Claude Code

Claude Code supports two connection methods: Skills (the recommended path) and MCP (for direct tool-call access). They work differently: Skills drive the gen-ai CLI on your machine, while MCP connects Claude Code to the hosted Picsart MCP server at https://api.picsart.com/gen-ai/mcp. MCP needs nothing installed locally.

Prerequisites

1. A Picsart account with credits for generations.
2. Claude Code installed and signed in.

That is all for MCP: the server is hosted by Picsart and you sign in from Claude Code. You do not need the gen-ai CLI or gen-ai login. Those are needed only for the Skills method.

Method 1: Skills (recommended)

Skills need the gen-ai CLI

Skills run the gen-ai CLI on your machine. Before adding a skill, install the CLI and run gen-ai login once. Check with gen-ai --version and gen-ai credits. The MCP method does not need this.

Skills give Claude Code a pre-built understanding of Picsart's models and generation patterns. You describe what you want; Claude Code handles the rest.

Install

claude plugin marketplace add PicsArt/gen-ai-skills

Then activate it inside Claude Code:

/plugin install picsart@picsart

Or via npx:

npx skills add PicsArt/gen-ai-skills

Or download the .zip from picsart.com/gen-ai-skills and place it in ~/.claude/skills/.

Use it

Invoke the skill directly:

/gen-ai-use

Or just describe a task. Claude Code detects the relevant skill automatically:

• "Generate a 16:9 hero image for a summer sale campaign using Flux 2 Pro."
• "Animate this product photo into a 5-second video with subtle motion."
• "Remove the background from all images in ./product-shots/ and save to Drive."

Claude Code picks the model, constructs the command, runs it, and returns the result URL.

What the skill can access

The gen-ai-use skill lets Claude Code use the models available in its installed CLI. The SDK catalog reference covers 222 models. Browse them at picsart.com/ai-playground or run:

gen-ai models
gen-ai models --mode video
gen-ai models --provider elevenlabs

Method 2: MCP

For direct tool-call access, connect the hosted Picsart MCP server. This lets Claude Code call picsart_generate, picsart_preflight, picsart_remove_bg, and the other Picsart tools explicitly. See the Claude Code MCP documentation linked above for general MCP setup options.

Add the MCP server

claude mcp add --transport http picsart-gen-ai https://api.picsart.com/gen-ai/mcp

If picsart-gen-ai already appears in /mcp (for example, because a plugin added it), skip this step and go straight to signing in.

Sign in to Picsart

1. Inside Claude Code, run /mcp.
2. Select picsart-gen-ai and choose Authenticate.
3. A browser window opens on the Picsart sign-in page. Sign in with your Picsart account.
4. Return to Claude Code. /mcp shows the server as connected.

If the browser does not open, copy the URL Claude Code prints and open it yourself. You can also sign in from a terminal with claude mcp login picsart-gen-ai.

Verify the connection

In Claude Code, ask:

"List the available Picsart video models."

Claude Code should call picsart_model_catalog or picsart_list_models and return a list. If it does not, see Troubleshooting below.

Use it

Once connected, Claude Code can call any Picsart MCP tool:

• "Quote the cost of generating an 8-second Veo 3.1 video at 1080p."
• "Generate a product image with Recraft V4, white background, square format."
• "Upload this logo to my Picsart Drive and use it as the input for a background replacement."

See the MCP Quickstart for the full tool catalog and example tool calls.

Choosing between Skills and MCP

	Skills	MCP
Setup	Plugin install plus the gen-ai CLI	One command plus a browser sign-in
Runs on	The gen-ai CLI on your machine	The hosted Picsart MCP server
What Claude Code knows	Pre-built Picsart instructions	Raw tool schema
Best for	Conversational generation tasks	Workflows that inspect cost, validate params, or chain tools
Prompt style	Plain English description	Can be explicit tool-call instructions

You can use both at the same time. The skill and the MCP server do not conflict.

Troubleshooting

Claude Code does not recognize the skill.

Run claude plugin list to confirm picsart@picsart appears. If not, reinstall:

claude plugin marketplace add PicsArt/gen-ai-skills

Then in Claude Code: /plugin install picsart@picsart

The skill runs gen-ai but gets "command not found".

This affects the Skills method only. The CLI is not on the PATH visible to Claude Code. Run gen-ai --version in a terminal to confirm it is installed, then restart Claude Code.

The sign-in window did not open.

Run /mcp, select picsart-gen-ai, and choose Authenticate again. If no browser opens, copy the sign-in URL Claude Code shows and open it manually.

The MCP server is listed but no tools appear.

Check /mcp. If the server shows as needing authentication, sign in as described above. If it shows as connected, restart Claude Code so it reloads the tool list.

Generation fails with "unauthorized".

Your Picsart session has expired or was revoked. Run /mcp, select picsart-gen-ai, and authenticate again.

Generation fails with "insufficient credits".

Ask Claude Code "What's my Picsart credit balance?" (it calls picsart_credits). Top up at picsart.com.

The connection fails on a corporate network.

Claude Code must reach https://api.picsart.com over HTTPS, and your browser must reach the Picsart sign-in page. Ask your network admin to allow both.

FAQ

Can I use Claude Code's Skills and MCP simultaneously?

Yes. Install the skill and add the MCP server independently. They do not conflict. Skills give Claude Code pre-built instructions; MCP gives it direct tool-call access.

Do I need the gen-ai CLI for MCP?

No. The MCP server is hosted by Picsart and you sign in from Claude Code. The CLI and gen-ai login are needed only for the Skills method.

Does installing the skill cost credits?

No. Installing the skill or adding the MCP server is free. Credits are consumed only when a generation runs.

Can I restrict which models the skill uses?

Not from within the skill configuration. To control models, be explicit in your prompt: "Use Flux 2 Pro for this. Do not use other image models."

How do I update the skill?

Run the two install steps again:

claude plugin marketplace add PicsArt/gen-ai-skills

Then in Claude Code: /plugin install picsart@picsart

Start creating

Click below to open Claude with a ready-to-run Picsart prompt. Claude will call Picsart MCP automatically once you confirm.

Ready to generate?

Start creating in Claude