apple-photos-mcp

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list-persons

Retrieve the catalog of recognized people in Apple Photos with photo counts, sorted by frequency. Use a limit for top-N results; unidentified faces appear as UNKNOWN.

Instructions

Use when: you want the catalog of named people from Photos face recognition — e.g. to discover exact person names before filtering query by person, or to see who appears most. Pass limit for the top-N; unidentified faces appear as UNKNOWN. Returns: persons with their photo counts, sorted most-photographed first. Do not use when: you want photos of a person — use query with the person filter; or you want subject tags rather than people — use list-keywords.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`limit`	No	Top-N persons
`library`	No	Path to a .photoslibrary (default: system Photos library)

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`count`	No
`persons`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv2.1.13Sep 24, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

Changed1 schema field changedv2.1.9Aug 7, 2026
- changedOutput schema / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -falseNew value: +true
```
Changed2 schema fields changedv1.1.3Jun 30, 2026
- addedInput schema / properties / library / maxLength
```
Added value: +4096
```
- addedInput schema / properties / limit / maximum
```
Added value: +100000
```

Changed1 schema field changedv1.1.0Jun 23, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "count": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "persons": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": true,
+        "properties": {},
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedv0.1.4May 26, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the behavioral burden. It discloses the output ordering, the inclusion of photo counts, and the _UNKNOWN_ representation for unidentified faces. It does not explicitly state that the operation is read-only, but the listing semantics make that relatively clear.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

The description is compact, well-structured, and front-loaded with usage intent. Every sentence serves a purpose: when to use, what it returns, and when not to use it.

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 simple read-only listing tool with only two optional parameters and an output schema, the description covers the essential behavior, return shape, edge case for unknown faces, and sibling routing. Nothing critical is missing for an agent to call this tool correctly.

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 description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents both limit and library. The description reinforces that limit selects the top-N persons, but it does not add meaningful semantic detail beyond the schema. Baseline 3 is appropriate.

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 that the tool returns a catalog of named people from Photos face recognition, including photo counts, sorted most-photographed first. It also names the specific sibling tools it is not (query and list-keywords), so an agent can disambiguate immediately.

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?

The description provides explicit 'Use when' and 'Do not use when' guidance, with concrete alternatives: use query for photos of a person, and list-keywords for subject tags. This leaves no ambiguity about when to invoke the tool.

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