nettsaga-mcp

MCP server for searching and downloading stock photos from iStock and Pexels — directly from Claude Code.

Quick Setup

1. Get your API keys

• iStock: Use your iStock account email and password
• Pexels: Get a free API key at pexels.com/api/new

2. Install the MCP server

Run this in your terminal (replace the values with your own credentials):

PowerShell (Windows):

claude mcp add nettsaga -s user -e [email protected] -e ISTOCK_PASSWORD=yourpassword -e PEXELS_API_KEY=yourpexelsapikey -- npx nettsaga-mcp

Bash (macOS/Linux):

claude mcp add nettsaga -s user \
  -e [email protected] \
  -e ISTOCK_PASSWORD=yourpassword \
  -e PEXELS_API_KEY=yourpexelsapikey \
  -- npx nettsaga-mcp

3. Restart Claude Code

Close and reopen Claude Code (or reload the window). The tools will be available in every project.

Available Tools

| Tool | Source | Description | |------|--------|-------------| | istock_login | iStock | Signs in to iStock. Call before searching/downloading. Persists session. | | istock_search | iStock | Searches iStock and returns a screenshot for visual evaluation. | | istock_download | iStock | Downloads an image from iStock. Handles "Re-download for free" vs "Download this image" automatically. Sequential queue prevents conflicts. | | pexels_search | Pexels | Searches Pexels via API. Returns preview URLs and metadata. No login needed. | | pexels_download | Pexels | Downloads a Pexels image to a local path. Free, no login needed. |

Usage Examples

Search Pexels for images

"Search Pexels for dark modern dental clinic interior photos"

Claude will call pexels_search, evaluate the results, and suggest the best matches.

Download images to your project

"Download 3 hero images for my dental clinic website to public/hero/"

Claude will search, pick the best matches based on your site's theme, and download them sequentially.

Search iStock (premium)

"Search iStock for Norwegian mountain landscape"

Claude will log in (if needed), search, take a screenshot of results, and visually pick the best options.

Fill placeholder images

"My site has 3 hero placeholders and 6 service placeholders. Fill them with real photos that match my dark dental theme."

Claude will scan your project structure, find the placeholders, search for appropriate images, and download them to the correct paths.

How It Works

iStock (Playwright-based)

• Uses a headless browser to automate iStock
• Takes screenshots of search results so Claude can visually evaluate them
• Handles the download flow: clicks "Download this image" → "Confirm download"
• Skips images marked "Re-download for free"
• Downloads are queued sequentially (no parallel browser conflicts)
• Session is persisted so you only log in once

Pexels (API-based)

• Uses the Pexels REST API directly (no browser needed)
• Fast and reliable
• Free to use with your API key
• Returns preview URLs that Claude can evaluate visually

Environment Variables

| Variable | Required | Description | |----------|----------|-------------| | ISTOCK_EMAIL | For iStock tools | Your iStock account email | | ISTOCK_PASSWORD | For iStock tools | Your iStock account password | | PEXELS_API_KEY | For Pexels tools | Your Pexels API key (get one free) |

You can use just Pexels or just iStock — the tools work independently.

Troubleshooting

Tools not showing up

Restart Claude Code after adding the MCP server.

iStock login fails

• Double-check your email and password
• iStock may have changed their login flow — open an issue

Pexels search returns error

• Verify your API key is valid at pexels.com/api

Downloads not saving

• Make sure the save path is relative to your project root
• Directories are created automatically

Uninstall

claude mcp remove nettsaga -s user