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The Poof MCP (Model Context Protocol) server lets you use background removal directly in Claude Desktop, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible AI tools.

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What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol is an open standard that lets AI assistants use external tools. With the Poof MCP server, Claude can remove backgrounds from images during your conversation.

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Installation

No installation needed — just configure Claude Desktop to use it: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "poof": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@poof-bg/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "POOF_API_KEY": "poof_your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Global Install

npm install -g @poof-bg/mcp-server
Then configure: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "poof": {
      "command": "poof-mcp-server",
      "env": {
        "POOF_API_KEY": "poof_your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Claude Desktop Setup

1

Get Your API Key

Copy your API key from dash.poof.bg.
2

Open Claude Settings

Click the Claude menu → Settings → Developer.
3

Edit Config

Click Edit Config to open claude_desktop_config.json.
4

Add Poof Server

Add the Poof server configuration:
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "poof": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@poof-bg/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "POOF_API_KEY": "poof_your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}
5

Restart Claude

Quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

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Available Tools

Once configured, Claude has access to these tools:

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poof_remove_background

Remove the background from an image. Parameters:
  • image_path (string) — Path to the image file
  • output_path (string, optional) — Where to save the result
  • format (string, optional) — Output format: png, jpg, webp
  • size (string, optional) — Size preset: full, preview, small, medium, large
  • crop (boolean, optional) — Crop to subject bounds
  • bg_color (string, optional) — Background color for RGB output

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poof_get_account

Check your account balance and plan details.

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Example Conversations

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Basic Usage

You: Remove the background from ~/Desktop/photo.jpg
Claude: I’ll remove the background from that photo for you. [Uses poof_remove_background tool] Done! I’ve saved the result to ~/Desktop/photo_no_bg.png. The background has been removed and the image now has a transparent background.

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With Options

You: Take ~/Downloads/product.jpg, remove the background, and give me a white background version for our website
Claude: I’ll process that product image with a white background. [Uses poof_remove_background with format=“jpg”, bg_color=“#ffffff”] Done! I’ve created ~/Downloads/product_white_bg.jpg with a clean white background, perfect for your website.

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Checking Credits

You: How many Poof credits do I have left?
Claude: Let me check your account. [Uses poof_get_account tool] You’re on the Pro plan with 3,766 credits remaining out of 5,000 this billing cycle.

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Configuration Options

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Custom Output Directory

Always save results to a specific folder: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "poof": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@poof-bg/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "POOF_API_KEY": "poof_your_api_key",
        "POOF_OUTPUT_DIR": "~/Pictures/Processed"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Default Options

Set default processing options: 
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "poof": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@poof-bg/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "POOF_API_KEY": "poof_your_api_key",
        "POOF_DEFAULT_FORMAT": "webp",
        "POOF_DEFAULT_SIZE": "medium"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Troubleshooting

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Server Not Appearing

  1. Check that your config file is valid JSON
  2. Ensure the API key is correct
  3. Restart Claude Desktop completely (quit from menu bar)
  4. Check Claude’s developer console for errors

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Permission Errors

Claude needs permission to access files. If you get permission errors:
  1. Check that the file path is correct
  2. Ensure Claude has access to that directory
  3. Try using an absolute path

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API Errors

Check your API key and credits:
You: Check my Poof account status
If you see authentication errors, verify your POOF_API_KEY in the config.

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Other MCP Clients

The Poof MCP server works with any MCP-compatible client:

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Cursor

Add to your Cursor settings: 
{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "poof": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@poof-bg/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "POOF_API_KEY": "poof_your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Other Clients

Refer to your MCP client’s documentation for how to add servers. The configuration is similar — you need to specify the command and environment variables.