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MCP Integration

HitPaw now provides an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for image and video enhancement workflows. This page focuses on the image side of the MCP integration.

This allows LLM clients such as Claude Desktop and Cursor to call HitPaw tools directly instead of integrating the REST API by hand.

Repository: HitPaw MCP Server

What You Can Do With MCP​

With the HitPaw MCP server, an LLM client can:

  • select a suitable image model based on the input content
  • submit an image enhancement task
  • check task status and fetch the result URL
  • transfer remote files to OSS before processing
  • list available image models and their recommended use cases

The MCP server also supports video enhancement. See the video documentation section for the video-specific workflow.

Supported Image Tools​

The current image MCP workflow is built around these tools:

ToolPurpose
photo_enhanceSubmit an image enhancement or super-resolution task
task_statusQuery task progress and retrieve the result URL
oss_transferTransfer a remote file to OSS and get a stable URL
oss_batch_transferTransfer multiple remote files to OSS
list_photo_modelsList image enhancement models and usage guidance

Why Use MCP Instead of Calling the API Directly​

Use MCP when you want an LLM client to orchestrate the workflow for you.

  • It reduces integration work for prompt-driven workflows.
  • It lets Claude or Cursor choose a model based on the image type.
  • It keeps the enhancement flow inside the AI client your team already uses.

Use the REST API directly when you are building a product-side integration, backend service, or custom application logic.

Quick Start​

1. Set your API key​

The MCP server uses the same HitPaw API key as the standard API.

export HITPAW_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Optional:

export HITPAW_API_BASE_URL=https://api-base.hitpaw.com

2. Run the MCP server​

Recommended:

npx @hitpaw/mcp-server

You can also install it globally:

npm install -g @hitpaw/mcp-server
hitpaw-mcp-server

Claude Desktop Configuration​

Edit the Claude Desktop configuration file:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hitpaw": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@hitpaw/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "HITPAW_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here",
        "HITPAW_API_BASE_URL": "https://api-base.hitpaw.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving the configuration.

Cursor Configuration​

Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hitpaw": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@hitpaw/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "HITPAW_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here",
        "HITPAW_API_BASE_URL": "https://api-base.hitpaw.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example Workflow​

Typical prompt flow:

  1. The user shares an image URL with Claude or Cursor.
  2. The client calls list_photo_models to determine the best model.
  3. The client calls photo_enhance with the selected model.
  4. The client calls task_status until the result is ready.
  5. The client returns the enhanced image URL.

Example request in natural language:

Please enhance this image and preserve natural facial texture:
https://example.com/photo.jpg

Environment Variables​

VariableRequiredDefaultDescription
HITPAW_API_KEYYesNoneHitPaw API key
HITPAW_API_BASE_URLNohttps://api-base.hitpaw.comAPI service base URL

When To Use MCP​

MCP is a good fit when:

  • you want to trigger image enhancement from Claude or Cursor
  • your workflow is prompt-first rather than app-first
  • you want model selection and task polling handled by the AI client

If you are integrating HitPaw into your own product or backend, start with the API Reference instead.

Ready to Start?

Get started by Purchasing an API Key Now to unlock full access to the HitPaw Enhancement API.