MCP Openai Image MCP Server

MCP server for OpenAI GPT image generation and editing

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the MCP Openai Image MCP server?

Connect MCP Openai Image to Claude, Cursor or any other MCP client and it stops being a tab you switch to. MCP server for OpenAI GPT image generation and editing. The mcp openai image mcp server is what makes that connection.

What the server does

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) tool server for OpenAI's GPT-4o/gpt-image-1 image generation and editing APIs.

Installation

openai-gpt-image-mcp-199bio on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • Supports — Claude Desktop, Cursor, VSCode, Windsurf, and any MCP-compatible client
  • create-image — Generate images from a prompt, with advanced options (size, quality, background, etc)
  • edit-image — Edit or extend images using a prompt and optional mask, supporting both file paths and base64 input
  • VSCode — Cursor
  • Square — 1:1, square, 4:3, 3:4 → 1024x1024
  • Landscape — 16:9, landscape, 3:2 → 1536x1024
  • Portrait — 9:16, portrait, 2:3 → 1024x1536
  • Auto — auto → Let OpenAI choose the best size
  • Build — yarn build
  • Run — node dist/index.js
  • Windows — Drive letter followed by : (e.g., C:/path/to/image.png or C:\path\to\image.png)
  • Fallback — If the default directory cannot be created, images will be saved to /tmp (or the directory set by the MCP_HF_WORK_DIR environment variable)

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: OPENAI_API_KEY, MCP_HF_WORK_DIR. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

Worth knowing first

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 13 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch MCP Openai Image.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Where it fits

Among the AI and media services options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. MCP Openai Image's toolset — Supports, create-image, edit-image and 10 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by 199-biotechnologies; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
SupportsClaude Desktop, Cursor, VSCode, Windsurf, and any MCP-compatible client.
create-imageGenerate images from a prompt, with advanced options (size, quality, background, etc).
edit-imageEdit or extend images using a prompt and optional mask, supporting both file paths and base64 input.
VSCodeCursor
Square1:1, square, 4:3, 3:4 → 1024x1024
Landscape16:9, landscape, 3:2 → 1536x1024
Portrait9:16, portrait, 2:3 → 1024x1536
Autoauto → Let OpenAI choose the best size
Buildyarn build
Runnode dist/index.js
WindowsDrive letter followed by : (e.g., C:/path/to/image.png or C:\path\to\image.png)
FallbackIf the default directory cannot be created, images will be saved to /tmp (or the directory set by the MCP_HF_WORK_DIR environment variable)
MCP_HF_WORK_DIRSet this to control the fallback directory for large images and file outputs. Example: export MCP_HF_WORK_DIR=/your/desired/dir

How to install the MCP Openai Image MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openai-gpt-image": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["openai-gpt-image-mcp-199bio"],
      "env": { 
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "sk-..." 
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
OPENAI_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
MCP_HF_WORK_DIRFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use MCP Openai Image to Supports.
  • Use MCP Openai Image to create-image.
  • Use MCP Openai Image to edit-image.

Frequently asked questions

It connects MCP Openai Image to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 13 tools (Supports, create-image, edit-image, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with MCP Openai Image directly.