Tinify image tools
dev.tinifyPublished by tinify.devv0.1.7Updated Oct 24, 2026
Compress, resize, crop, and convert images with the Tinify.dev API from any MCP client.
Overview
Local MCP server that lets an assistant compress, resize, crop and convert images through the Tinify.dev API, writing results to new files.
- What you can do
- Compress PNG, JPEG, WebP and AVIF files with quality modes and an optional target size
- Resize images by width, height or scale, keeping aspect ratio if wanted
- Crop images to a rectangle and convert between AVIF, WebP, JPEG and PNG
- Check plan, billing period and remaining operations
- Report exact byte metrics and whether a file was actually optimized
- When to use it
- Useful when you want an assistant to shrink or reformat image assets on your machine, for example compressing a folder of screenshots or resizing photos for the web, and to see honest before/after sizes instead of guessed savings.
- Requirements
- Runs locally via npx, so Node.js 20 or newer is needed. Requires a Tinify.dev API key in the TINIFY_API_KEY environment variable; the free tier allows 500 operations per month. An optional TINIFY_BASE_URL variable overrides the API origin. Network access to the Tinify.dev API is required.
Installation
In SourceWeft
- Open Tinify image tools in the dashboard and add it to a workspace.
- Enable the server for the chats that should use its tools.
Desktop only via STDIO. STDIO servers start a local process, so they need the SourceWeft desktop host.
Other MCP clients
Follow the launch instructions in the repository.
README
@tinify-dev/mcp
MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for the Tinify.dev image API. Lets ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients compress, resize, crop, and convert images — with honest results.
- Never lies about savings — when the API cannot shrink a file it says so (
optimized: false) instead of writing a byte-identical "optimized" copy. - Never overwrites your originals silently — results go to
<name>.min.<ext>beside the input, or to an explicitoutput_path. Replacing a file requiresoverwrite: true. - Raw numbers in
structuredContenton every call, so agents can do math instead of parsing prose.
Not affiliated with TinyPNG. This server talks to the Tinify.dev API.
Requirements
- Node.js >= 20
- A Tinify.dev API key from tinify.dev/developers — free tier is 500 operations/month, no card required.
Setup
Claude Desktop
Add to claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit Config):
Claude Code
Cursor
Create .cursor/mcp.json in your project (or ~/.cursor/mcp.json globally):
Remote server (hosted)
The same five tools are available as a hosted streamable-HTTP MCP server - no install, works from ChatGPT connectors, the claude.ai directory, and any registry that expects a URL:
Two ways to authenticate:
- OAuth (for connectors) - ChatGPT connectors and the claude.ai directory only speak "OAuth" or "no auth". Add the server by its URL (
https://api.tinify.dev/mcp) and pick OAuth; the client discovers the authorization and token endpoints automatically from the server's.well-knownmetadata, registers itself, and opens a Connect Tinify page where you paste your Tinify API key. Your key stays the credential - the client only ever holds an opaque token that maps back to it server-side. - Direct bearer (for scripts/CLIs) - send
Authorization: Bearer tnf_live_...(ortnf_test_...) and skip OAuth entirely. Unchanged.
ChatGPT developer-mode connection
-
In ChatGPT, open Settings → Security and login and enable Developer mode.
-
Open ChatGPT Plugins, select the plus button, and add
https://api.tinify.dev/mcp. -
Complete Connect Tinify with a Tinify API key.
-
Add the connection from the conversation's tools menu, attach a PNG/JPEG/WebP/AVIF, and ask:
The hosted server cannot access local paths, so each image tool accepts exactly one of:
image— the ChatGPT attachment object. ChatGPT fills this automatically because the descriptor advertisesopenai/fileParams.image_base64— a portable fallback for other MCP clients, capped at ~28 MB decoded.
ChatGPT attachment downloads are HTTPS-only, reject private/reserved network targets and redirects, time out after 30 seconds, and are capped at the Tinify API's 40 MB limit. Successful operations return exact byte metrics and a temporary MCP result link. Existing base64 callers also receive structuredContent.image_base64 for backwards compatibility. get_usage is identical to the local version. Nothing is written to the user's filesystem.
Try it with curl:
For local files, prefer the stdio server above - it reads and writes them directly with no base64 round-trip and no 28 MB cap.
One server, two transport adapters
This repository intentionally supports both OpenAI and Claude:
- The shared tool names, Tinify client, result metrics, errors, and annotations are platform-neutral.
- The stdio adapter uses absolute local paths and writes files for desktop/CLI clients such as Claude, Cursor, and Codex.
- The hosted adapter uses ChatGPT file attachments or base64 and returns temporary result links because hosted servers cannot read a user's filesystem.
An OpenAI-only repository would duplicate the Tinify logic and make behavior drift more likely. OpenAI-specific descriptor metadata stays as a small additive layer in the hosted adapter; a separate repository is not needed.
For public OpenAI submission, set the portal-provided domain token as
OPENAI_APPS_CHALLENGE_TOKEN in /etc/tinify/mcp-http.env and deploy the
matching nginx location from deploy/nginx-location.conf. The endpoint returns
only that token at /.well-known/openai-apps-challenge; do not commit the real
portal token.
Tools
All image tools require absolute paths (MCP servers run with an unpredictable working directory) and pre-check the 40 MB API limit locally. API errors come back as readable tool errors with the error code and request_id to quote to support.
Example prompts
- "Compress every PNG in /Users/me/site/static/img"
- "Resize /Users/me/photo.jpg to 1200px wide and tell me how many bytes it saved"
- "Convert /Users/me/hero.png to webp with best quality"
- "How many Tinify operations do I have left this month?"
Limits and privacy
- Max 40 MB / 50 MP per image; PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF.
- Uploaded images and results are deleted from Tinify.dev servers after 2 hours.
- The server only reads the files you point it at and only writes where it tells you it wrote.
Troubleshooting
- "TINIFY_API_KEY is not set" — the server exits at startup with the exact config snippet to fix it. Add the key to the
envblock of your MCP config. invalid_api_key— the key is wrong or revoked; create a new one at tinify.dev/developers.quota_exhausted(429) — the monthly quota is used up; runget_usageto see the period end.- "path must be absolute" — pass full paths like
/Users/you/img.png, not./img.png. - Logs go to stderr; in Claude Desktop see
~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp-server-tinify.log.
Roadmap
- Batch tools (create/commit/wait/download) on top of the durable batch API — not in v1.
License
MIT © Stian Larsen
One-click / one-line installs
Cursor: Add to Cursor - then set your real key in Cursor's MCP settings.
VS Code:
Codex CLI:
or in ~/.codex/config.toml:
Claude Code plugin (MCP + image-optimization skill):
More: https://tinify.dev/mcp
Source: README.md at commit 957bc95
Tools
0Version history
1- v0.1.7LatestSep 16, 2026
Score
50% of the applicable checks met
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- Reached in the last 30 days25 pts
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- Auth declared10 pts
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- Tools listed15 pts
Answer tools/list without a credential, or ship a package that starts in a sandbox without one.
- DescriptionRequired15 pts
- Logo10 pts
- Documentation15 pts
- License10 pts