? This affects module augmentation targets.
- **TypeScript**: Check `package.json` for a `typecheck` or `tsc` script. If neither exists, fall back to `npx tsc --noEmit` (TypeScript is usually a devDependency). Also check the TypeScript version.
- **Build tool**: Check `package.json` scripts for the build command (vite, next, webpack, esbuild, etc.)
- **Linter**: Check for oxlint/eslint/biome config files (`.oxlintrc*`, `.eslintrc*`, `eslint.config.*`, `biome.json`). A linter may help catch deprecations later.
- **Monorepo**: Is `package.json` at the working directory root, or is this a nested package? Check for workspaces config.

## Step 2: Upgrade packages

Using the detected package manager, upgrade all tldraw packages that are already in the project's dependencies to the resolved target (printed in the "Resolved migration" line above). Don't add new packages the project doesn't already use.

- For a stable target (`latest` or a stable semver): install at that tag/version, e.g. `yarn add tldraw@latest` or `npm install tldraw@4.5.10`.
- For a pre-release target (`canary`, `next`, `beta`, or a pre-release semver): install at that tag/version, e.g. `yarn add tldraw@canary`. If multiple `@tldraw/*` packages are listed, pin them all to the same target to avoid version skew.

**Commit the version bump on its own.** Stage and commit only `package.json` and the lockfile before fixing types. Source-code changes from later steps stay in their own commit, so the eventual `git diff` is reviewable as "what the migration touched" rather than mixed with the dependency change.

## Step 3: Identify all TypeScript errors

Run the project's typecheck command (from Step 1) and categorize the errors:

1. **Count errors by TS code** (e.g., TS2344, TS2786) to understand the distribution.
2. **List unique files with errors** to understand the scope.
3. **Identify error patterns.** The categories below are version-agnostic — they describe the *shape* of common errors. The *specific* fix for each rename, removal, or signature change lives in the release-notes migration blocks (see "Searching for migration recipes" above), not in this skill.

   - **TS2786** "cannot be used as JSX component" / "bigint not assignable to ReactNode": React types skew. `@types/react` (and usually `@types/react-dom`) don't match the version tldraw bundles. To find the bundled version: with npm or yarn classic, check `node_modules/@tldraw/editor/node_modules/@types/react/package.json`; with pnpm or yarn berry, run the package manager's "why" command (e.g. `pnpm why @types/react`).
   - **TS2344** "does not satisfy constraint TLShape/TLBaseBoxShape" / **TS2416** `shapeType` mismatch: custom shape or binding type isn't registered for the new global props maps. Fix pattern in 4b.
   - **TS2305** / **TS2724** "has no exported member" / "is not exported": API removed or renamed. Find the replacement in the matching `Migration guide` block in `tldraw-releases.txt` / `tldraw-next.mdx`.
   - **TS2339** "property does not exist": API renamed or method signature changed. Same lookup.
   - **TS2515** "non-abstract class does not implement inherited abstract member": a base class gained a required method. The error names the method — search the migration blocks for that method name. (Note: if your implementation only throws, TypeScript may infer `never`; add an explicit return type to satisfy the base class signature.)
   - **TS2345** on `createShapes`/`updateShapes`: heterogeneous mapped arrays need `as TLShapePartial[]` / `as TLCreateShapePartial[]` casts. See 4e.
   - **TS2345** with two structurally-similar `Editor` classes resolving to different paths under `node_modules/@tiptap/core` and `node_modules/@tldraw/editor/node_modules/@tiptap/core`: TipTap v2/v3 dual install. See 4d.

## Step 4: Fix errors in order of impact

Fix in this order — each fix eliminates many downstream errors. After each sub-step, re-run typecheck and confirm the error codes targeted by *that* sub-step are resolved or decreasing. Ignore unrelated codes; they belong to later sub-steps.

| Sub-step | Symptom |
| --- | --- |
| 4a. React types | TS2786 "bigint not assignable to ReactNode" |
| 4b. Custom shapes and bindings | TS2344 constraint errors, TS2416 `shapeType` mismatch |
| 4c. API renames, removals, abstract methods | TS2305, TS2724, TS2339, TS2515 |
| 4d. TipTap imports | Only if the project depends on `@tiptap/*` — skip otherwise |
| 4e. Remaining type errors | `createShapes`/`updateShapes` with `.map()`, leftover casts |

Read `type-errors.md` for the recipe for whichever codes the project actually has. Do not read it end to end — jump to the matching sub-step.

## Step 5: Fix deprecations

After all type errors are resolved, find and fix `@deprecated` API usage. These still compile but should be migrated.

1. **Find deprecated symbols.** The changelog is the most reliable starting point — tldraw's `.d.ts` files use multi-line JSDoc, so grepping the type defs is fragile (the declaration line is typically 2–5 lines after the `@deprecated` tag, not adjacent to it).

   Start here:

   ```sh
   grep -i 'deprecated' ${SKILL_DIR}/references/tldraw-releases.txt
   ```

   When the target is a pre-release, also: `grep -i 'deprecated' ${SKILL_DIR}/references/tldraw-next.mdx`.

   To cross-check against the type defs (one package at a time — repeat for each `@tldraw/*` package the project imports from, and `tldraw` itself), use `-A` not `-B`:

   ```sh
   grep -A5 '@deprecated' node_modules/@tldraw/editor/dist-cjs/index.d.ts \
     | grep -oE '\b(class|function|interface|const|type|let|var)\s+\w+' \
     | awk '{print $NF}' | sort -u
   ```

   This catches multi-line JSDoc but produces some false positives — treat the output as a candidate list, not an authoritative one. The changelog grep is what you should drive from.

2. **Run the linter if configured** — a deprecation rule (e.g. eslint's `deprecation/deprecation`) will flag deprecated imports automatically. If no linter is configured, skip this step.

3. **Search the project source** for each deprecated symbol. Replace with the recommended alternative from the `@deprecated` JSDoc comment, the changelog entry, or the docs.

4. **Sanity-check renames the typecheck didn't catch.** If the changelog or `tldraw-next.mdx` describes a rename and the project still imports the old name, TypeScript may resolve it through a wildcard re-export and miss it. Skim the changelog/next.mdx for "renamed" / "moved to" entries and grep the source for any old names you find.

## Step 6: Verify

Run the project's typecheck and build commands (as discovered in Step 1).

If errors remain, repeat the categorize-and-fix cycle.

### Post-migration sanity check

After all errors are resolved, do a quick audit:

1. **Count typed `as` casts added by this migration.** A naive `grep ' as '` overcounts because it includes `as const` (the recommended narrowing pattern) and `as` in import paths. Drive off the diff and filter:

   ```sh
   git diff -- '<source-dir>/**/*.ts' '<source-dir>/**/*.tsx' \
     | grep -E '^\+' | grep -v '^+++' \
     | grep -E '\bas\s+[A-Z]' | grep -v 'as const'
   ```

   **The migration should add no more than a small handful of new typed casts** (ideally zero, with `as TLShapePartial[]` / `as TLCreateShapePartial[]` for heterogeneous `createShapes`/`updateShapes` arrays as the main legitimate exception). If you added more than ~5 across the whole migration, go back and fix them — you are almost certainly using the new API incorrectly.
2. **Review every typed cast you added**: For each, verify it's truly necessary by checking whether `as const`, `satisfies`, generic type parameters, or module augmentation could replace it. Remove or replace any that have a cleaner alternative.
3. **Audit module augmentations.** Module augmentation is correct for `TLGlobalShapePropsMap` / `TLGlobalBindingPropsMap` registration and for adding genuinely-missing public types. It is **not** correct for re-exposing symbols that the SDK demoted to `@internal` — that's a workaround, not a fix. Find the public replacement instead (the migration block usually names it).
4. **Verify no stubs or dead code**: If you stubbed out removed APIs (e.g., replaced a removed function with a no-op), make sure the calling code doesn't depend on the return value. If it does, find the proper replacement in the migration blocks or docs.

## Step 7: Report

End the migration with a single summary message to the user. Don't pad it — just the facts:

- **From → target version**, and the resolved target version if it was a tag (`canary` → `4.7.0-canary.abc123`).
- **Files modified** (count, plus the list if it's small).
- **TypeScript errors fixed**, broken down by code (e.g., `TS2786 ×12, TS2344 ×3, TS2305 ×1`). Use the before/after counts you collected during Step 4.
- **Typed `as` casts added** (count and one-line rationale per cast — should be zero or close to it; flag any you weren't sure about).
- **Module augmentations added** (what they cover — `TLGlobalShapePropsMap`, `TLGlobalBindingPropsMap`, `@tiptap/core` chain commands, etc.).
- **Deprecations migrated** (count and the symbols).
- **Anything flagged as undocumented** — symbols you couldn't find in any migration block, gaps in the changelog, or recipes that didn't match the actual API surface. These are worth filing back to the tldraw team.
- **Anything skipped or deferred** — if you punted on a hard rename or left a `TODO`, say so explicitly so the user knows what's still on them.

## Quality checks

- **Type safety is paramount.** The goal is a migration that is as type-safe as the original code. Do NOT add `as any`, `as unknown`, or broad type casts. Do NOT add `@ts-ignore` or `@ts-expect-error`. These are never acceptable — if you can't make the types work, you don't understand the new API yet. Stop and read the changelog and type definitions before continuing.
- **Prefer TypeScript's narrowing features over casts.** Use `as const` for literal types, `satisfies` for type-checking without widening, generic parameters for call sites, and module augmentation for extending interfaces. These are the right tools for a migration — `as` casts are not.
- **Use parallel agents for large batches with the same pattern.** Apply the recipe to one file by hand first to confirm it works, then spawn one Agent per remaining file in a single message (multiple Agent tool calls in parallel). Pass each agent: (1) the path of the file to migrate, (2) the before/after diff from your template file, (3) the relevant migration block from `tldraw-releases.txt`. This is most useful in 4b (mechanical `TLBaseShape` → `TLGlobalShapePropsMap` migration across many shape files) and 4c (one symbol rename rippling across the project).
- **Don't just make errors go away — understand the new API.** When a method signature changes (e.g., new parameters added, property renamed to a richer type), read the changelog AND the current type definitions to understand _why_ it changed. A fix that compiles but passes hardcoded/dummy values where the new API expects real data is worse than a type error — it silently degrades behavior. For example, if a function gains new required parameters, check what shape props or editor state should feed those parameters rather than passing `0` or `1`.
- **When unsure about an API pattern**, grep the full docs (`${SKILL_DIR}/references/tldraw-full-docs.txt`) for usage examples of that specific API. The docs contain code samples that show the canonical way to use each API.

## Tips

- Read `${SKILL_DIR}/references/tldraw-releases.txt` for the filtered changelog — this is the primary source for what changed
- Grep `${SKILL_DIR}/references/tldraw-full-docs.txt` when you need docs on a specific API
- When searching tldraw types, try multiple paths — the dist directory structure varies by version and package manager