Seedream MCP Server
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Seedream MCP ServerGenerate a 4K image of a serene mountain lake at sunrise"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
Seedream
Generate AI images with BytePlus Seedream 4.5 and Seedream 5.0 Lite — from your terminal, your AI client, or Claude Code.
Choose your path
I want to… | Use |
Talk to Claude in natural language (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf) | |
Generate images from the terminal | |
Use slash commands inside Claude Code |
All three share the same credentials and the same underlying pipeline. The Seedream image API is synchronous — a single call returns the finished image URL(s). There is no task to poll.
Related MCP server: Seedream 4.0 MCP Server
Models
Model | ID | Sizes | Notes |
Seedream 4.5 |
| 2K, 4K | Default. No 1K. |
Seedream 5.0 Lite |
| 1K, 2K, 4K, adaptive | Newer, cheaper, stronger reference consistency & layout reasoning. |
Aliases 4.5 and 5.0-lite are accepted anywhere a model is specified.
Prerequisites
Python 3.10+, a local clone of this repo, and keys from the BytePlus console:
Key | Where | Used for |
| ModelArk → API Keys | Image generation (required) |
| IAM → Access Keys | TOS upload of local reference images (optional) |
| IAM → Access Keys | TOS upload of local reference images (optional) |
| TOS console → Buckets | Default bucket for uploads (optional) |
| — | TOS region, default |
Plain text-to-image (and references you pass as public URLs) need only ARK_API_KEY.
🖥 MCP Server
Lets Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf generate images from natural language.
Setup
git clone https://github.com/mittulmadaan/byteplus-seedream-mcp
cd byteplus-seedream-mcp
pip install packages/seedream-sdk packages/seedream-mcp -e packages/seedream-cli
seedream auth login # stores credentials in ~/.seedream/credentials
seedream skill install # patches Claude Desktop + Claude Code configs automatically
# Restart your AI clientThen just ask Claude: "Generate a 4K poster of iced cold brew on a sunlit table with the headline Summer Cold Brew"
Manual config
Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Mac) or the
equivalent on your OS:
{
"mcpServers": {
"seedream": {
"command": "/path/to/.venv/bin/python",
"args": ["-m", "seedream_mcp"]
}
}
}Set credentials via environment variables before launching your client.
Hosted / Docker
docker build -f packages/seedream-mcp/docker/Dockerfile -t seedream-mcp .
docker run -p 8000:8000 \
-e MCP_TRANSPORT=sse \
-e ARK_API_KEY=<key> \
-e ARK_AK=<ak> \
-e ARK_SK=<sk> \
-e MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=<strong-random-token> \
seedream-mcpYour BytePlus credentials stay server-side. Clients connect using MCP_AUTH_TOKEN only.
Point your MCP client at http://your-host:8000/mcp (streamable HTTP transport).
How to use
Use seedream_generate for everything — it returns image URLs directly:
# Text-to-image
seedream_generate(prompt="A silver espresso machine, morning light, steam rising", size="2K")
→ { model: "seedream-4-5-251128", count: 1, images: [{ url: "https://..." }] }
# Seedream 5.0 Lite, 4K
seedream_generate(prompt="Editorial close-up portrait, sculptural hat, studio lighting",
model="5.0-lite", size="4K")
# Editing / reference — say what to change and what to keep
seedream_generate(
prompt="Use Image 1. Replace the background with a snowy forest at dusk. Keep the
subject's pose, outfit, and the product label unchanged.",
image_urls=["https://example.com/photo.png"]
)
# Consistent multi-panel set
seedream_generate(prompt="A 4-panel comic of a cat's morning, flat pastel style",
sequential=true, num_images=4)For a local reference image, upload it first:
seedream_list_tos_buckets() # ask which bucket
seedream_upload_image_to_tos(file_path="/path/ref.png", bucket="<name>")
→ { url: "https://<bucket>.tos-....bytepluses.com/ref.png" }
# then pass that url in image_urlsAvailable tools
Tool | Description |
| Start here. Text-to-image, editing, reference, sequential sets. Returns URL(s). |
| Upload a local image; returns a public URL. |
| List TOS buckets so Claude can ask which to use. |
| List models, sizes, and features. |
| Verify credentials and connectivity. |
💻 CLI
Full-featured terminal interface.
Setup
git clone https://github.com/mittulmadaan/byteplus-seedream-mcp
cd byteplus-seedream-mcp
pip install packages/seedream-sdk packages/seedream-mcp -e packages/seedream-cli
seedream auth loginGenerate an image
# Text-to-image
seedream generate -p "A serene mountain landscape at sunset with golden clouds" \
--size 2K --output out/
# Seedream 5.0 Lite, 4K
seedream generate -p "Editorial portrait, dramatic studio lighting" \
--model 5.0-lite --size 4K --output out/
# Editing / reference — local path auto-uploads to TOS
seedream generate -p "Replace the background with a snowy forest. Keep the pose." \
--ref ./photo.png --bucket my-bucket --output out/
# Consistent multi-panel set
seedream generate -p "A 4-panel comic of a cat's morning, flat pastel style" \
--sequential -n 4 --output out/All flags
seedream generate \
--prompt "..." # description / edit instruction (required)
--model 5.0-lite # 4.5 (default) | 5.0-lite | full model ID
--size 2K # 1K* | 2K | 4K | adaptive* | WxH (*5.0 Lite only)
--ref <url|path> # reference image; repeatable; local paths auto-upload
--bucket <name> # TOS bucket for local --ref uploads
--seed 42 # reproducible results
--guidance-scale 7.5 # prompt adherence 1.0–20.0
--sequential # generate a consistent multi-panel set
--num-images 4 # images in a sequential set (refs + n ≤ 15)
--optimize-prompt # let the API optimize the prompt
--watermark # add a watermark
--output out/ # download the image(s) into this directoryOther commands
# Auth
seedream auth login # store credentials interactively
seedream auth check # verify keys are configured
seedream auth logout
# TOS object storage — upload a LOCAL file, get a public URL
seedream tos buckets # list buckets
seedream tos upload ./photo.png --bucket <name> # upload, prints public URL
# Info
seedream models # list models, sizes, features
seedream ping # verify credentials and connectivity
# Skill management
seedream skill install # install into Claude Desktop + Claude Code
seedream skill check # show install status
seedream skill uninstall🧠 Claude Code Skill
Slash commands inside Claude Code, backed by the MCP server.
Setup
git clone https://github.com/mittulmadaan/byteplus-seedream-mcp
cd byteplus-seedream-mcp
pip install packages/seedream-sdk packages/seedream-mcp -e packages/seedream-cli
seedream auth login
seedream skill install # copies skill file + patches Claude Code settings
# Restart Claude CodeThe skill lives in skills/seedream.md with detailed prompting,
editing, and model-selection guidance in skills/references/.
SDK
For building custom integrations:
from seedream import SeedreamClient
client = SeedreamClient() # reads from env vars or ~/.seedream/credentials
# Text-to-image — synchronous, returns URLs directly
result = client.generate(
prompt="A sunrise over mountains, warm light",
model="4.5",
size="2K",
)
print(result.urls)
# Editing with a reference image
result = client.generate(
prompt="Replace the background with a beach. Keep the subject unchanged.",
image_urls=["https://example.com/photo.png"],
model="5.0-lite",
)
# Generate and download to a directory
result = client.generate_and_download(
"A 4-panel comic of a cat's day", "out/",
sequential=True, num_images=4,
)
for img in result.images:
print(img.local_path)Install: pip install packages/seedream-sdk (zero runtime dependencies — stdlib urllib only).
Repo Structure
packages/
seedream-sdk/ # core: HTTP client, TOS HMAC signing, config, types (zero deps)
seedream-mcp/ # MCP server — thin wrappers over SDK
docker/ # Dockerfile + docker-compose
seedream-cli/ # CLI — typer + rich
seedream_cli/commands/
auth.py generate.py tos.py models.py skill.py
skills/
seedream.md # Claude Code skill definition
references/ # prompting, editing, sequential sets, models, assets
.github/workflows/
ci.yml # lint + test (Python 3.10 / 3.11 / 3.12)
release-sdk.yml # → PyPI on tag sdk/v*
release-mcp.yml # → PyPI + Docker Hub on tag mcp/v*
release-cli.yml # → PyPI on tag cli/v*Credentials
Resolution order (first non-empty value wins):
Constructor args:
SeedreamClient(api_key="...", ak="...", sk="...")Environment variables:
ARK_API_KEY(orBYTEPLUS_API_KEY),ARK_AK,ARK_SK~/.seedream/credentials— written byseedream auth login.envfile in CWD (requirespython-dotenv)
Never embed credentials in client config files or Docker images. Use
MCP_AUTH_TOKENto protect hosted SSE endpoints.
Release
git tag sdk/v1.0.1 && git push --tags # publishes seedream-sdk to PyPI
git tag mcp/v1.0.1 && git push --tags # publishes seedream-mcp to PyPI + Docker Hub
git tag cli/v1.0.1 && git push --tags # publishes seedream-cli to PyPISupport
Note: Seedream model IDs may change as BytePlus ships new versions. If a call returns an unknown-model error, re-check the docs above and update
packages/seedream-sdk/seedream/config.py.
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