Image Generation MCP Server
MCP server for AI image generation via OpenAI, Stable Diffusion (SD WebUI), or placeholders.
Open source Open in the app JSON README (API)
About
MCP server for AI image generation via OpenAI, Stable Diffusion (SD WebUI), or placeholders.
Details
- Kind
- MCP servers
- Topic
- AI, RAG & memory
- Publisher
- pvliesdonk
- Origin
- official
- Category
- ferramentas
- Transport
- local
- Version
- 1.12.1
- Stars
- 1
- Open pull requests
- 13
- Last push
- 2026-09-03T22:52:40Z
- Repository state
- ativo
- Language
- Python
- License
- MIT
- Added
- 2026-08-29 04:01:15
- Updated
- 2026-08-29 04:01:15
- Origin id
io.github.pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp
README
<!-- DOMAIN-START -->
<!-- Add an optional project logo or project-specific header here. Kept across copier update. -->
<!-- DOMAIN-END -->
# Image Generation MCP
<!-- mcp-name: io.github.pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp -->
[](https://github.com/pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp/actions/workflows/ci.yml) [](https://codecov.io/gh/pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp) [](https://pypi.org/project/image-generation-mcp/) [](https://pypi.org/project/image-generation-mcp/) [](LICENSE) [](https://github.com/pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp/pkgs/container/image-generation-mcp) [](https://pvliesdonk.github.io/image-generation-mcp/) [](https://pvliesdonk.github.io/image-generation-mcp/latest/llms.txt) [](https://github.com/pvliesdonk/fastmcp-server-template)
Multi-provider image generation [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) server built on [FastMCP](https://gofastmcp.com). Generate images from Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or any MCP client using OpenAI, Google Gemini, Stable Diffusion (SD WebUI), or a zero-cost placeholder provider.
**[Documentation](https://pvliesdonk.github.io/image-generation-mcp/)** | **[Config wizard](https://pvliesdonk.github.io/image-generation-mcp/latest/configuration-generator/)** | **[PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/image-generation-mcp/)** | **[Docker](https://github.com/pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp/pkgs/container/image-generation-mcp)**
## Features
<!-- DOMAIN-START -->
- **Multi-provider**: OpenAI (`gpt-image-2`, `gpt-image-1.5`, `dall-e-3`), Google Gemini (`gemini-3.1-flash-image`, `gemini-3-pro-image`, `gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image`), SD WebUI (Stable Diffusion / Forge / reForge), and a zero-cost placeholder for testing.
- **Per-model style metadata**: every model carries a `style_profile` (strengths, prompt grammar, lifecycle); `list_providers` includes a top-level `warnings` array for deprecated models. See [Model Catalog](https://pvliesdonk.github.io/image-generation-mcp/providers/model-catalog/).
- **Keyword-based auto-selection**: `provider="auto"` routes by prompt content (text/logo → OpenAI, photoreal/anime → SD WebUI, draft → placeholder).
- **CDN-style image transforms**: `image://{id}/view?format=webp&width=512&crop_x=...` resizes / re-encodes / crops on demand without re-generating.
- **Hybrid background tasks**: long-running SD generations run with `task=True` (poll for status); short OpenAI calls stream progress in the foreground.
- **MCP Apps gallery + viewer**: interactive UI surfaces (browse generated images, edit / crop / rotate) for clients that support `app:` resources.
- **Production deployment**: Docker (multi-arch), `.deb`/`.rpm` with hardened systemd, OIDC + bearer auth, persistent EventStore for HTTP session resumability.
<!-- DOMAIN-END -->
## What you can do with it
<!-- DOMAIN-START -->
With this server mounted in an MCP client, you can ask:
- **"Generate a coffee mug product photo on a worn oak table, 16:9, no text."** Routes to `gpt-image-1.5` for typography-aware photorealism.
- **"Create three concept-art variations of a cyberpunk alley at dusk."** Composes `generate_image` with `provider="sd_webui"` and a stylised checkpoint like `dreamshaperXL`.
- **"Crop this image to a 1:1 square centred on the subject and resize to 512px."** Uses `image://{id}/view?width=512&height=512&crop_x=...` resource transforms.
- **"Show me my recent generations."** Browses the gallery via the `image://list` resource and the MCP Apps gallery viewer.
- **"Save this style as 'cyberpunk-night' so I can apply it to future requests."** Uses the style library, whose markdown briefs the LLM interprets per-provider.
- **"Replace the background of my last photo with a sunset sky."** Uses `transform_image` with the gallery `image_id` as a reference (image-to-image via Gemini).
<!-- DOMAIN-END -->
<!-- ===== TEMPLATE-OWNED SECTIONS BELOW — DO NOT EDIT; CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN ON COPIER UPDATE ===== -->
## Installation
### From PyPI
```bash
pip install image-generation-mcp
```
If you add optional extras via the `PROJECT-EXTRAS-START` / `PROJECT-EXTRAS-END` sentinels in `pyproject.toml`, document them below:
<!-- DOMAIN-START -->
| Extra | Includes | Use when |
|-------|----------|----------|
| `mcp` | `fastmcp[tasks]>=3.0,<4` | Background-task support (`task=True`), required for long SD generations. |
| `openai` | `openai>=1.0` | Enables the OpenAI provider. |
| `google-genai` | `google-genai>=1.0` | Enables the Gemini provider. |
| `all` | `fastmcp[tasks]` + `openai` + `google-genai` | Everything except SD WebUI (which is HTTP-only, no extra needed). |
Example: `pip install image-generation-mcp[all]`.
<!-- DOMAIN-END -->
### From source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp.git
cd image-generation-mcp
uv sync --all-extras --all-groups
```
### Docker
```bash
docker pull ghcr.io/pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp:latest
```
To run the newest merged code instead of the newest release, use the rolling `edge` tag. It is rebuilt on every merge to `main` and carries no version identity. See [Image tags](docs/deployment/docker.md#image-tags) for the full tag list.
```bash
docker pull ghcr.io/pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp:edge
```
A `compose.yml` ships at the repo root as a starting point. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`, edit, and `docker compose up -d`.
To attach a remote Python debugger (development only; the protocol is unauthenticated), see [Remote debugging](docs/deployment/docker.md#remote-debugging).
### Linux packages (.deb / .rpm)
Download `.deb` or `.rpm` packages from the [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp/releases) page. Both install a hardened systemd unit; env configuration is sourced from `/etc/image-generation-mcp/env` (copy from the shipped `/etc/image-generation-mcp/env.example`).
### Claude Desktop (.mcpb bundle)
Download the `.mcpb` bundle from the [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/pvliesdonk/image-generation-mcp/releases) page and double-click to install, or run:
```bash
mcpb install image-generation-mcp-<version>.mcpb
```
Claude Desktop prompts for required env vars via a GUI wizard, with no manual JSON editing needed.
For manual Claude Desktop configuration and setup options, see [Claude Desktop deployment](docs/deployment/claude-desktop.md).
## Release channels
Artifacts ship on three channels. Each row lists exactly what that channel publishes.
| Channel | Version identity | Artifacts |
|---|---|---|
| `edge` (rolling) | None; the commit is the identity | Docker image `:edge` rebuilt on every merge to `main`; `.mcpb` bundle as the `mcpb-bundle-edge` workflow artifact; Claude Code plugin `.zip` as the `plugin-zip-edge` artifact; rolling `unstable` docs version. It leaves no git tag, GitHub release, or PyPI entry behind. |
| Pre-release | `vX.Y.Z-rc.N`, computed and reviewed in its release pull request | PyPI (as the pre-release `X.Y.ZrcN`); GitHub release with wheels, `sdist`, `.deb`/`.rpm` packages, `.mcpb` bundle, plugin `.zip`, and SBOM attached; Docker image under its immutable `vX.Y.Z-rc.N` tag plus the ordering-aware rolling `rc` tag. Skips the plugin marketplace, the MCP registry, and the docs deploy. |
| Stable | `vX.Y.Z` | Everything: PyPI, Docker (version tag plus ordering-aware `latest` / `vX` / `vX.Y`), `.deb`/`.rpm`, GitHub release assets (wheels, `sdist`, `.mcpb` bundle, plugin `.zip`, SBOM), plugin marketplace and MCP registry entries (when the release is the newest stable), versioned docs with an ordering-aware `latest` alias. |
Pre-releases reach PyPI so that a candidate's `.mcpb` bundle installs: the bundle points at PyPI rather than carrying the code. Ordinary installers never see them, because a PEP 440 resolver skips pre-releases unless the requirement pins one or you pass `--pre`. Ask for a candidate by name with `pip install image-generation-mcp==X.Y.ZrcN`. PyPI spells it in the PEP 440 canonical form, while tags use SemVer. Rolling pointers are ordering-aware, so a patch release cut from an old `release/X.Y` branch never moves `latest`-style tags back to older content, and a candidate for an already-released version never moves `rc`. See [Release process](docs/deployment/release-process.md) for the full model.
## Quick start
```bash
image-generation-mcp serve # stdio transport
image-generation-mcp serve --transport http --port 8000 # streamable HTTP
```
For library usage (embedding the domain logic without the MCP transport), import from the `image_generation_mcp` package directly. See the project's domain modules under `src/image_generation_mcp/` for entry points.
### Server info
The server registers a built-in `get_server_info` tool (via `fastmcp_pvl_core.register_server_info_tool`) so operators can confirm the deployed version with a single MCP call. The default response carries `server_name`, `server_version`, and `core_version`. Servers that talk to a remote upstream wire upstream version reporting inside the `DOMAIN-UPSTREAM-START` / `DOMAIN-UPSTREAM-END` sentinel in `src/image_generation_mcp/server.py`; see [`CLAUDE.md`](CLAUDE.md#server-info-tool-get_server_info) for the wiring pattern.
## Configuration
Core environment variables shared across all `fastmcp-pvl-core`-based services:
<!-- GENERATED-ENV-TABLE-CORE-START — generated by scripts/gen_config_surface.py; do not edit -->
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_KV_STORE_URL` | `file:///data/state` | Persistent-state backend URL shared by every pvl-core subsystem that needs state. `memory://` is in-process and lost on restart; `file:///path` persists on one server; `redis://`, `dynamodb://` and `mongodb://` each need their matching extra. When unset, defaults to `file:///data/state` (the volume family Docker images mount), or to `memory://`; with a warning; on a host where that directory is not usable. |
| `FASTMCP_LOG_LEVEL` | `INFO` | Log level for FastMCP internals and app loggers (DEBUG / INFO / WARNING / ERROR / CRITICAL). The -v CLI flag overrides to DEBUG. |
| `FASTMCP_ENABLE_RICH_LOGGING` | `true` | Set false for plain or structured JSON log output. |
<!-- GENERATED-ENV-TABLE-CORE-END -->
Domain-specific variables go below under [Domain configuration](#domain-configuration).
## Authentication
Callers authenticate via a bearer token or OIDC (mutually exclusive). See the [Authentication guide](docs/guides/authentication.md) for setup, mapped multi-subject tokens, OIDC, and troubleshooting.
## Post-scaffold checklist
After `copier copy` and `gh repo create --push`:
1. **Fill in the DOMAIN blocks** (every section marked with a `DOMAIN` sentinel comment) in this README and in `CLAUDE.md`. The `GENERATED-ENV-TABLE-*` regions are not DOMAIN blocks; the config generator owns them and rewrites them on every run.
2. Configure GitHub secrets (see below).
3. Install dev + docs tooling: `uv sync --all-extras --all-groups`.
4. Install pre-commit hooks: `uv run pre-commit install`.
5. Run the gate locally: `uv run pytest -x -q && uv run ruff check --fix . && uv run ruff format . && uv run mypy src/ tests/`.
6. Push the first commit. CI should be green.
## GitHub secrets
CI workflows reference three repository secrets. Configure them via **Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions** or with `gh secret set`:
| Secret | Used by | How to generate |
|---|---|---|
| `RELEASE_TOKEN` | `release-prepare.yml`, `release.yml`, `release-notes.yml`, `copier-update.yml`, `renovate.yml`, `bootstrap.yml` | Fine-grained PAT at <https://github.com/settings/personal-access-tokens/new> with `contents: write`, `pull_requests: write`, and `administration: write` (bootstrap applies the repository rulesets + auto-merge). Must belong to a repository admin: the shipped rulesets grant bypass to the admin role, and the release tag + GitHub release that knope creates after a release pull request merges rely on it (pull requests the token opens also need it so their CI runs). Scoped to this repo. |
| `CODECOV_TOKEN` | `ci.yml` | <https://codecov.io>: sign in with GitHub and add the repo. The upload token is on its settings page. |
| `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN` | `claude.yml`, `claude-code-review.yml`, `release-notes.yml` | Run `claude setup-token` locally and paste the result. |
```bash
gh secret set RELEASE_TOKEN
gh secret set CODECOV_TOKEN
gh secret set CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN
```
> Dependency updates are handled by **Renovate** (`renovate.yml`), which reuses
> `RELEASE_TOKEN`. It maintains `uv.lock` and auto-merges patch/minor bumps once
> the `CI Success` check is green; `bootstrap.yml` enables auto-merge and applies
> the repository rulesets (`.github/rulesets/`) on first push. See
> [Repository Protection](docs/deployment/repository-protection.md) for the
> per-branch posture and bypass model. GitHub Actions are updated in the copier
> template and arrive via `copier update`, not per-repo.
`GITHUB_TOKEN` is auto-provided; no action needed.
## Local development
The PR gate (matches CI):
```bash
uv run pytest -x -q # tests
uv run ruff check --fix . && uv run ruff format . # lint + format
uv run mypy src/ tests/ # type-check
```
Pre-commit runs a subset of the gate on each commit; see `.pre-commit-config.yaml` for details, or [`CLAUDE.md`](CLAUDE.md) for the full Hard PR Acceptance Gates.
## Troubleshooting
### Moving a scaffolded project
`uv sync` creates `.venv/bin/*` scripts with absolute shebangs pointing at the venv Python. If you move the repo after scaffolding (`mv /old/path /new/path`), `uv run pytest` fails with `ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'fastmcp'` because the stale shebang resolves to a different interpreter than the venv's site-packages.
**Fix:**
```bash
rm -rf .venv
uv sync --all-extras --all-groups
```
`uv run python -m pytest` also works as a one-shot workaround (bypasses the stale entry-script shim).
### `uv.lock` refresh after `copier update`
When `copier update` introduces new dependencies (such as a new extra added to `pyproject.toml.jinja`), the CI install step runs `uv sync --locked`, which fails against a stale lockfile. Run `uv lock` locally and commit the refreshed `uv.lock` alongside accepting the copier-update PR.
CI installs with `--locked` (and the review workflow with `--frozen`) so no job ever rewrites `uv.lock` in its own workspace: a job that re-locks hides the drift it just repaired, and a dirty workspace breaks any later `git checkout` in the same job. Lockfile drift then shows up as a red install step with a clear message, not as a silent mutation.
## Links
- [Documentation](https://pvliesdonk.github.io/image-generation-mcp/)
- [llms.txt](https://pvliesdonk.github.io/image-generation-mcp/latest/llms.txt)
- [FastMCP](https://gofastmcp.com)
- [fastmcp-pvl-core](https://pypi.org/project/fastmcp-pvl-core/)
<!-- ===== TEMPLATE-OWNED SECTIONS END ===== -->
## Domain configuration
Domain environment variables use the `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_` prefix:
<!-- GENERATED-ENV-TABLE-DOMAIN-START — generated by scripts/gen_config_surface.py; do not edit -->
| Variable | Default | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_A1111_HOST` | (none) | No | Deprecated alias for IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_SD_WEBUI_HOST; logs a warning when used. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_A1111_MODEL` | (none) | No | Deprecated alias for IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_SD_WEBUI_MODEL; logs a warning when used. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_READ_ONLY` | `true` | No | When true, write-tagged tools (image generation, transforms, uploads) are hidden from clients. Set false to enable them. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_SCRATCH_DIR` | `~/.image-generation-mcp/images` | No | Directory where generated images are saved. Created automatically on first use. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_OPENAI_API_KEY` | (none) | No | OpenAI API key. Enables the OpenAI provider (gpt-image-2, gpt-image-1.5, dall-e-3) when set. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_GOOGLE_API_KEY` | (none) | No | Google API key. Enables the Gemini provider (gemini-3.1-flash-image and others) when set. Get a key at https://aistudio.google.com/apikey. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_SD_WEBUI_HOST` | (none) | No | SD WebUI base URL (such as http://localhost:7860). Enables the SD WebUI provider when set. Compatible with AUTOMATIC1111, Forge, reForge, and Forge-neo. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_SD_WEBUI_MODEL` | (none) | No | SD WebUI checkpoint name, used for model-aware preset detection (SD 1.5 / SDXL / Lightning) and checkpoint override. Unset uses the instance's current model. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_DEFAULT_PROVIDER` | `auto` | No | Provider used when no keyword triggers auto-selection: auto, openai, gemini, sd_webui, or placeholder. auto picks the first configured provider. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_TRANSFORM_CACHE_SIZE` | `64` | No | Maximum number of transformed image results (resize, crop, convert) kept in memory. Set 0 to disable caching. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_PAID_PROVIDERS` | `openai` | No | Comma-separated provider names that cost money; generate_image asks for confirmation (client elicitation) before using them. An empty value falls back to this default; to disable confirmation, set a value that names no provider (such as none). |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_STYLES_DIR` | `~/.image-generation-mcp/styles` | No | Directory for style preset files (Markdown with YAML front matter). Created automatically if it does not exist. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_ALLOW_LOCAL_FILE_INPUT` | `false` | No | Allow reading input images from local filesystem paths. Off by default: only URLs and uploads are accepted. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_MAX_INPUT_IMAGE_BYTES` | `20971520` | No | Maximum accepted input image size in bytes. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_FETCH_TIMEOUT_S` | `30.0` | No | HTTP timeout in seconds when fetching remote image URLs (fetch_image and URL inputs). |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_TRANSFER_TTL_DEFAULT_S` | `3600.0` | No | Link lifetime in seconds when the caller requests no explicit TTL. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_TRANSFER_TTL_MAX_S` | `86400.0` | No | Ceiling in seconds a caller-requested link TTL is clamped to. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_TRANSFER_GRACE_TTL_S` | `60.0` | No | Post-success grace window in seconds: a served token's TTL shrinks to this so a stalled transfer can retry within it. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_TRANSFER_LEASE_S` | `60.0` | No | Crashed-handler reclaim window in seconds for an in-flight reservation. |
| `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_TRANSFER_MAX_UPLOAD_BYTES` | `104857600` | No | Maximum size in bytes of a single upload. |
<!-- GENERATED-ENV-TABLE-DOMAIN-END -->
The `create_download_link` / `create_upload_link` tools and the `/transfer/{token}` route register only on an HTTP or SSE transport with `BASE_URL` set, and store link tokens in `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_KV_STORE_URL`; the `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_TRANSFER_*` knobs above tune link lifetime and upload limits. **Security:** `IMAGE_GENERATION_MCP_ALLOW_LOCAL_FILE_INPUT` grants callers server-filesystem read access via reference-image paths; enable it only for trusted callers or local single-user deployments.
Domain-config fields are composed inside `src/image_generation_mcp/config.py` between the `CONFIG-FIELDS-START` / `CONFIG-FIELDS-END` sentinels; env reads go through `fastmcp_pvl_core.env(_ENV_PREFIX, "SUFFIX", default)` so naming stays consistent, and field invariants go in `__post_init__` between the `CONFIG-VALIDATE-START` / `CONFIG-VALIDATE-END` sentinels. Each field's `metadata` `help` and `tags` generate the table above directly, so keep them accurate and complete.
## Key design decisions
<!-- DOMAIN-START -->
- **Multi-provider with capability discovery, not feature flags.** Each provider's `discover_capabilities()` reports its actual supported aspect ratios / qualities / formats / negative-prompt support at startup; routing logic asks the capability surface, not a hard-coded enum. New providers slot in by satisfying the protocol, with no router edits needed. (See `docs/decisions/0001-…`, `0002-…`, `0007-…`.)
- **Per-model `style_profile` metadata, surfaced via `list_providers`.** Closed-list providers (OpenAI, Gemini, placeholder) use exact-key lookup; SD WebUI uses a regex-ordered pattern table. Profiles include lifecycle flags (`current` / `legacy` / `deprecated`) and feed an auto-built top-level `warnings` array. (See `docs/decisions/0009-…`.)
- **Hybrid background tasks.** Short calls (OpenAI ~5 s) stream progress in-line; long calls (SD WebUI 30-180 s) run as background tasks with `check_generation_status` polling; clients pick the mode via `task=True`. (See `docs/decisions/0005-…`.)
- **Image asset model: content-addressed registry + sidecar JSON metadata + on-demand transforms.** Generated images keep their full-resolution original; `image://{id}/view?format=webp&width=512&crop_x=…` resources do format conversion / resize / crop on demand without re-generating. Transforms are cached. (See `docs/decisions/0006-…`.)
- **Style library.** User-saved markdown briefs (with YAML frontmatter for tags / aspect ratio / quality) that the LLM interprets per-provider, not copy-pasted verbatim. Distinct from per-model `style_profile`: style library is the brief; `style_profile` describes the model. (See `docs/decisions/0008-…` and `0009-…` for disambiguation.)
- **Composes `fastmcp_pvl_core.ServerConfig`, never inherits.** Domain config goes between `CONFIG-FIELDS-START` / `CONFIG-FIELDS-END` sentinels; env reads route through `fastmcp_pvl_core.env(...)` to keep prefix naming consistent.
<!-- DOMAIN-END -->