penpot-api-mcp 0.1.1

MCP server wrapping the Penpot REST API for headless design automation

penpot-api-mcp

MCP server wrapping the Penpot REST API for headless design automation. Provides read, search, and export access to Penpot projects, files, and design objects — without requiring a browser session.

Part of the Bodai Ecosystem alongside Mahavishnu, Akosha, Dhara, Session-Buddy, and Crackerjack.

Why this exists

The official @penpot/mcp (TypeScript) requires a live browser plugin to operate — it is the right tool for interactive canvas manipulation. This server targets the complementary use case: background automation, asset export pipelines, and AI-driven design queries that run without a browser.

Tools

Tool	Description
list_projects	List all projects for the authenticated user
get_project_files	List design files in a project
get_file	Fetch the full content of a design file
get_object_tree	Return the design object hierarchy for a file
search_objects	Search objects by name or type
export_object	Export a design object as PNG/SVG (base64-encoded)

Setup

uv sync
cp .env.example .env   # fill in credentials

Configuration

Environment variables (prefix PENPOT_):

Variable	Description	Default
PENPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN	API access token (preferred)	—
PENPOT_EMAIL	Email for password auth (fallback)	—
PENPOT_PASSWORD	Password for password auth (fallback)	—
PENPOT_BASE_URL	API base URL for self-hosted instances	https://design.penpot.app/api

Either PENPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN or PENPOT_EMAIL + PENPOT_PASSWORD must be set.

Running

# HTTP mode (default — Claude Code compatible)
uv run python -m penpot_api_mcp start --force

# stdio mode
uv run python -m penpot_api_mcp

Server listens on http://localhost:3051/mcp.

MCP configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "penpot-api": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:3051/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Development

uv run pytest                          # Run tests
uv run crackerjack                     # Full quality suite (ruff + mypy + pytest + bandit)
uv run ruff check --fix                # Lint
uv run mypy .                          # Type check

Architecture

penpot_api_mcp/
├── utils/transit.py      # Transit+JSON encode/decode (Penpot's wire format)
├── config/settings.py    # Pydantic settings (PENPOT_* env vars)
├── clients/              # httpx async client with dual auth
├── models/               # Pydantic models: Project, File, Object, ObjectTree
├── tools/                # FastMCP tool registrations
├── server.py             # FastMCP app + health endpoints
└── __main__.py           # MCPServerCLIFactory entrypoint (Oneiric)

Transit+JSON

Penpot's RPC layer uses Transit+JSON — a Clojure serialization format where map keys are ~:keyword and UUIDs are ~uUUID. The utils/transit.py module handles encode/decode at the API boundary, keeping all Python models clean.

Authentication

Two modes are supported:

• API token (PENPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN): sent as Authorization: Token <token> header
• Email + password: authenticates via /rpc/command/login-with-password, then relies on the httpx cookie jar (auth-token cookie) for all subsequent requests

License

BSD 3-Clause. See LICENSE.