MCP Directory

How to add Cloudinary Asset Management MCP (Official) to Claude Desktop

Official Cloudinary server to upload, transform, and manage media assets via natural language. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 15, 2026 · 30★ · stdio · apikey · official

Claude Desktop config for Cloudinary Asset Management MCP (Official)

npx -y --package @cloudinary/asset-management-mcp -- mcp start
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cloudinary-asset-management-mcp-official": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "--package",
        "@cloudinary/asset-management-mcp",
        "--",
        "mcp",
        "start"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CLOUDINARY_API_KEY": "<your-api-key>",
        "CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET": "<your-api-secret>",
        "CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME": "<your-cloud-name>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

  1. 1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
  2. 2Paste the Cloudinary Asset Management MCP (Official) config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
  3. 3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
  4. 4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
  5. 5Open a chat and confirm Cloudinary Asset Management MCP (Official)'s tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

  • Node.js 18+ and npm (for the local npx-based install)
  • A Cloudinary account
  • Cloudinary credentials — cloud name, API key, and API secret — found in the Cloudinary Console under Settings > API Keys / Security (often supplied as a single CLOUDINARY_URL: cloudinary://api_key:api_secret@cloud_name)
  • An MCP-capable client such as Claude Desktop or Cursor

What Cloudinary Asset Management MCP (Official) can do in Claude Desktop

upload

Upload images, videos, and raw files to Cloudinary, optionally into folders and with tags

search / list assets

Advanced search and filtering by tags, folders, type, and asset properties

manage assets

Rename, update metadata and tags, and delete assets; retrieve detailed asset info

transform

Dedicated transformation tools that generate accurate transformation URLs and create derived assets

folders & tags

Organize assets with folder structures and tag management

archive / download links

Generate archives and download links for collections of assets

Security

The API secret grants full read/write to your media library and can delete or overwrite assets; treat it like a production credential and prefer a scoped key. Consider testing against a non-production cloud first.

Cloudinary Asset Management MCP (Official) + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Cloudinary Asset Management MCP (Official) config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Cloudinary Asset Management MCP (Official) safe to use with Claude Desktop?

The API secret grants full read/write to your media library and can delete or overwrite assets; treat it like a production credential and prefer a scoped key. Consider testing against a non-production cloud first.

How do I authenticate?

With your Cloudinary cloud name, API key, and API secret — typically passed as a single CLOUDINARY_URL (cloudinary://api_key:api_secret@cloud_name) in the server's environment.

Can I use it without installing anything locally?

Yes. Cloudinary hosts a remote MCP endpoint at https://asset-management.mcp.cloudinary.com/mcp that you can connect to instead of running it via npx.

Does it modify originals or just generate URLs?

Transformation tools generate transformation URLs and can create derived assets; your original uploaded assets remain intact in your environment.

View repo Full Cloudinary Asset Management MCP (Official) page