Keynote MCP
A Model Context Protocol server that enables AI assistants to control Apple Keynote presentations through AppleScript automation, supporting comprehensive slide creation, management, and content operations.
What is Keynote MCP?
Keynote MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to model context protocol server that enables ai assistants to control apple keynote presentations through applescript automation, supporting comprehensive slide creation, management, and content operati...
A Model Context Protocol server that enables AI assistants to control Apple Keynote presentations through AppleScript automation, supporting comprehensive slide creation, management, and content operations.
This server falls under the Business Applications category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A Model Context Protocol server that enables AI assistants t
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx keynote-mcpConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Keynote MCP
Keynote MCP is a Python-based MCP server that enables AI assistants to control Apple Keynote presentations through AppleScript automation, allowing full programmatic creation and editing of presentations, slides, and content elements. It supports inserting text boxes, titles, images, bullet lists, code blocks, tables, and charts, and can also search Unsplash for high-quality images to embed automatically. macOS users who want to generate polished presentations from natural language descriptions — without manually opening Keynote — use this server to let an AI build entire slide decks on their behalf.
Prerequisites
- macOS with Apple Keynote installed (available from the Mac App Store)
- Python 3.9+ with pip installed
- An Unsplash developer API key if you want automatic image search and insertion (free at unsplash.com/developers)
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop configured to run Python MCP servers
- Accessibility permissions granted to your terminal or MCP client app in System Preferences → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
Clone the keynote-mcp repository
Clone the repository to your local machine and navigate into the project directory.
git clone https://github.com/easychen/keynote-mcp.git
cd keynote-mcpInstall Python dependencies
Install the required Python packages listed in requirements.txt.
pip install -r requirements.txtConfigure the Unsplash API key (optional)
Copy the example environment file and add your Unsplash access key to enable automatic image search and insertion into slides.
cp env.example .env
# Edit .env and set:
# UNSPLASH_KEY=your_unsplash_access_key_hereGrant Accessibility permissions
Keynote MCP uses AppleScript to control Keynote. Open System Preferences → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and grant access to Terminal (or your MCP client app like Claude Desktop).
Configure your MCP client
Add keynote-mcp to your claude_desktop_config.json with the path to the server script and optional Unsplash key.
{
"mcpServers": {
"keynote": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["/Users/you/keynote-mcp/start_server.py"],
"env": {
"UNSPLASH_KEY": "your_unsplash_access_key_here"
}
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop and verify
Restart your MCP client. Keynote tools should appear. Ask your AI assistant to create a new presentation to verify everything is working.
Keynote MCP Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop config entry for the Keynote MCP server with Unsplash image support.
{
"mcpServers": {
"keynote": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["/Users/you/keynote-mcp/start_server.py"],
"env": {
"UNSPLASH_KEY": "your_unsplash_access_key_here"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts to use with Keynote MCP once connected.
- "Create a new Keynote presentation called 'Q3 Strategy Review' with 5 slides"
- "Add a title slide with the heading 'Machine Learning in 2025' and a subtitle 'Trends and Predictions'"
- "Insert an image about renewable energy on slide 3 using Unsplash"
- "Add a bullet list slide summarizing the top 5 benefits of TypeScript"
- "Export the current presentation as a PDF to my Desktop folder"Troubleshooting Keynote MCP
AppleScript error: 'Not authorized to send Apple events to Keynote'
Open System Preferences → Privacy & Security → Automation and ensure Terminal (or Claude Desktop) has permission to control Keynote. Also check Privacy & Security → Accessibility. You may need to remove and re-add the app permissions after updating macOS.
Unsplash images are not being inserted despite setting UNSPLASH_KEY
Verify the .env file is in the keynote-mcp project root and that the UNSPLASH_KEY value is your Unsplash Access Key (not the Secret Key). Confirm your Unsplash app has been approved and the key is active at unsplash.com/oauth/applications.
Keynote opens but slides are blank or content is missing
Some AppleScript operations require Keynote to be the front-most application. Try bringing Keynote to the foreground before running complex operations. If issues persist, close all Keynote documents and restart both Keynote and Claude Desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Keynote MCP
What is Keynote MCP?
Keynote MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that model context protocol server that enables ai assistants to control apple keynote presentations through applescript automation, supporting comprehensive slide creation, management, and content operations. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Keynote MCP?
Follow the installation instructions on the Keynote MCP GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Keynote MCP?
Keynote MCP works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Keynote MCP free to use?
Yes, Keynote MCP is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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