Claude MCP

Use Apatero Studio Inside Claude

Q: Which Claude Surfaces Does It Work With?

Claude.ai via the remote custom connector, Claude Desktop and Claude Code via stdio config, and any other MCP-compatible client. The npx and uvx packages cover Node and Python environments respectively.

Q: Does Using the MCP Cost Extra?

No. The MCP itself is free and open. Generations spend the same Apatero credits as the web app, and read-only tools like listing models or checking your balance cost nothing.

Q: Should I Use OAuth or an API Key?

OAuth (apatero login) is the comfortable interactive path, a browser sign-in with auto-refreshed tokens. ap_live_ API keys suit headless, CI, and remote setups. If both exist, the key takes precedence.

Q: Do Generated Images Show Up in the Chat?

Yes. Images render inline in the conversation, and every result also includes a full-resolution link. Video renders return a generation id you can check from chat while they finish.

Q: Do I Need an Apatero Subscription?

You need an account with credits, and your first generation is free. Upload-dependent tools like creating Souls and Insta Dump require an active subscription, and Story Mode ships with the Studio tier.

Q: Is There a CLI Too?

Yes. Installing the package also registers an apatero CLI covering models, balance, generate, status, recent, login, and logout, handy for scripts and quick checks outside Claude.

Connect Claude to Apatero with the Model Context Protocol. Twenty tools for images, video, characters, brands, and stories, driven from chat.

Ask Claude for an image and it appears inline in the conversation. Ask for an AI influencer and Claude chains the right tools in the right order.

Try it free, your first generation is on us

Your Creative Studio, One Prompt Away

The Model Context Protocol lets Claude call real tools in real products. The Apatero MCP wires Claude directly into your Apatero Studio account, with every call hitting the live generation API.

That means you can stay in a conversation and still ship real work. Generate an image mid-brainstorm, spin a video from the frame you liked, or build a persistent character without opening a browser tab.

Generated images render inline in the chat, and every result carries a full-resolution link. Nothing is mocked, and read-only tools never spend credits.

New to the protocol itself? Start with our explainer on what MCP means for creators, then see the full 20-tool walkthrough.

Twenty Tools, Grouped by Capability

Every tool authenticates as you and works against your real account, credits, and gallery.

Account and Info

Read-only tools that cost no credits. Check what models you can use, watch your balance, and pull up past results.

apatero_list_models
apatero_credit_balance
apatero_recent_generations
apatero_generation_status
apatero_show_image

Generate

The core creative verbs. Generate or edit images, render video, animate a talking avatar, and remix a finished generation into a variation.

apatero_generate_image
apatero_generate_video
apatero_talking_avatar
apatero_remix

Characters and Souls

Souls are persistent characters. Create one from reference photos, list the ones you have, and drop the same face into any new scene.

apatero_create_soul
apatero_list_souls
apatero_generate_with_soul

Influencer Composites

Higher-level flows that chain steps for you. Invent a complete AI influencer, then turn any Soul into a short clip, talking or silent.

apatero_create_influencer
apatero_influencer_clip

Batch via Insta Dump

Fan one reference photo out into a set of Instagram-ready persona posts across a chosen niche and format mix, then poll the batch.

apatero_instadump
apatero_instadump_status

Brands

Connect your saved Marketing Studio brand kits and generate on-brand images from a plain-language brief.

apatero_list_brands
apatero_generate_with_brand

Stories

Start a multi-panel illustrated story in draft from a premise, then check its panels, characters, and state as it progresses.

apatero_create_story
apatero_story_status

Four Ways to Install

Pick the path that matches where you use Claude. All four connect to the same account and tools.

1. Claude.ai Custom Connector (No Install)

The zero-install path for claude.ai on web and desktop. Open Settings, then Connectors, then Add custom connector, and paste the server URL. OAuth sign-in happens in the browser when prompted.

https://mcp.apatero.ai/mcp

2. Node Runtimes With npx

If you have Node 18 or newer, the npm package needs no Python at all. One command registers it with Claude Code.

claude mcp add apatero -- npx apatero-mcp

Prefer config files? The equivalent entry works in any MCP client, including Claude Desktop.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apatero": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["apatero-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

3. Python Runtimes With uvx

The PyPI package runs the full stdio server through uv, no permanent install required.

claude mcp add apatero -- uvx apatero-studio-mcp

Or declare it in config with an API key for headless environments.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apatero": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["apatero-studio-mcp"],
      "env": { "APATERO_API_KEY": "ap_live_..." }
    }
  }
}

4. Homebrew on macOS

The tap installs the server plus the apatero CLI in one shot. Log in once and both share the same cached credentials.

brew install apatero-org/tap/apatero
apatero login
claude mcp add apatero -- apatero-studio-mcp

OAuth Login or API Keys

Two authentication paths, both first class. Pick per environment, not per lifetime.

OAuth Browser Login

Run apatero login and your browser opens to sign in and authorize. The token is cached locally and refreshed automatically, so there is never a key to paste or rotate by hand.

Best for your own machine, Claude Desktop, and everyday interactive use.

ap_live_ API Keys

Create a key in the Apatero app under the Developer section in Billing. Set it as APATERO_API_KEY and every transport accepts it, including the remote server's Authorization header.

Best for CI, servers, shared automations, and anywhere a browser cannot open. If both are present, the key wins.

What People Actually Build With It

The signature flow is the influencer loop. Ask Claude to create a character, and it generates a portrait set and saves it as a reusable Soul in one instruction.

From there the same conversation can place that character in new scenes, produce a talking clip, and fan a portrait into a batch of Instagram-ready posts through Insta Dump.

Writers draft stories and kick off illustrated drafts. Marketers generate on-brand visuals from saved brand kits without touching a design tool. And because the balance tool is free, you can watch credit spend between steps.

See it in practice in our guides to generating images from Claude and building an AI influencer inside Claude.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Apatero MCP?

An MCP server that connects Claude to your Apatero Studio account. It exposes 20 tools covering images, video, talking avatars, Souls, Insta Dump batches, brands, and stories, all driven by plain conversation.

Which Claude Surfaces Does It Work With?

Claude.ai via the remote custom connector, Claude Desktop and Claude Code via stdio config, and any other MCP-compatible client. The npx and uvx packages cover Node and Python environments respectively.

Does Using the MCP Cost Extra?

No. The MCP itself is free and open. Generations spend the same Apatero credits as the web app, and read-only tools like listing models or checking your balance cost nothing.

Should I Use OAuth or an API Key?

OAuth (apatero login) is the comfortable interactive path, a browser sign-in with auto-refreshed tokens. ap_live_ API keys suit headless, CI, and remote setups. If both exist, the key takes precedence.

Do Generated Images Show Up in the Chat?

Yes. Images render inline in the conversation, and every result also includes a full-resolution link. Video renders return a generation id you can check from chat while they finish.

Do I Need an Apatero Subscription?

You need an account with credits, and your first generation is free. Upload-dependent tools like creating Souls and Insta Dump require an active subscription, and Story Mode ships with the Studio tier.

Is There a CLI Too?

Yes. Installing the package also registers an apatero CLI covering models, balance, generate, status, recent, login, and logout, handy for scripts and quick checks outside Claude.

Put Apatero in Your Claude

Your first generation is on us. The MCP is free, forever.

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