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Pexafy

Pexafy MCP Server

Official

pexafy-mcp

CI License: MIT

AIアシスタント向けのストックフォト検索。 Claude、ChatGPT、その他のMCPクライアントがロイヤリティフリーの画像ライブラリを検索できるようにするMCPサーバーです。シーンを自然な言葉で説明するか、例画像から、または「もっと似ているもの」として、検索し、結果を会話の内側にサムネイルグリッドとして表示します。

リモートMCP、OAuth、貼り付けるAPIキーは不要、3つのツール、インライン表示の画像。

Claudeの会話にインライン表示されたPexafyの結果グリッド


使い方(インストール不要)

ホスト型サーバーは次の場所で動作しています:

https://mcp.pexafy.com/mcp

Streamable HTTPに対応し、OAuth 2.1 で認証します。ブラウザのウィンドウでPexafyにサインインするだけで、コネクタがそれぞれの資格情報を取得します。APIキーを生成したり、JSONファイルに貼り付けたり、後でローテーションする必要は一切ありません。

Claude(Webとデスクトップ)

  1. Settings → Connectors を開きます(Team / Enterpriseでは、所有者が Organization settings → Connectors で一度だけ追加します)。

  2. Add custom connector をクリックします。

  3. https://mcp.pexafy.com/mcp を貼り付けて確認します。

  4. 開いたウィンドウでPexafyにサインインします。以上です。あとはClaudeに写真を頼むだけです。

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http pexafy https://mcp.pexafy.com/mcp

その他のMCPクライアント

同じURLを streamable-http トランスポートで指定してください。OAuthを実装していないクライアントは、代わりにPexafy APIキーを Authorization: Bearer <key> または x-api-key: <key> で送信して認証できます。キーはダッシュボードで取得できます。

死活監視:GET /health(公開、認証不要)。

また、公式MCPレジストリ には com.pexafy/pexafy-mcp として登録され、Smithery にも掲載されています。Smitheryでは、そちらを好むクライアント向けにホスト型ゲートウェイのURLも提供されています。

料金

無料プランでは、1つのコネクタ(connector)で月5,000回の検索が使えます。通常の利用なら十分で、カードも不要です。上位プランは料金ページをご覧ください。上限に達すると、構造的なエラーで失敗するのではなく、アシスタントがチャット内で知らせてくれます。


Related MCP server: brave-image-mcp

ツール

読み取り専用のツールが3つあります。書き込みスコープも、アカウントの変更もありません。

search_photos — セマンティックテキスト検索

シーンを完全な文で説明してください。Pexafyはセマンティック検索なので、キーワードよりも文章のほうが効果的です。すべてのパラメータは省略可能ですが、q または少なくとも1つのフィルターを渡してください。

パラメータ

備考

q

string

自然言語で表したシーン。最大500文字。

color_name

string

red、orange、yellow、green、blue、purple、pink、brown、black、white、gray、teal、beige、gold、navy のいずれか。color_hex と同時には指定できません。

color_hex

string

例:#1E90FFcolor_name とは排他です。

color_tolerance

integer

0(完全一致)〜255(緩め)。デフォルトは20。color_hex と組み合わせた場合のみ有効。

orientation

string[]

landscapeportraitsquare

source

string[]

Unsplash、Pexels、Pixabay、Kaboompics、Burst、StockSnap、Picjumbo、Skitterphoto、NegativeSpace。

license_type

string[]

freecc0

photographer

string

正確なユーザー名。

after_date

string

YYYY-MM-DD。この日以降に公開された写真。

cursor

string

以前の応答からの pagination.next_cursor

search_photos_by_image — 例画像でのビジュアル検索

参照画像に似た写真を探します。`的な「こういう感じ」の言葉で修飾することもできます(「これの夜バージョン」等)。

パラメータ

備考

image_url

string

参照画像の公開http(s) URL。

image_file

object

アップロードに対応したホスト(ChatGPTなど)で自動入力されます。

image_base64

string

プログラムから利用する場合の、そのままのbase64バイト列。

q

string

画像と組み合わせるテキスト(例:「ただし手を挙げている」)。

text_alpha

number

画像に対する q の重み。

orientationsourcecolor_namelicense_typephotographerafter_date

string

上記と同じフィルター。

cursor

string

ページネーショントークン。

image_urlimage_fileimage_base64 のいずれか1つが必須です。画像はサーバー側で取得されます。最大20MBまでです。

get_similar_photos — 似ている写真をもっと見つける

パラメータ

備考

photo_id

string

必須。 以前の結果から取得した写真のUUID。

cursor

string

ページネーショントークン。

返されるもの

各写真には、id、複数のサイズのURL、寸法、主色、向き、ソース、ライセンス、フォトグラファー、そしてクレジットとして表示するための attribution 文字列が含まれます。これにより、アシスタントは結果を単に列挙するのではなく、結果について推論できます。

結果には #1#2、… という番号が付くので、写真を会話の中で同じ感覚で参照できます。IDをコピーする必要はありません。

「#1に似た写真」という依頼を、アシスタントが新しいセットを推論しながら処理している画面

MCP Apps をサポートするクライアントでは、サムネイルをクリックすると完全なメタデータを含む詳細パネルが開きます。追加の呼び出しは不要で、すべてツール結果にすでに含まれています。

詳細パネル:写真家、ソース、解像度、ライセンス、支配色、向き、概要


セルフホスト

その必要はありません。上のホストサーバーが正規の入り口です。ただし、このサーバーは Pexafy API に対する薄い素朴なクライアントにすぎないので、自分のキーで自分用のものを実行することもできます。

Python 3.12以上が必要です。

git clone https://github.com/Pexafy/pexafy-mcp.git && cd pexafy-mcp
./run.sh setup        # venv + editable install + seed .env
# edit .env — set PEXAFY_API_KEY
./run.sh dev          # stdio, for Claude Desktop / Claude Code

インストール済みのコンソールスクリプト(pip install .)の場合:

pexafy-mcp                             # stdio (default)
PEXAFY_MCP_TRANSPORT=http pexafy-mcp   # remote Streamable HTTP

Claude Desktop / Claude Code を stdio で使う場合:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pexafy": {
      "command": "pexafy-mcp",
      "env": { "PEXAFY_API_KEY": "pexafy_api_…" }
    }
  }
}

Docker、HTTPでは docker-compose.example.yml を参照してください:

docker compose -f docker-compose.example.yml up -d
curl localhost:8765/health

イメージ自体はデフォルトで stdio にフォルトします。これはMCPクライアントがコンテナを操るために使うトランスポートなので、直接使えます:

docker run -i --rm pexafy-mcp

これにより、APIキーもネットワークもなしで initializetools/list に応答します。ツールは同梱されたOpenAPIスナップショットから得られます。キーが必要になるのは検索を実行するときだけです。HTTPで提供するにはトランスポートを設定するだけで、両方のcomposeファイルがそれを実行します。

設定

すべての設定は環境変数であり、どれも省略可能です。何も設定しない場合、pexafy-mcp はstdioで起動し、オフラインで initializetools/list に応答します。特筆すべき2つがあります。

変数

デフォルト

用途

PEXAFY_MCP_TRANSPORT

stdio

ローカルクライアントには stdio、リモートで提供するには http

PEXAFY_API_BASE_URL

http://localhost:8000

Pexafy APIのルート。https://api.pexafy.com または自分のデプロイを指定する。

残りは、コンテナを実行する人というよりは、デプロイに属するもので、.env.example にあります。クライアントが独自のキーを送らない場合のstdio用フォールバックの PEXAFY_API_KEY、インライングリッドの背後でサムネイルに署名するための PEXAFY_THUMB_BASE_URLPEXAFY_THUMB_HMAC_SECRET、そして MCP_RESOLVE_SECRET と共にHTTPトランスポートをOAuthリソースサーバーとして実行するための PEXAFY_OAUTH_* です。どれもサーバーの起動には必要ありません。


仕組み

src/pexafy_mcp/
├── server.py     # entry point: builds the server, wires hooks, custom tools, /health
├── tooling.py    # tunes the OpenAPI-derived tools for an LLM (descriptions, value sets)
├── widget.py     # MCP Apps UI resource — the inline result grid (self-contained HTML)
├── previews.py   # signs the thumbnail URLs injected into each result
├── limits.py     # turns plan-limit (429) responses into in-chat upgrade nudges
├── auth.py       # per-user auth: OAuth Resource Server or forwarded API key
└── assets/       # vendored, shipped with the package:
    ├── openapi.json          # OpenAPI snapshot the tools are generated from
    ├── facets.json           # evolving source/license value sets
    └── ext_apps_bundle.js    # @modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps SDK (inlined in the widget)
  • ツールはPexafy OpenAPI仕様から FastMCP.from_openapi() を介して生成されています。APIが唯一の真実の情報源であり、tooling.py がそれらをLLM向けに再形成します。サーフェスを検索コアに絞り、モデルを誤らせるパラメータを省き、閉じた値セットをインライン化することで、ファセットのルックアップが一切不要になります。

  • build_server() がすべてを組み立てます。パッケージのインポートには副作用がなく、ネットワークI/Oも行われません。ベンダリングされた assets/openapi.jsonassets/facets.json を読み出すだけです。prepare.sh がそれらを再生成します。

  • search_photos_by_image は手書きです。チャットアシスタントはバイナリファイルをMCPツールにアップロードできないため、このツールは画像URLを受け取り、サーバー側で取得します。

  • インライングリッドは MCP Apps のUIリソースです。ext-appsクライアントはバンドルされてインライン化されています。ホストのサンドボックス化されたiframeは、実行時に外部スクリプトを取得できないためです。

開発

./run.sh test         # offline test suite (pytest)
./run.sh inspect      # MCP Inspector
./prepare.sh          # maintainers: regenerate the vendored assets/

コントリビューション歓迎です。CONTRIBUTING.md を参照してください。

ライセンス

MIT — LICENSE を参照してください。

このパッケージは、サードパーティのアセット(Interタイプフェイス、@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps ブラウザバンドル、およびそれに同梱されるライブラリ)も配布しますが、それらはそれぞれ独自のライセンスが適用されます — THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md を参照してください。

Available Tools

3 tools
get_similar_photosFind similar photosA
Read-onlyIdempotent
Inspect

Use this tool when the user says 'find something similar', 'show me more like this', or 'I need a visually consistent set'. Requires a photo_id obtained from a previous search result. A person normally refers to a photo by the rank shown on the result grid rather than by its identifier; each search result carries both, in the same object. Each result carries: rank, its position on this page (1, 2, 3, …), which is also the number drawn on the inline grid and the handle a person naturally uses to refer to one photo among several; photo_id, the identifier the similar-photos tool takes, present in the same object as the rank; attribution, the credit line to display with the photo; and urls, the image at several sizes, urls.regular being the one to link to. Inline thumbnails are attached to this tool's result as an MCP App resource. Some clients, claude.ai on the web among them, render that resource only inside an expandable tool panel rather than in the reply itself; where it is not rendered, the photos remain reachable through their URLs.

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
cursorNoToken to fetch the next page. Take `pagination.next_cursor` from a previous response and pass it back here. See the Pagination guide.
photo_idYesThe reference photo's unique Pexafy identifier (a UUID).

Output Schema

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescription
dataNo
metaNo
errorNo
successNo
paginationNo

TDQS

A4.3/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already indicate readOnlyHint, openWorldHint, idempotentHint, and non-destructive behavior, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds useful behavioral context: the result includes inline thumbnails as an MCP App resource, and warns that some clients (like claude.ai on web) render them only in an expandable panel, with URLs still available. This goes beyond annotations and is valuable for the agent.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is relatively lengthy but every paragraph serves a purpose: it explains when to use, prerequisites, how users refer to photos (critical for agent understanding), and display behavior. It is front-loaded with the primary usage trigger and then provides necessary details. Slightly verbose but justified by the need to explain the rank vs. photo_id distinction.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

The tool has an output schema, so return values are covered there. The description compensates for the complexity of the tool by explaining the relationship between rank and photo_id, which is not obvious from the schema. It also addresses pagination and resource rendering behavior. Given the moderate complexity and presence of output schema, this is adequately complete, though more details on what 'similar' entails could be added.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, with both parameters (photo_id and cursor) described in the schema. The description reinforces the use of photo_id (requires it from a prior search) and explains the cursor's role (pass pagination.next_cursor), but adds minimal additional semantics beyond the schema. Baseline 3 is appropriate given full schema coverage.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states it finds similar photos based on a photo_id, distinct from sibling search tools by focusing on similarity rather than keywords or image upload. It explicitly ties to user phrases like 'find something similar', making its purpose actionable.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It explicitly explains when to use the tool ('when the user says...'), specifies the prerequisite (photo_id from a previous search), and details how a person refers to photos (by rank) versus the identifier, which prevents misuse. It also clarifies how to use the cursor for pagination.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

search_photosSearch photos by descriptionA
Read-onlyIdempotent
Inspect

Use this tool whenever the user needs an image, photo, or visual — for a presentation, blog, website, social-media post, mood board, or any creative project. Pexafy is a SEMANTIC search engine: describe the scene in full natural-language sentences, not keywords. Rich descriptions return far better results than tag-like queries. Good queries: 'a melancholy portrait of an old person sitting under a soft light'; 'two people sharing a bench in comfortable silence'; 'the last sunlight of the day hitting a dusty windowsill'; 'a child discovering snow for the first time'. Prefer this tool over search_photos_by_image when the user describes what they want in words. BUT if they want photos LIKE a specific image that has a URL — a photo from a previous result, or a public URL they gave — use search_photos_by_image instead (pass that URL, plus a q for any change like 'but with hands raised'). Only use THIS text tool for a reference image with NO URL (a file pasted/uploaded in the chat): describe what you see in rich detail — Pexafy is semantic, so a good description finds visually similar photos. Each result carries: rank, its position on this page (1, 2, 3, …), which is also the number drawn on the inline grid and the handle a person naturally uses to refer to one photo among several; photo_id, the identifier the similar-photos tool takes, present in the same object as the rank; attribution, the credit line to display with the photo; and urls, the image at several sizes, urls.regular being the one to link to. Inline thumbnails are attached to this tool's result as an MCP App resource. Some clients, claude.ai on the web among them, render that resource only inside an expandable tool panel rather than in the reply itself; where it is not rendered, the photos remain reachable through their URLs.

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
qNoYour search query as a full natural-language sentence describing the scene you want — Pexafy is semantic, so sentences beat keywords. Up to 500 characters. Optional if you provide at least one filter instead. Example: 'an old man sitting at a café table he has visited every morning for thirty years'.
cursorNoToken used to fetch the next page. Take the `pagination.next_cursor` value from a previous response and pass it back here. See the [Pagination](/pagination) guide.
sourceNoKeep only photos from these providers: Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, Kaboompics, Burst, StockSnap, Picjumbo, Skitterphoto, NegativeSpace. Repeat the parameter to pass several.
color_hexNoKeep only photos close to this hex color (e.g. `#1E90FF`). Cannot be combined with `color_name`. Use `color_tolerance` to widen or tighten the match.
after_dateNoOnly return photos published on or after this date, formatted `YYYY-MM-DD`.
color_nameNoKeep only photos whose dominant color matches one of: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black, white, gray, teal, beige, gold, navy. Cannot be combined with color_hex.
orientationNoKeep only photos with these shapes: landscape, portrait, square. Repeat the parameter to pass several.
license_typeNoKeep only photos with these license types: free, cc0. 'free' means the photo can be used freely and attribution is appreciated. Repeat the parameter to pass several.
photographerNoOnly return photos from this photographer's username. Use `GET /api/v1/facets/photographers/suggest` to find usernames.
color_toleranceNoHow far a photo's color may be from `color_hex` and still match, from `0` (exact match) to `255` (very loose). Defaults to `20`. Only applies when `color_hex` is set.

Output Schema

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescription
dataNo
metaNo
errorNo
successNo
paginationNo

TDQS

A4.8/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The annotations already declare a safe, read-only, idempotent operation, so the description's job is to add context beyond that. It does: semantic search behavior, result-field semantics (rank, photo_id, attribution, urls), the inline-thumbnail MCP resource, and the rendering caveat on claude.ai. No contradiction with annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is long, but it is front-loaded with the primary use case and every section earns its place: query style, examples, sibling distinction, result fields, and rendering behavior. A few example queries could be trimmed without losing meaning, which keeps it from a 5.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a tool with 10 optional parameters, an output schema, and two siblings, the description is complete: it explains semantic querying, when to use each sibling, what each result field means, and how the inline resource may render. The output schema covers return values, so the description correctly focuses on selection and invocation behavior.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3 and the schema already documents every parameter. The description adds real value by teaching the core q semantics, showing strong example queries, and explaining how photo_id connects to the similar-photos sibling, but it does not need to repeat the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description opens with a specific use case ('user needs an image, photo, or visual') and names the resource being searched. It clearly differentiates this text-query tool from search_photos_by_image, which is the main sibling it could be confused with.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It gives explicit when-to-use guidance ('Prefer this tool over search_photos_by_image when the user describes what they want in words') and names the alternative with the exact input it needs. It also handles the edge case of a reference image with no URL, telling the agent to describe it in rich detail instead.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

search_photos_by_imageSearch photos by example imageA
Read-onlyIdempotent
Inspect

Find visually similar stock photos from an EXAMPLE IMAGE, optionally TWEAKED with words. This is the right tool for 'find photos LIKE THIS but ' (e.g. 'like this but with their hands raised', 'the same scene but at night'). Give the reference image one of three ways: (1) image_url — a public http(s) link: a photo from a PREVIOUS search result (reuse its image_url/urls.regular), or any public URL the user provides; (2) image_file — auto-filled by the host when the user UPLOADS an image (e.g. ChatGPT) — it is populated by the host, not by the caller; (3) image_base64 — raw base64 image bytes, for a programmatic client that already holds the file. A chat assistant has no access to the exact bytes of an image it was shown, so image_base64 is not available to it. Put any change in q; raise text_alpha to weight the text more. If the reference image has no URL and the host did not auto-provide image_file (e.g. a file pasted into a chat that can't be forwarded), you cannot send it — describe what you see and use search_photos instead. Every result carries an attribution you show.

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
qNoYour search query as a full natural-language sentence describing the scene you want — Pexafy is semantic, so sentences beat keywords. Up to 500 characters. Optional if you provide at least one filter instead. Example: 'an old man sitting at a café table he has visited every morning for thirty years'.
cursorNoToken to fetch the next page. Take `pagination.next_cursor` from a previous response and pass it back here — no need to re-upload the image. See the Pagination guide.
sourceNoKeep only photos from these providers: Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, Kaboompics, Burst, StockSnap, Picjumbo, Skitterphoto, NegativeSpace. Repeat the parameter to pass several.
image_urlNoPublic http(s) URL of the reference image. Reuse the `image_url` of a photo from a previous search result, or any public URL the user provides.
after_dateNoOnly return photos published on or after this date, formatted YYYY-MM-DD.
color_nameNoKeep only photos whose dominant color matches one of: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black, white, gray, teal, beige, gold, navy. Cannot be combined with color_hex.
image_fileNoFilled in by the host when the user uploads an image, not by the caller. Carries the upload's `download_url` and `file_id`.
text_alphaNoBalance between your text and the image when both are provided, from `0` to `10`. `0` ignores the text (pure visual search), `1.7` (the default) is balanced, and higher values give your words more weight. Has no effect without `q`.
orientationNoKeep only photos with these shapes: landscape, portrait, square. Repeat the parameter to pass several.
image_base64NoThe reference image as base64 bytes, optionally as a `data:` URL. For a client that already holds the bytes; prefer `image_url` when a link exists.
license_typeNoKeep only photos with these license types: free, cc0. 'free' means the photo can be used freely and attribution is appreciated. Repeat the parameter to pass several.
photographerNoOnly return photos from this photographer's exact username.

Output Schema

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescription
dataNo
metaNo
errorNo
successNo
paginationNo

TDQS

A4.6/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnly and idempotent, so the description doesn't need to repeat that. It adds meaningful context beyond annotations: the image_file is host-populated rather than caller-set, image_base64 is unavailable to chat assistants, and every result carries an attribution to display. No contradictions.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is long but every section earns its place—it covers usage, input methods, edge cases, and attribution. The numbered list of image-providing options is clear and well-structured. It could be slightly trimmed, but the density is justified by the tool's complexity.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the 12 parameters, 100% schema coverage, and an output schema, the description provides all necessary behavioral context: how to provide the reference image, the host-filling behavior of image_file, the text weighting mechanism, and the fallback to search_photos. It also mentions the attribution requirement from results, which is not in the schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents each parameter. The description adds practical nuance beyond the schema, such as how text_alpha weights text against image, and the guidance to put any modification in q. This exceeds the baseline for fully covered schemas.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool finds visually similar stock photos from an example image, optionally tweaked with words. It explicitly distinguishes from siblings by providing a usage scenario ('find photos LIKE THIS but <change>') and names the alternative (search_photos) when the image can't be sent.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Provides explicit when-to-use guidance with examples and a concrete fallback: when the image has no URL and no auto-provided file, use search_photos instead. It also explains the three ways to supply the reference image and which is appropriate for different clients.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. 1 tool updatev0.4.9
    • Changedsearch_photos_by_image19 fields changed
      • addedInput schema / properties / after_date / description
        Added value: +"Only return photos published on or after this date, formatted YYYY-MM-DD."
      • addedInput schema / properties / color_name / description
        Added value: +"Keep only photos whose dominant color matches one of: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black, white, gray, teal, beige, gold, navy. Cannot be combined with color_hex."
      • addedInput schema / properties / cursor / description
        Added value: +"Token to fetch the next page. Take `pagination.next_cursor` from a previous response and pass it back here — no need to re-upload the image. See the Pagination guide."
      • addedInput schema / properties / image_base64 / description
        Added value: +"The reference image as base64 bytes, optionally as a `data:` URL. For a client that already holds the bytes; prefer `image_url` when a link exists."
      • addedInput schema / properties / image_file / additionalProperties
        Added value: +false
      • removedInput schema / properties / image_file / anyOf
        Removed value: -[
        -  {
        -    "additionalProperties": true,
        -    "type": "object"
        -  },
        -  {
        -    "type": "null"
        -  }
        -]
      • removedInput schema / properties / image_file / default
        Removed value: -null
      • addedInput schema / properties / image_file / description
        Added value: +"Filled in by the host when the user uploads an image, not by the caller. Carries the upload's `download_url` and `file_id`."
      • addedInput schema / properties / image_file / properties
        Added value: +{
        +  "download_url": {
        +    "type": "string"
        +  },
        +  "file_id": {
        +    "type": "string"
        +  },
        +  "file_name": {
        +    "type": "string"
        +  },
        +  "mime_type": {
        +    "type": "string"
        +  }
        +}
      • addedInput schema / properties / image_file / required
        Added value: +[
        +  "download_url",
        +  "file_id"
        +]
      • addedInput schema / properties / image_file / type
        Added value: +"object"
      • addedInput schema / properties / image_url / description
        Added value: +"Public http(s) URL of the reference image. Reuse the `image_url` of a photo from a previous search result, or any public URL the user provides."
      • addedInput schema / properties / license_type / description
        Added value: +"Keep only photos with these license types: free, cc0. 'free' means the photo can be used freely and attribution is appreciated. Repeat the parameter to pass several."
      • addedInput schema / properties / orientation / description
        Added value: +"Keep only photos with these shapes: landscape, portrait, square. Repeat the parameter to pass several."
      • addedInput schema / properties / photographer / description
        Added value: +"Only return photos from this photographer's exact username."
      • addedInput schema / properties / q / description
        Added value: +"Your search query as a full natural-language sentence describing the scene you want — Pexafy is semantic, so sentences beat keywords. Up to 500 characters. Optional if you provide at least one filter instead. Example: 'an old man sitting at a café table he has visited every morning for thirty years'."
      • addedInput schema / properties / source / description
        Added value: +"Keep only photos from these providers: Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, Kaboompics, Burst, StockSnap, Picjumbo, Skitterphoto, NegativeSpace. Repeat the parameter to pass several."
      • addedInput schema / properties / text_alpha / description
        Added value: +"Balance between your text and the image when both are provided, from `0` to `10`. `0` ignores the text (pure visual search), `1.7` (the default) is balanced, and higher values give your words more weight. Has no effect without `q`."
      • changedOutput schema / (root)
        Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
        +  "properties": {
        +    "data": {
        +      "items": {
        +        "description": "A photo result. Fields returned can be narrowed with the `fields` parameter and may depend on your plan.",
        +        "properties": {
        +          "alt_description": {
        +            "description": "Accessibility-friendly text.",
        +            "type": [
        +              "string",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "attribution": {
        +            "description": "Ready-to-display credit for the photographer/source.",
        +            "properties": {
        +              "html": {
        +                "description": "HTML attribution snippet.",
        +                "type": "string"
        +              },
        +              "plain": {
        +                "description": "Plain-text attribution.",
        +                "type": "string"
        +              }
        +            },
        +            "type": "object"
        +          },
        +          "blur_hash": {
        +            "description": "BlurHash placeholder string.",
        +            "type": [
        +              "string",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "color_hex": {
        +            "description": "Dominant color hex code.",
        +            "type": "string"
        +          },
        +          "color_name": {
        +            "description": "Dominant color name.",
        +            "type": "string"
        +          },
        +          "description": {
        +            "description": "AI-generated caption.",
        +            "type": [
        +              "string",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "height": {
        +            "type": [
        +              "integer",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "image_url": {
        +            "description": "Canonical source image URL.",
        +            "format": "uri",
        +            "type": "string"
        +          },
        +          "license_type": {
        +            "description": "License type (e.g. `free`).",
        +            "type": "string"
        +          },
        +          "orientation": {
        +            "enum": [
        +              "landscape",
        +              "portrait",
        +              "square"
        +            ],
        +            "type": "string"
        +          },
        +          "photo_id": {
        +            "description": "Unique Pexafy identifier (UUID).",
        +            "type": "string"
        +          },
        +          "photographer_full_name": {
        +            "type": [
        +              "string",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "photographer_url": {
        +            "format": "uri",
        +            "type": [
        +              "string",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "photographer_username": {
        +            "type": "string"
        +          },
        +          "relevance_score": {
        +            "description": "Match score 0–1 (higher is better). Only on search results.",
        +            "type": [
        +              "number",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "source": {
        +            "description": "Provider (e.g. `Pexels`, `Unsplash`, `Pixabay`).",
        +            "type": "string"
        +          },
        +          "source_description": {
        +            "type": [
        +              "string",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "source_image_url": {
        +            "description": "URL of the photo's page on the provider.",
        +            "format": "uri",
        +            "type": [
        +              "string",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "uploaded_on": {
        +            "description": "Publication date (YYYY-MM-DD).",
        +            "type": [
        +              "string",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          },
        +          "urls": {
        +            "description": "Ready-to-use image links in five sizes.",
        +            "properties": {
        +              "full": {
        +                "format": "uri",
        +                "type": "string"
        +              },
        +              "large": {
        +                "format": "uri",
        +                "type": "string"
        +              },
        +              "regular": {
        +                "format": "uri",
        +                "type": "string"
        +              },
        +              "small": {
        +                "format": "uri",
        +                "type": "string"
        +              },
        +              "thumb": {
        +                "format": "uri",
        +                "type": "string"
        +              }
        +            },
        +            "type": "object"
        +          },
        +          "width": {
        +            "type": [
        +              "integer",
        +              "null"
        +            ]
        +          }
        +        },
        +        "type": "object"
        +      },
        +      "type": "array"
        +    },
        +    "error": {
        +      "anyOf": [
        +        {
        +          "properties": {
        +            "code": {
        +              "description": "Machine-readable error code (e.g. `MISSING_PARAMS`, `PHOTO_NOT_FOUND`).",
        +              "type": "string"
        +            },
        +            "message": {
        +              "description": "Human-readable error message.",
        +              "type": "string"
        +            },
        +            "request_id": {
        +              "type": "string"
        +            }
        +          },
        +          "required": [
        +            "code",
        +            "message"
        +          ],
        +          "type": "object"
        +        },
        +        {
        +          "type": "null"
        +        }
        +      ]
        +    },
        +    "meta": {
        +      "properties": {
        +        "request_id": {
        +          "description": "Unique id for this request (quote it in support tickets).",
        +          "type": "string"
        +        },
        +        "took_ms": {
        +          "description": "Server processing time in milliseconds.",
        +          "type": "number"
        +        }
        +      },
        +      "type": "object"
        +    },
        +    "pagination": {
        +      "anyOf": [
        +        {
        +          "properties": {
        +            "has_more": {
        +              "description": "Whether another page exists.",
        +              "type": "boolean"
        +            },
        +            "next_cursor": {
        +              "description": "Pass back as `cursor` for the next page; `null` when `has_more` is false.",
        +              "type": [
        +                "string",
        +                "null"
        +              ]
        +            },
        +            "per_page": {
        +              "description": "Number of items per page.",
        +              "type": "integer"
        +            }
        +          },
        +          "type": "object"
        +        },
        +        {
        +          "type": "null"
        +        }
        +      ]
        +    },
        +    "success": {
        +      "type": "boolean"
        +    }
        +  },
        +  "type": "object",
        +  "x-fastmcp-top-level-schema": "PhotoListResponse"
        +}
  2. 2 tool updatesv0.4.0
    • Addedget_similar_photos
    • Removedphoto_similar
  3. 3 tool updatesv0.2.0
    • First observedphoto_similar
    • First observedsearch_photos
    • First observedsearch_photos_by_image

TDQS

A4.4/5.0
Disambiguation4/5

Each tool has a clearly documented input type (text query vs. image/file vs. previous photo_id), and the descriptions are explicit about which phrase or condition triggers each tool. However, search_photos_by_image and get_similar_photos both produce visually similar photos, and their boundary (one tweaks by text, the other just fetches similar) could occasionally mislead an agent even with the detailed guidance.

Naming Consistency4/5

All names follow a snake_case verb_noun pattern (search_photos, search_photos_by_image, get_similar_photos), and the shared 'search_photos' prefix on two tools is helpful. The slight deviation is 'get' in get_similar_photos versus 'search' elsewhere for the same core concept, but the pattern is otherwise uniform and predictable.

Tool Count4/5

Three tools is a lean but sensible footprint for a dedicated photo-search server, covering the natural query modalities (text, image, similar-by-id). While each tool does earn its place, the set feels slightly minimal—no dedicated tool for fetching individual photo details, but results already carry URLs and attribution, so it works.

Completeness4/5

The core workflow is complete: text query → results → similar-by-photo_id, and image query → results with tweakable text, covering the main stock-photo search use cases with no dead ends. Minor gaps exist (no downloadable/collections/curated feed support, no orientation/filter parameters), but agents can work around these with richer natural-language calls to search_photos.

Maintenance

ActivityMaintained
ResponsivenessNo issues

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