Anthropic
Claude Code + Pixeltable
Agentic coding in your terminal. Understands your codebase, runs commands, and edits files. Give it a multimodal backend: one app.py declares tables, computed columns, indexes, and HTTP routes.
What is Claude Code?
Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic coding tool for the terminal. It reads your codebase, edits files, and runs commands, so it can install Pixeltable, wire up the Skill and MCP servers, and iterate on app.py until the service answers.
Quick start
Four steps. The agent can run all of them when you hand it the setup playbook.
- 01
Install Claude Code
Requires Node 18+. Sign in with a Claude account after install.
bashnpm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code claude
- 02
Install Pixeltable
Python 3.11+ required. `pxt init` marks the project root; schema and service commands refuse an app without one.
bashpip install -U 'pixeltable[serve]' pxt init
- 03
Add the Pixeltable Skill
The Skill teaches the agent table/schema patterns, provider integrations, and anti-patterns. Skip this step if the full Pixeltable plugin is already installed. Source: https://github.com/pixeltable/pixeltable-skill
bashnpx skills add pixeltable/pixeltable-skill npx skills list
- 04
Ship a first app
Declare the tables, start the HTTP routes, then try them in the dashboard. For Cloud, the agent runs `pxt new` for a free database with no account and gives you its claim link, or runs `pxt login` for your account while you confirm its code. Then `pxt db update pxt://<org>:main --add-config-entry`, `pxt schema update`, and `pxt service update`, in that order. The flag writes the hosted entry. An API key is optional for CLI automation.
bashpxt service example --out app.py pxt schema update app.py my_app pxt service update app.py my_app pxt dashboard
MCP configuration
Pixeltable has three MCP servers. Connect the one the job needs.
| Server | Transport | What it can do |
|---|---|---|
| pixeltable-web | HTTP | Read-only docs search and integration listing. No table mutations. |
| pixeltable-cloud | HTTP + AuthKit | Read and operate the signed-in Cloud organization: databases, services, catalog, schemas, bounded table rows, failed cells, and logs. Starts a database or a service at once; stops or restarts either, or sets a secret, after a preview (confirm: true). ?read_only=true leaves only the read tools. |
| pixeltable-developer | stdio | Inspect schemas, query tables, run a REPL against a local or Cloud catalog. |
Connect Pixeltable Cloud (read and operate, AuthKit sign-in)
Optional, for Pixeltable Cloud users. The Pixeltable plugin does not configure it. Add it below, then run `/mcp`, connect `pixeltable-cloud`, and follow the AuthKit browser sign-in. The signed-in organization is the one the tools can read and operate. Stopping, restarting, and setting a secret return a preview until `confirm: true`. Add `?read_only=true` for read tools only.
claude mcp add --transport http pixeltable-cloud --scope user https://www.pixeltable.com/mcp/cloud claude mcp list
Connect the WebMCP (docs search, no auth)
One command registers the remote server at user scope:
claude mcp add --transport http pixeltable-web --scope user https://www.pixeltable.com/mcp
Connect the developer MCP (tables + REPL)
Install the server once per machine (step below), then:
claude mcp add pixeltable-developer mcp-server-pixeltable-developer
Install the developer MCP server
Stdio server that inspects schemas, queries tables, and runs a REPL against a local or Cloud catalog. Repository: https://github.com/pixeltable/mcp-server-pixeltable-developer
uv tool install mcp-server-pixeltable-developer # if uv is missing: # curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
Example prompts
What to ask Claude Code once Pixeltable is set up.
Install Pixeltable and set up a table that embeds every image I insert.
Build a RAG pipeline over the PDFs in ./docs and expose a FastAPI route that answers questions.
Transcribe every video in ./media with Whisper, index the transcript, and serve semantic search over HTTP.
Add a computed column that captions each uploaded image with a vision model.
Scaffold app.py with pxt service example, declare the schema, and start the service.
Take app.py and deploy it to my Pixeltable Cloud database pxt://myorg:main.
Build a background-remover API: image in, background removed, POST endpoint.
Common workflows
Set up a Pixeltable app
- 1.Hand the agent https://www.pixeltable.com/get-started.md and let it run the playbook
- 2.It installs the pxt CLI and the Pixeltable Skill
- 3.It scaffolds app.py, declares the schema, starts the service
- 4.It verifies the endpoint with a curl request
Build a multimodal pipeline
- 1.Describe the pipeline: ingest media, run models, index results
- 2.The agent declares the table and computed columns in app.py
- 3.It adds an embedding index and an HTTP route that serves results
- 4.Insert a row; computed columns run and indexes stay current
Deploy to Pixeltable Cloud
- 1.Ask the agent to deploy app.py to Cloud
- 2.With no account, the agent runs pxt new and sends you a claim link; with one, it runs pxt login and you confirm the code
- 3.It uses the organization’s main database or the database you specify
- 4.It runs pxt db update, pxt schema update, pxt service update in order
- 5.It finds the hosted endpoint with pxt service list; direct HTTP calls use an API key
Inspect a catalog over MCP
- 1.Connect the pixeltable-developer MCP server
- 2.The agent lists tables and views in the catalog
- 3.It runs read queries and reports schema and row counts
- 4.Keep human confirmation on: the developer server can change local catalog state
Tips for success
Troubleshooting
The Pixeltable Skill is not visible after install
Reload or restart the agent. Confirm the install path with `npx skills list` and that the skill targets the current agent.
The agent does not list the MCP server
Validate the config file JSON. pixeltable-web is a remote HTTP server at https://www.pixeltable.com/mcp; pixeltable-cloud is an AuthKit-protected remote server at https://www.pixeltable.com/mcp/cloud; pixeltable-developer is a stdio command, `mcp-server-pixeltable-developer`. Verify the local server is installed with `mcp-server-pixeltable-developer --help`.
`pxt service check` fails: modifies catalog while imported
app.py must declare TableModel tables and FastAPIRouter routes, not run pxt.create_table() at import. Scaffold with `pxt service example`.
Cloud deploy fails with 404: UDF not found
Order is required: `pxt db update pxt://myorg:main`, then `pxt schema update app.py pxt://myorg:main`, then `pxt service update app.py pxt://myorg:main`. Replace `myorg` with your organization slug.
Frequently asked questions
Can Claude Code set up Pixeltable on its own?
Which Pixeltable MCP server should I connect?
Can Claude Code deploy to Pixeltable Cloud?
Does the Pixeltable Skill work with Claude Code?
Related agents
The AI-first IDE. Agent mode edits across files, runs commands, and iterates on errors.
OpenAI's coding agent for the terminal and cloud. Reads and writes files, executes commands.
AI pair programmer with agent mode. The workspace agent understands your entire project.
Give Claude Code a multimodal backend
One app.py declares tables, computed columns, indexes, and HTTP routes. Insert a row; the pipeline runs.