---
title: "Give Claude access to images with MCP"
description: "Cloud MCP returns JSON rows, not image bytes. Store stills in Pixeltable, run a vision column, then let Claude read that text through get_table_rows."
url: "https://www.pixeltable.com/developers/mcp-cloud/give-claude-access-to-images"
---

# Give Claude access to images with MCP

Claude does not receive image bytes from Pixeltable Cloud MCP. `get_table_rows` returns JSON: at most 25 rows per call, and each string is clipped at 2000 characters. An Image column shows up as JSON (typically a URI or metadata), not pixels. If you need Claude to reason about a still, run a vision model as a computed column, then let Claude read that text.

The hosted endpoint is `https://www.pixeltable.com/mcp/cloud`. Claude Code is the documented client; other Claude MCP clients use the same URL.

## 1. Connect Cloud MCP

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http pixeltable-cloud --scope user https://www.pixeltable.com/mcp/cloud
```

Run `/mcp`, select `pixeltable-cloud`, and complete browser sign-in. If you have no organization, ask Claude to create one. The other tools act in it at once, on the same connection, with no new sign-in.

## 2. Store stills and run a vision column

`generate_content` accepts a prompt, or a list of images and text, as `contents`. The caption is stored on the row. Cloud MCP never sees the pixels. Deploy the table to the hosted database, since Cloud MCP reads only that:

```python
import pixeltable as pxt
from pixeltable.functions.gemini import generate_content

TableModel = pxt.model_base()

class Stills(TableModel, name='stills'):
    image: pxt.Image
    prompt: pxt.String
    output = generate_content(
        [prompt, image],
        model='gemini-2.5-flash',
    )
    caption = output['candidates'][0]['content']['parts'][0]['text']

# In a project from pxt init, with google-genai in requirements.txt:
# pxt db diff pxt://myorg:main --add-config-entry
# pxt db update pxt://myorg:main -f
# pxt schema update app.py pxt://myorg:main -f
# pxt secret set pxt://myorg:main GEMINI_API_KEY=your-key
# pxt db restart pxt://myorg:main
```

The hosted database reads `GEMINI_API_KEY` from its secrets, not from your shell, and reads secrets when it starts. Then insert a still:

```python
import pixeltable as pxt

stills = pxt.get_table('pxt://myorg:main/stills')
stills.insert([{
    'image': 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pixeltable/pixeltable/release/docs/resources/images/000000000009.jpg',
    'prompt': 'Describe this photo in one sentence.',
}])
```

OpenAI `chat_completions` with an image part is the same idea on a different UDF.

## 3. Ask Claude to read the caption

Claude should call `get_table_schema` then `get_table_rows` on that table and use the caption (or other text) column. It cannot open the image file through this server. It cannot run arbitrary queries or invoke a service.

Parameters: `db` (required; `main` here), `path` (slash-separated; `stills` here), optional `limit` (1 to 25) and `offset`.

## What this server does not do

- It does not send image bytes, audio bytes, or video bytes to Claude.
- It does not raise Pixeltable's row clip above 2000 characters.