snapWONDERS MCP (local) — Claude Code MCP server
A local MCP server that lets the assistant read a file from your disk, send it for processing and write the result back where you can find it. Useful when the media sits on your desktop instead of a cloud bucket.
claude mcp add mcp-local -e SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY=<SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY> -- uvx snapwonders-mcpWhat snapWONDERS MCP (local) does
The server runs on your own machine. The assistant hands over a path, the process reads the bytes there and pushes them to the snapWONDERS API over HTTPS. What comes back is a file on disk plus a note telling the model where it went, not an asset id you have to redeem yourself. Four tools are exposed: analyse_file inspects an image or video (A–F grade, metadata exposure, traces of manipulation, hidden content, optional face detection and OCR), hide_file tucks a file inside a cover image or video, reveal_file pulls concealed content out, convert_file changes the format. The session, upload, job and polling steps are wired together in Python, so the model does not have to track them on its own.
You need a snapWONDERS account and an API key from your profile page. Registration is free, yet the address has to be verified, since keys from unverified accounts are refused. The key arrives as the SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY environment variable rather than a tool argument, which keeps it out of the model's context. Passphrases are the exception: hide_file and reveal_file accept one per call, so it travels through the context and can land in client logs. Lost passphrases cannot be restored. uvx is enough to start the server, no separate install needed.
Any file the process can reach is fair game for upload — that includes ~/.ssh/id_rsa if such a path shows up in a tool call. So the approval prompt in your MCP client is the real gate. Read the path before you click allow.
What it helps with
- check a received photo for concealed content
- pack a working file into an innocent-looking image
- extract something embedded in a video
- turn a clip or still into another format without a separate converter
- see which metadata leaks along with an image you plan to publish
Example prompts for the agent
- Analyse
~/Downloads/photo.jpgand tell me the grade, the metadata and whether anything is hidden - Hide
notes.txtincover.pngusing the passphrase frompass.txtand save the output next to it - Convert
clip.movto mp4 and tell me where the file ended up
How to install snapWONDERS MCP (local)
Platform CLI
claude mcp add mcp-local -e SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY=<SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY> -- uvx snapwonders-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from snapwonders-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
codex mcp add snapwonders-mcp-local --env SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY=<SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY> -- uvx snapwonders-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from snapwonders-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"snapwonders-mcp-local": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"snapwonders-mcp"
],
"env": {
"SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY": "<SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from snapwonders-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"servers": {
"snapwonders-mcp-local": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"snapwonders-mcp"
],
"env": {
"SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY": "<SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from snapwonders-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY=<SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY> snapwonders-mcp-local uvx snapwonders-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from snapwonders-mcp <command>
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about snapWONDERS MCP (local)
How do I install snapWONDERS MCP (local) in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add mcp-local -e SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY=<SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY> -- uvx snapwonders-mcp. Alternatively, name the server and set the transport explicitly: claude mcp add --env SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY=<SNAPWONDERS_API_KEY> --transport stdio snapwonders-mcp-local -- uvx snapwonders-mcp.
What does snapWONDERS MCP (local) do?
It gives the assistant four tools over files on your disk: analysis, hiding, revealing and format conversion. The file is read locally, sent to the snapWONDERS API, and the output is written back to disk.
How is it different from the remote https://snapwonders.com/mcp server?
The remote one needs no install and suits session and job orchestration. The local one can actually see your files, because it runs where they live and uploads them itself.
