Connect Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop supports custom MCP connectors directly in Settings — no config file editing required.

Steps#

1. Open Settings → Connectors.

2. Click Add custom connector.

3. Fill in:

   Field	Value
   Name	PicX (or anything you'll recognize)
   URL	https://mcp.picxstudio.com/
   Authentication	Leave on its default — PicX uses OAuth 2.1, so Claude opens a sign-in page on first use

4. Click Add. On first use, Claude opens a PicX sign-in page in your browser (OAuth 2.1 with PKCE) — approve it and the connection is authorized. No API key to paste.

   Prefer a static key (for a shared machine or an automation account)? Instead of OAuth, click + Add header and add Authorization: Bearer pxsk_YOUR_KEY — get a key from API Keys. Either plane works; OAuth is the default.

5. Restart Claude Desktop (or start a new conversation, depending on version). All 19 PicX tools should appear in the tool list within seconds.

Verify the connection works before relying on it: ask Claude "generate an image of a red apple on a white background" in a fresh conversation. If it calls picx_generate_image and returns an image, the connection is live. If Claude instead offers a stock-photo alternative or says it can't generate images, the header likely wasn't saved correctly — re-check step 4.

Common mistakes#

Do not add /mcp or /sse to the end of the URL. The server is mounted at the root path — https://mcp.picxstudio.com/mcp will 404.

PicX supports OAuth 2.1 — leaving the Authentication dropdown on its default lets Claude run the browser sign-in on first connect, with no key to paste. Only add an Authorization: Bearer pxsk_... header if you'd rather authenticate with a static API key (e.g. on a shared machine); in that case you don't need the OAuth flow.

FAQ#

Claude offered to use a different tool (like a stock-photo connector) instead of generating an image. Why?#

Your prompt likely read as ambiguous between "find a real, existing photo" and "generate a new one." The PicX tools' descriptions instruct Claude to prefer them for generation intent — being explicit ("generate an image of...", "create a video of...") should resolve it.

Do I need to restart Claude Desktop after adding the connector?#

Behavior varies by version — some pick up new connectors on the next new conversation, others need a full restart. If the tools don't appear, restart the app.

How is my access authorized — OAuth or an API key?#

By default, OAuth 2.1 with PKCE: Claude opens a PicX sign-in on first connect and PicX mints a scoped token — no key stored in Claude. If you instead add an Authorization: Bearer pxsk_... header, that key is sent only to https://mcp.picxstudio.com/ on every MCP request, the same as any key you'd use with the REST API directly. Claude Desktop does not log or forward either credential elsewhere.