# GPT Image 2.5 MCP Server

**Generate and edit images with GPT Image 2.5 — OpenAI's most capable image model — directly inside Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client. $0.029 per image.**

[![npm](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/gpt-image-2-5-mcp)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/gpt-image-2-5-mcp)
[![license](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue)](./LICENSE)

Ask Claude for a picture and get one back in the chat:

> *"A friendly robot painting a picture at an easel in a sunlit studio, warm morning light through a tall window, soft shadows, detailed illustration style, a small wooden sign on the easel reading 'GPT IMAGE 2.5'"*

![Example output from GPT Image 2.5](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/youbotapi/gpt-image-mcp/main/docs/example.png)

*Generated with this server in 45 seconds for $0.029. Note that the text on the sign came out exactly as asked — GPT Image 2.5 is unusually good at rendering words inside an image.*

---

## ⚠️ Read this first: the API key comes from you.bot, not OpenAI

This server reaches GPT Image 2.5 through **[you.bot](https://you.bot)**, an API gateway that resells the model below OpenAI's own rate.

- You need a **you.bot** API key. It starts with `sk-live-`.
- An **OpenAI key will not work**, and you do not need an OpenAI account at all.
- If you paste an OpenAI key by mistake, the server will tell you so by name rather than failing with a confusing 401.

**Why people use it:** signup gives you **50 free credits — about 17 images** — with no credit card, so the server works the moment you paste the key in.

---

## Setup

### 1. Get a free key (2 minutes)

1. Sign up at **<https://you.bot>** — no credit card.
2. You start with **50 credits ≈ 17 images**.
3. Create a key at **<https://you.bot/dashboard/api-keys>** and copy it (it begins with `sk-live-`).

### 2. Add the server to your client

<details open>
<summary><b>Claude Desktop</b></summary>

Edit `claude_desktop_config.json`
(macOS: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/`, Windows: `%APPDATA%\Claude\`):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gpt-image": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "gpt-image-2-5-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "YOUBOT_API_KEY": "sk-live-your-key-from-you.bot"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Restart Claude Desktop.
</details>

<details>
<summary><b>Claude Code</b></summary>

```bash
claude mcp add gpt-image -e YOUBOT_API_KEY=sk-live-your-key -- npx -y gpt-image-2-5-mcp
```
</details>

<details>
<summary><b>Cursor</b></summary>

In `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (or Settings → MCP → Add new server):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gpt-image": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "gpt-image-2-5-mcp"],
      "env": { "YOUBOT_API_KEY": "sk-live-your-key-from-you.bot" }
    }
  }
}
```
</details>

<details>
<summary><b>Any other MCP client</b></summary>

Run `npx -y gpt-image-2-5-mcp` over stdio with `YOUBOT_API_KEY` in the environment.
</details>

### 3. Check it works

Ask your assistant: **"check my image credits"**. You should see your balance and how many images it buys.

---

## Tools

| Tool | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| `generate_image` | Make an image from a text prompt | 2.9 credits (**$0.029**) |
| `edit_image` | Change an existing image from a public URL — swap a background, add or remove objects, restyle | 2.9 credits (**$0.029**) |
| `check_credits` | Show remaining balance and images left | free |

There is also a `setup` prompt that walks you through configuration if something isn't working.

**Aspect ratios:** `1:1` (default), `3:2`, `2:3`, `4:3`, `3:4`, `16:9`, `9:16`, `2:1`, `1:2`, `21:9`

Output is fixed at **1024px (1K)**, which is what keeps every call at a flat $0.029. A generation typically takes **30–60 seconds**; the server polls until the image is ready and then shows it to you inline.

---

## What it costs

| | |
|---|---|
| Per image | **$0.029** |
| Free on signup | 50 credits ≈ **17 images**, no card |
| Credit value | 1 credit = $0.01 |
| Expiry | Credits never expire |
| Failed generations | Refunded automatically |

The server tells you the cost after every image, and `check_credits` never spends anything.

---

## Optional settings

| Environment variable | Effect |
|---|---|
| `YOUBOT_API_KEY` | **Required.** Your you.bot key (`sk-live-…`) |
| `YOUBOT_IMAGE_DIR` | If set, every generated image is also saved to this folder as a PNG |

---

## Tips for better images

GPT Image 2.5 rewards long, specific prompts. Describe **subject, setting, lighting, composition and style** instead of stacking keywords.

It also renders text inside images accurately — so if you want words on a poster or a sign, quote them exactly:

> *"A minimalist café sign reading 'OPEN DAILY 7AM' in clean sans-serif, warm morning light, shallow depth of field"*

For `edit_image`, say what should change **and** what should stay:

> *"Replace the background with a snowy forest. Keep the subject, pose and lighting unchanged."*

---

## Troubleshooting

**"No API key found"** — `YOUBOT_API_KEY` isn't reaching the server. Check it's inside the `env` block of your MCP config, then fully restart the client.

**"That key looks like an OpenAI API key"** — exactly what it says. Get a key from <https://you.bot> instead; it starts with `sk-live-`.

**"Out of credits"** — each image is 2.9 credits. Top up at <https://you.bot>; credits never expire.

**Nothing happens / tool isn't offered** — confirm your client picked the server up (Claude Desktop lists it under the tools icon), and that you have Node 18 or newer.

---

## Links

- Model and live pricing — <https://you.bot/models/gpt-image-2-5-sunburst-text-to-image>
- API docs — <https://you.bot/docs>
- Get a key — <https://you.bot>

MIT licensed. Not affiliated with OpenAI; GPT Image 2.5 is accessed through the you.bot API.