MCP Pexels

@developer-ishan

Basic information

About MCP Pexels

Pexels MCP server — search and fetch free stock photos, videos, and curated collections from Pexels inside Claude, Cursor, Cline, and other MCP clients.

#mcp #model-context-protocol #pexels #photos #videos #stock-photos#stock-videos#claude #cursor #cline #anthropic #ai-tools #typescript

MCP Pexels config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pexels": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-pexels"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Pexels tools

Tool list not available yet

This listing does not currently have a tool list to display. This does not mean the server has no tools; check its documentation for supported capabilities.

Fetch the live tool list by running this server in a temporary sandbox using the button above.

Overview

What is MCP Pexels?

MCP Pexels is a Model Context Protocol server that exposes the Pexels API — free stock photos, videos, and curated collections — as MCP tools that any compatible AI client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, Continue, etc.) can call directly from a chat.

How to use MCP Pexels?

Add a JSON config block to your MCP client's settings with "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "mcp-pexels"] and set the PEXELS_API_KEY environment variable. Paste the config, restart the client, and the nine pexels_* tools are live. A free API key is available at pexels.com/api.

Key features of MCP Pexels

Nine tools covering photos, videos, and collections
Search, curated feed, and single-item retrieval for photos and videos
Featured and personal collections with media listing
Rate-limit data (_rateLimit) exposed in every response
Zod-validated input for all tool parameters
No global install required — npx -y runs directly

Use cases of MCP Pexels

Slide-deck and document illustration with royalty-free photos
Blog post or social media thumbnail suggestions from Pexels
Video editing research with filters for duration, size, orientation
Mood boards using color-filtered photo searches
Realistic placeholder imagery for coding agents generating CSS/HTML

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a Pexels API key?

Sign up at pexels.com/api — keys are issued instantly and the free tier allows 200 requests/hour and 20,000 requests/month.

Does this cost anything?

No. The Pexels API is free, the npm package is free (MIT), and MCP Pexels itself does not call any paid service.

Will this work offline?

No — the server is a thin wrapper over the Pexels HTTPS API and requires network access.

Can I use Pexels content commercially?

Yes, per the Pexels license, but you must attribute the platform and, when possible, the photographer.

Is there a hosted / SaaS version?

No. Run it locally via `npx`. Because Pexels API keys are per-user, hosting a shared instance doesn't make sense.

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