KaroStudio via MCP

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets apps like Claude or ChatGPT use external tools as connectors. KaroStudio provides an MCP server. With it, your assistant sees your projects, reads your style and creates new results. Everything lands in your Collection, just like in the app.

• Your style staysEvery image follows the rules of your project and template.
• One sentence is enoughDescribe what you need. The assistant picks the tool.
• Everything in the CollectionYou'll find the results in KaroStudio afterwards, too.

• A KaroStudio account with at least one project set up.
• A plan that includes MCP access: [Plan with MCP access].
• An assistant that supports MCP over HTTP, for example Claude, Claude Code, Cursor or VS Code.

From zero to your first image in the chat in three steps.

1. 1

   Create a token

   In KaroStudio, open your project, then Project settings and MCP. Choose Create token, give it a name (for example "Claude Lena") and pick the scopes.

2. 2

   Connect your assistant

   Enter the server URL and token in your assistant. Step-by-step instructions for each client are under Connect your assistant.

   mcp.jsonCopy

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "karostudio": {
         "url": "https://mcp.karostudio.example/v1",
         "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN>" }
       }
     }
   }

3. 3

   Give your first request

   Restart your assistant and type, for example:

   "Create 4 social posts in the Hafenküche style: summer at the harbor, boats, sun and sea."Copy

Choose your client. Replace <YOUR_TOKEN> with your token.

https://mcp.karostudio.example/v1

Each token belongs to one person and works for the projects you share when you create it. Grant only the scopes the assistant really needs. The token is sent in a header with every call:

Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN>

• projects:read
  See projects and templates
• style:read
  Read the style and rules. Changing them isn't possible over MCP.
• images:write
  Create, match, upscale and vectorize images
• collection:read
  Find results in the Collection

Ask your assistant about your projects. If the list shows up, you're connected.

To test without an assistant, use the MCP Inspector:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector

In the Inspector, choose Streamable HTTP as the transport, enter the server URL and set the Authorization header. All tools then show up under Tools.

These are the tools the server provides. The assistant picks them on its own based on your request. You don't need to name them.

• list_projects
• get_style
• create_image
• match_photos
• upscale_image
• vectorize_image
• convert_image
• search_collection

{}

{
  "projects": [
    { "id": "hafenkueche", "name": "Hafenküche", "style_version": 3, "templates": ["website-icons", "illustrations", "social-media"] }
  ]
}

{ "project": "hafenkueche", "template": "website-icons" }

{
  "version": 3,
  "basics": {
    "colors": ["#5B12E8", "#0000E0", "#EC4D38", "#111111", "#FFFFFF", "#F0FF00"],
    "typography": { "heading": "Fraunces 600", "body": "Geist 400" },
    "icons": "Phosphor, Regular"
  },
  "rules": [
    { "rule": "strokes", "value": "Even, 2 px", "source": "template" },
    { "rule": "shapes", "value": "Soft, large radii", "source": "project" }
  ]
}

{
  "project": "hafenkueche",
  "template": "social-media",
  "subjects": ["Summer at the harbor", "Boats in the evening light", "Fish sandwiches on the pier"],
  "format": "1080x1350"
}

{
  "job": "job_7f3c2a",
  "status": "succeeded",
  "images": [
    { "id": "img_01", "subject": "Summer at the harbor", "url": "https://…/img_01.png", "style_version": 3 }
  ]
}

{ "project": "hafenkueche", "images": ["https://example.com/terrace.jpg"], "strength": 0.6 }

{ "job": "job_91be04", "status": "succeeded", "images": [{ "id": "img_14", "url": "https://…/img_14.jpg" }] }

{ "image": "img_01", "factor": 4 }

{ "id": "img_01_x4", "url": "https://…/img_01_x4.png", "size": "4320x5400" }

{ "image": "https://example.com/logo.png", "colors": 3 }

{ "id": "img_22", "url": "https://…/img_22.svg", "paths": 48 }

{ "image": "img_01", "format": "webp", "quality": 82, "max_width": 1920 }

{ "id": "img_01_webp", "url": "https://…/img_01.webp", "size_before": "1.8 MB", "size_after": "412 KB" }

{ "project": "hafenkueche", "query": "boat", "favorites": true }

{ "results": [{ "id": "a-boat", "name": "Boat in the harbor", "url": "https://…/a-boat.png" }] }

Besides the tools, the assistant can read these resources, for example to bring your style along as context.

• karostudio://projects
  All shared projects
• karostudio://projects/{project}/style
  Basics of the project style
• karostudio://projects/{project}/templates/{template}
  Rules and style guides of a template
• karostudio://images/{id}
  A single result with preview and metadata

Ready-made templates your assistant offers as shortcuts (in Claude Code, for example, as slash commands).

• create_series
  Plans matching subjects for the topic and creates the series
  project, template, topic, count
• explain_style
  Sums up the style in plain words
  project
• photo_matching
  Matches photos and upscales them if you want
  project, images

Errors come back as MCP errors with one of these codes and a clear message.

{
  "isError": true,
  "content": [{ "type": "text", "text": "forbidden: This token can't use the project nordgarten." }]
}

• unauthenticated
  Check the header: Authorization: Bearer followed by the token. If needed, create a new token.
  The token is missing, mistyped or revoked.
• forbidden
  In the project settings under MCP, share the project and grant the scopes.
  The token can't use this project or tool.
• project_not_found
  Call list_projects first and use the ID from there.
  The project ID doesn't exist.
• rule_locked
  Adjust the job or unlock the rule in KaroStudio.
  The job conflicts with a locked rule.
• quota_exceeded
  Check your plan in Account settings or try again later.
  Your quota for this period is used up.
• rate_limited
  Wait a moment. The Retry-After header gives the seconds.
  Too many calls in a short time.
• timeout
  Ask again later with the job ID. Nothing gets lost.
  The result is taking longer than expected.

• Calls per minute
  [Number] per token
• Images per job
  [Number]
• Uploaded image size
  [Size] MB per file
• Quota
  Per your plan: [Plan]

Copy and adapt them. Name the project and template so the assistant gets them right.

• "Which projects do I have in KaroStudio?"Copy
• "Read the Hafenküche style and sum it up in three sentences."Copy
• "Create 4 social posts in the Hafenküche style: summer at the harbor, boats, sun and sea. Portrait 1080 × 1350."Copy
• "Create 12 icons for our website navigation with the Website Icons template."Copy
• "Match these three photos to our photo look and upscale them 4x."Copy
• "Turn our logo into an SVG with no more than three colors."Copy
• "Search the Collection for all favorites with boats."Copy

• Revoke tokensIn the project settings under MCP, you see every token with its last use and can revoke it right away.
• Style is read-onlyThe style can't be changed over MCP. Locked rules always stay locked.
• Shared projects onlyA token only sees the projects you picked when you created it.
• Fully traceableEvery job shows up in the history with token name and time.