# SightRadar MCP server

> Use SightRadar from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or VS Code. 39 tools for collections, photo indexing, selfie search and batches, with sign-in on sightradar.com.

Source: https://sightradar.com/mcp

The SightRadar MCP server turns the face recognition API into 39 tools an AI assistant can call: create collections, index photos, find a person's photos from a selfie, run batches, manage webhooks, and check balance and usage. You ask in plain language and the assistant picks the calls.

Connector URL: `https://mcp.sightradar.com/mcp`

## Set up your client

### Claude

1. On claude.ai or in Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector.
2. Paste https://mcp.sightradar.com/mcp and choose Connect.

Your browser opens sightradar.com to sign in and approve.

### ChatGPT

1. Open Settings → Apps & Connectors → Create.
2. Paste https://mcp.sightradar.com/mcp as the server URL and pick OAuth as the authentication.

ChatGPT sends you to sightradar.com to sign in and approve.

### Claude Code

1. Add the server from your terminal:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http sightradar https://mcp.sightradar.com/mcp
```

Then run /mcp in a session and choose Authenticate.

### Cursor

1. Add the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sightradar": { "url": "https://mcp.sightradar.com/mcp" }
  }
}
```

Cursor opens your browser to sign in the first time it uses the server.

### VS Code

1. Add the server to .vscode/mcp.json in your project:

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "sightradar": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.sightradar.com/mcp" }
  }
}
```

VS Code asks you to sign in the first time it starts the server.

## How sign-in works

1. **Sign in on sightradar.com.** Your AI app opens sightradar.com in the browser. Sign in with email and password, Google, or an email link, the same as the console.
2. **Choose what it may do.** The page names the app, the address it sends access to and the organization it connects to. Untick any permission you don't want. Account access always starts off.
3. **A key just for this app.** SightRadar creates an API key named “MCP: <app name>” for the connection and hands it to the MCP server directly. The key never passes through the browser or the app.
4. **Disconnect any time.** Every connection is listed under Connected AI apps on the API keys page. Disconnect signs the app out and revokes its key at once.

Clients that can send headers may skip the browser sign-in and pass an API key as `Authorization: Bearer frs_...`.

## Permissions

| Group | Tools | Allows | Spends credits |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `read` | 10 | View collections, batches, webhooks, your credit balance and usage. | No |
| `search` | 4 | Search, detect and compare faces. Stores nothing. | Yes |
| `write` | 8 | Create collections, index photos, register selfies, submit batches and add webhooks. | Yes |
| `delete` | 5 | Delete and restore collections and photos, and delete webhooks. | No |
| `account` | 12 | Manage API keys, profile, email alerts, auto-recharge, orders and team. | No |

Account can also change auto-recharge, which can charge your card, so it starts unticked on the sign-in page.

## Pricing

Normal API prices from your prepaid credits; 100,000 credits = $1, billed per photo processed, never per face. There is no MCP fee.

| Tool | Credits |
| --- | --- |
| search_faces, detect_faces, index_photo, register_selfie | 93 per photo |
| compare_faces | 93 per image |
| search_by_point_id | 62 per search |
| submit_batch, requeue_failed_batch_photos | 62 per photo |
| Reading, collections, webhooks, deleting | free |

## Local server

The open-source [sightradar-mcp](https://www.npmjs.com/package/sightradar-mcp) package runs the same tools on your machine over stdio with an API key, and can read image files from folders you allow. Run it with `npx -y sightradar-mcp` (Node.js 20 or newer):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sightradar": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "sightradar-mcp"],
      "env": { "SIGHTRADAR_API_KEY": "frs_your_key" }
    }
  }
}
```

## Questions

**Does the AI app see my API key?** No. The key is created on sightradar.com and sent to the MCP server over a server-to-server channel. The app receives OAuth tokens that only work against mcp.sightradar.com.

**Is using it through MCP more expensive?** No. Every tool call is a normal API call at the normal per-photo price, billed from your prepaid credits. There is no MCP fee.

**Can I limit what the assistant can do?** Yes. Tick only the permission groups you want when you approve. A connection with only Read cannot spend credits or change data. Tools outside the granted groups are not offered to the assistant at all.

**Can it read photos from my computer?** The hosted server takes image URLs or base64 data. The local server can also read image files from folders you allow with SIGHTRADAR_FILE_ROOTS.

Full guide, tool list and environment variables: https://sightradar.com/docs/mcp