Using an MCP server to let Claude read your screenshots

Updated October 15, 2026

Pasting screenshots into Claude works, but it means switching apps every time. An MCP server flips that around: Claude asks for the screenshots itself. You say "look at my last screenshot" and it fetches the image from your Mac.

What MCP is, briefly

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard way for Claude to call tools that run outside the chat. A local MCP server is a small program on your Mac. Claude Desktop or Claude Code starts it, sends it requests, and gets back text or images.

Two things to know before you start:

Local servers work in the Claude desktop app and in Claude Code. Claude in a web browser can't start programs on your Mac, so this doesn't work at claude.ai.
The server only sees what it's built to see. A file server sees the folders you give it; a screenshot server sees its own list.

Option 1: A general file server pointed at your screenshots

The MCP project publishes a reference filesystem server that gives Claude access to folders you choose. It needs Node.js installed. Point it at a dedicated screenshots folder rather than your whole Desktop.

First, make macOS save screenshots to their own folder:

mkdir -p ~/Pictures/Screenshots
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/Pictures/Screenshots
killall SystemUIServer

Claude Desktop. Open Settings, go to Developer and click Edit Config. This opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Add the server, replacing you with your username:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "screenshots": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem",
        "/Users/you/Pictures/Screenshots"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Quit Claude Desktop completely and open it again. It only reads this file at startup.

Claude Code. One command adds it for every project:

claude mcp add --scope user screenshots -- npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem ~/Pictures/Screenshots

Run claude mcp list to check it connected, then start a new session. Inside a session, /mcp shows which servers are running.

A general file server has a limitation for this job: it sees only files, so screenshots copied to the clipboard and text you copied aren't there. Which of its tools return images rather than raw data has also changed between versions, so check its README.

Option 2: A server built for screenshots

A screenshot-specific server can do more than list files: return the newest images first, shrink large Retina captures so they fit, and include text snippets alongside the images. That's what ShotRack's server does.

Or use ShotRack

ShotRack is a Mac app that collects screenshots and copied text as you work, and it ships with an MCP server. Screenshots you take with Cmd + Shift + 4 (on English-language macOS) or copy with Cmd + Ctrl + Shift + 4 are collected automatically, and Cmd + Shift + X adds the text you last copied. Claude gets four tools:

Tool	What it does
`shotrack_list`	Lists what's collected, with sizes and text previews, without images
`shotrack_get`	Returns the newest 6 items, images included
`shotrack_get_items`	Returns specific items by ID, up to 10 per call
`shotrack_clear`	Empties the list

Images are scaled down to 1600 pixels on the long edge and sent as PNG, or JPEG when large. ShotRack keeps each response within a size budget so Claude Desktop accepts it; items that don't fit are named so Claude can fetch them in a follow-up call.

Claude Desktop: open ShotRack's Settings and click Connect under Claude Desktop. ShotRack adds itself to Claude Desktop's config file for you. Restart Claude Desktop, then ask "grab my shots".

Claude Code:

claude mcp add --scope user shotrack -- /Applications/ShotRack.app/Contents/MacOS/shotrack-mcp

The server has been tested with Claude Desktop and Claude Code. It reads ShotRack's data folder on your Mac, makes no network requests of its own, and its tools only work while ShotRack is activated on that Mac. The ShotRack app itself goes online only to activate and periodically re-check your license with Lemon Squeezy (sending your license key and a hardware identifier), and to download and install updates from GitHub automatically. Nothing you collect is uploaded.

$19 once, for Apple silicon Macs.

Get ShotRack for Mac

FAQ

Can claude.ai in the browser use a local MCP server?

No. A local MCP server is a program on your Mac, and the browser version of Claude can't start it. Use the Claude desktop app or Claude Code.

Where is the Claude Desktop MCP config file on a Mac?

At ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. In Claude Desktop, Settings, then Developer, then Edit Config opens it. Restart Claude Desktop after editing it.

Do I need to restart Claude Code after adding an MCP server?

Start a new session. Run claude mcp list to confirm the server connects, then check /mcp inside the new session.

Is it safe to give Claude access to my screenshots folder?

Point the server at a dedicated screenshots folder, not your whole home folder, and remember that anything in that folder can be sent to Claude when you ask for it.