swiftimg

Image hosting for AI agents — the swiftimg MCP server for Claude & Cursor

AI agents generate images — screenshots, diagrams, charts, generated art — and have nowhere to put them. swiftimg ships a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server so the agent can upload an image and get back a permanent, hot-linkable URL, right inside the conversation.

Try swiftimg freeSee the API

Heads-up

Uploading through the MCP server needs a swiftimg API key, but any account can create one on any plan — the free tier includes 100 uploads a month, enough to try the agent workflow properly. The public GIF search and trending tools need no key at all. The hosted endpoint is the fastest path to connect; the npx package is better when you want a local stdio server or to pin a version.

Step by step

  1. 1. Option A — connect by URL (zero install)

    swiftimg exposes its tools over Streamable HTTP, so any MCP client that accepts a server URL can connect with no install. Point it at the hosted endpoint.

    MCP endpoint (Streamable HTTP)
    https://swiftimg.com/mcp

  2. 2. Option B — run it locally via npx

    For a local stdio server, add @swiftimg/mcp-server to your client config. It launches on demand with npx — no global install. Set SWIFTIMG_API_KEY to a key from your account; uploads require one, and a free account is enough to start.

    claude_desktop_config.json / .cursor/mcp.json
    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "swiftimg": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@swiftimg/mcp-server"],
      "env": { "SWIFTIMG_API_KEY": "your-key-here" }
    }
  }
}

  3. 3. Use it in a conversation

    Once connected, the agent has tools to upload_image (a local file or a remote URL to re-host), search_gifs, trending_gifs, and get_image_info. Ask it to host a screenshot and it returns the direct URL, the viewer page, and the id.

  4. 4. Attribute uploads to your account

    Create an API key from your account page — free accounts can, and get 100 uploads a month — and set it as SWIFTIMG_API_KEY. Uploads then count against your plan's cap and show up in your library; without a key the upload tool returns 403. Upgrade when you outgrow the free cap, not before.

AI agents (MCP) — FAQ

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol is an open standard for connecting AI assistants to external tools and data. An MCP server exposes tools (like 'upload an image') that the model can call during a conversation.

Which clients work?

Any MCP-aware client — Claude Desktop, Cursor, Continue.dev, and others. The hosted URL works with clients that accept a Streamable HTTP server; the npx package works with stdio clients.

Do the hosted endpoint and the npx package differ?

They expose the same tools. The hosted endpoint needs no install (connect by URL); the npx package runs locally over stdio and lets you pin a version or point at a white-label API base.

Will the uploaded URLs expire?

No — images an agent uploads stay live indefinitely, so a URL pasted into a doc or README keeps working.

Go ad-free with Pro

Remove ads & unlock more — from $3/mo.

See Pro

Hosting for AI agents (MCP) works on the free plan — see swiftimg pricing and plan limits for what each tier includes, or read the image hosting API documentation to upload from your own code instead of the browser.

Ready to host your AI agents (MCP) images?

Start free, then unlock the full API, transforms, signed URLs, and a custom domain on the Developer plan.

Upload nowSee all how-tos