Overview
Generate and edit images and video, manage assets, and connect MCP clients from your terminal with picx-cli.
picx-cli is a command-line client for the PicX API, published on npm. It wraps the same /v1 REST API this whole reference documents, so anything you can do here you can also script.
| Install | npm i -g picx-cli |
| Package | picx-cli on npm, currently 3.0.2 |
| Auth | PICX_API_KEY env var, same key as the REST API and MCP server |
| Commands | 17 — see the Command Reference |
| Output | Human-readable by default, --json for scripts and agents |
v2.x of
picx-cliis deprecated — its original host is dead and a module it depended on was removed server-side. Install v3, described below; it's a clean-room rewrite with no shared code or behavior with v2.
Install & authenticate
npm i -g picx-cli
export PICX_API_KEY=pxsk_YOUR_KEY
picx whoami
No GitHub install, no build step — it's a normal published npm package. Get a key from API Keys if you don't have one. whoami confirms the key works and reports your account identity — there is no separate picx auth command.
Generate your first image
picx image "a sunset over mountains, oil painting style"
That's the whole quickstart — one command, one credit-charged call, one CDN URL back. For every flag, every command, and the full response shape, see the Command Reference.
Connect an AI agent via MCP
picx mcp install wires up the PicX MCP server for Claude Desktop or Cursor in one step, so an agent can call PicX tools directly instead of shelling out to the CLI:
picx mcp install --client claude
picx mcp doctor
mcp doctor verifies the endpoint is reachable and the configured API key authenticates before you rely on the connection.
Where to go next
- Command Reference — every command, every flag, every response shape
- Recipes — batch generation, folder edits, polling loops, CI usage
- MCP Overview — connect an AI agent directly instead of scripting
FAQ
How do I install picx-cli?
npm i -g picx-cli. It's published on npm — no GitHub clone or build step needed.
What happened to v2?
v2.x is deprecated on npm. Its original host is dead and a module it depended on (moodboards) was removed server-side. v3 is an unrelated, clean-room rewrite — install it fresh rather than upgrading in place.
Can an AI agent use the CLI directly?
Yes, by shelling out to picx commands with --json, or more directly by using picx mcp install to connect the agent to PicX's MCP server instead — see MCP Overview.
Does the CLI cost anything to use?
The CLI itself is free. picx image, picx image edit, and picx video deduct credits from your account per the live costs shown by picx models — read-only commands like picx whoami, picx balance, and picx assets list are free.