openai-mcp

Use OpenAI models from Claude, Cursor and any other MCP client: text, images, speech, transcription, embeddings and moderation.

Features

• Each tool stays off until you set its model variable, so you choose which models the client can use. Only list_models is always available.

• Generated and edited images and generated speech are saved to files.

• Images and audio can be given as URLs or local file paths.

Related MCP server: OpenAI MCP Server

Setup

Requires Node.js 20 or higher and an OpenAI API key.

Each tool is enabled by its own model setting. Omit a setting to leave that tool disabled. Separate multiple model IDs with commas, or use * to allow any model. Replace sk-... with your OpenAI API key.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openai-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@dancommitsgit/openai-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "sk-...",
        "OPENAI_MCP_TEXT_MODELS": "gpt-5.4-nano",
        "OPENAI_MCP_IMAGE_MODELS": "gpt-image-2.5-flare",
        "OPENAI_MCP_EMBEDDING_MODELS": "text-embedding-3-small",
        "OPENAI_MCP_SPEECH_MODELS": "gpt-4o-mini-tts",
        "OPENAI_MCP_TRANSCRIPTION_MODELS": "gpt-4o-mini-transcribe",
        "OPENAI_MCP_TRANSLATION_MODELS": "whisper-1",
        "OPENAI_MCP_MODERATION_MODELS": "omni-moderation-latest"
      }
    }
  }
}

A missing or invalid API key is reported as an error on the first tool call, not when the server starts. A request for a model that is not in the tool's list is rejected.

claude mcp add --scope user --env OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-... --env OPENAI_MCP_TEXT_MODELS=gpt-5.4-nano --env OPENAI_MCP_IMAGE_MODELS=gpt-image-2.5-flare --transport stdio openai-mcp -- npx -y @dancommitsgit/openai-mcp

Add one more --env for each other model setting in the JSON above. Keep --transport stdio after the last --env, or the server name is read as another variable.

This also applies to the Code tab in the Claude desktop app. Drop --scope user to make the server available only in the current project.

For the regular chat app. If you use the Code tab in the desktop app, use the Claude Code command instead.

Open Settings → Developer → Edit Config, paste the JSON above into claude_desktop_config.json, and restart Claude Desktop. The file is at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/ on macOS and %APPDATA%\Claude\ on Windows.

Save the JSON above as .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or as ~/.cursor/mcp.json to use it in every project.

Add the server to .vscode/mcp.json. VS Code asks for the API key the first time the server starts and stores it securely. Add other OPENAI_MCP_*_MODELS entries as in the JSON above.

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "openai-api-key",
      "description": "OpenAI API key",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "openai-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@dancommitsgit/openai-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "${input:openai-api-key}",
        "OPENAI_MCP_TEXT_MODELS": "gpt-5.4-nano",
        "OPENAI_MCP_IMAGE_MODELS": "gpt-image-2.5-flare"
      }
    }
  }
}

Build from source

git clone https://github.com/DanCommitsGit/openai-mcp.git
cd openai-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Then point your client at the compiled entry point, keeping the same env as above:

{
  "command": "node",
  "args": ["/PATH/TO/openai-mcp/build/index.js"]
}

See CONTRIBUTING.md to run the tests and open a pull request.

Tools

Image and speech tools save files to your OS temp directory, unless the client passes outputPath, and return the file path.

This is an unofficial project and is not affiliated with OpenAI.