MCP server (Claude, Cursor, Cline)

The Createa Meme API ships an MCP server, published on npm as @createa/meme-mcp. That means any MCP-compatible AI assistant (Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, Continue, and a growing list of others) can generate memes for you with no extra integration work — just paste your API key into the client config and ask.

You: "Make me a meme about Monday morning meetings"
Claude: [calls createa_meme_generate] Here you go: https://...

Before you install: get an API key. The MCP server uses your Createa Meme API key to authenticate every call — same key system as the direct API. The free tier gives you 20 generations per month with no card required.

👉 Get your free API key at dashboard.createa.meme, then come back here and paste it into the config below.

Quick install

Pick your client below, paste the snippet into its MCP config, restart, done.

Claude Code

~/.claude.json (or your project's .claude/mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "createa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@createa/meme-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "CAM_API_KEY": "cam_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor

~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "createa": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@createa/meme-mcp"],
      "env": { "CAM_API_KEY": "cam_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS, %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json on Windows. Same shape as Claude Code above. After restart, look for the 🔨 hammer icon in the input bar — clicking it shows the available createa tools.

Cline, Continue, anything else stdio-MCP

Same shape — command: npx, args: ["-y", "@createa/meme-mcp"], env.CAM_API_KEY.

Verify the install (works in any client)

Different clients show MCP differently — some have a /mcp slash command, some show a hammer icon, some don't surface the server visibly at all. The reliable test is just ask in natural language:

"Use createa to find meme templates about disappointment."

If install worked, the assistant calls createa_template_search and replies with a list of tpl_* IDs. Real templates returned = it's working. You don't need any UI.

If nothing happens or the assistant says it can't access createa, see Troubleshooting.

Tools exposed

Tool	When to use	Cost
`createa_meme_generate`	"Make a meme about X" — AI picks template + writes captions	2 credits
`createa_meme_caption`	"Caption Drake with these specific lines" — known template	1 credit
`createa_meme_ai_image`	"Generate a meme of a confused cat" — original AI imagery	3 credits
`createa_template_search`	"Find me a celebration template"	free

Get an API key (free, 20 credits/month) at the dashboard.

ELI5 FAQ

What's an MCP server?

It's a way for AI assistants like Claude Code or Cursor to call external services. Think of it as a USB port for AI: instead of every assistant having to write custom integration for every service, anyone can plug into anyone. Anthropic invented the spec; everyone else adopted it.

Why does this matter to me?

You don't have to build anything. If you already use Claude Code or Cursor, installing our MCP takes 30 seconds and from then on you can ask your assistant for memes mid-conversation — same as asking it to read a file or run a command.

Do I still need an API key?

Yes — the MCP server is just a thin wrapper that hands your prompts to our API. You get a key free at dashboard.createa.meme, paste it into the config, and you're done. The free tier (20 generations/month) works for casual use.

Will this slow my assistant down?

Only when you actually ask for a meme — and the cost is the API call itself (typically 2-12 seconds depending on the endpoint). When you're not using meme tools, the MCP server sits idle.

What happens if I run out of credits?

The tool returns an error message and your assistant tells you. Nothing breaks. Your free credits reset on the 1st of each month.

Can my assistant accidentally rack up huge bills?

No. The free tier hard-caps at 20 credits/month. The most expensive call is meme_ai_image at 3 credits. Even if your assistant burned through every credit in one session, you'd see ~6 image generations max — then it stops.

Is my data safe?

The MCP server runs locally on your machine. Your prompts are sent to the Createa API over HTTPS. We log requests for billing + abuse-detection (per our privacy policy) but don't train models on your prompts and don't share them with anyone besides the model providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI) that generate the captions.

What if I'm not using Claude or Cursor?

The protocol is open. Any MCP-compatible client works. The list is growing fast — Cline, Continue, Goose, and several smaller agents all support it today.

What can't this do yet?

Stuff on our roadmap — batch generation, GIF/video memes, branded watermarking. We'll add tools as those endpoints ship.

How do I uninstall?

Delete the createa block from your client's MCP config and restart. There's nothing else on your system — npx doesn't leave anything behind.

Troubleshooting

"The assistant says it doesn't know createa"

Most likely the config didn't load. Two checks:

Fully quit and relaunch the client. Running sessions don't pick up new MCP servers; on macOS this means Cmd+Q (not just closing the window).
Test the server runs standalone. This proves the binary works and your key is valid:
```
CAM_API_KEY=cam_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx npx -y @createa/meme-mcp
```
You should see one line on stderr:
```
[createa-meme-mcp 0.1.0] connected via stdio
```
Press Ctrl+C to exit. If it errored before that line, paste the output to us.