Thisispaper MCP

MCP serverSearch

Thisispaper gives your AI access to a curated collection of more than 2,500 projects in architecture, design, photography, and art. Once added, you can ask your AI to search this collection and pull up relevant projects for reference or research. It is free to use and needs no signup.

Use Thisispaper MCP in Claude, ChatGPT or Ahel Desktop

Free. Sign in, add Thisispaper MCP and connect your AI. About a minute.

Also: Claude Code · Cursor · Codex

Then ask your AI: use Thisispaper MCP to search

Details

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Add thisispaper, then ask your AI to search for projects in a field you care about, such as architecture or photography.

Thisispaper MCPStart free

What your AI can do with it

  • Search 2,500+ curated projects across architecture, design, photography, and art
  • Find reference work for a design, art, or photography topic
  • Pull up project examples while researching or brainstorming
  • Search the free tier without creating an account

Install Thisispaper MCP

The server’s own address, for the clients that take one directly. Or connect Ahel once and every client you use reads it from one address, with the account kept on Ahel rather than in each client’s config.

  • Claude Code

    claude mcp add --transport http --scope user thisispaper-mcp 'https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp'

    Run it once in your project, then open /mcp to approve any sign-in the server asks for.

  • Claude Desktop

    https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp

    Add a custom connector in Settings, paste this address, and approve the sign-in.

  • Cursor

    cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=thisispaper-mcp&config=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGlzaXNwYXBlci5jb20vaW50ZWxsaWdlbmNlL2FwaS9tY3AifQ==

    Open the link and Cursor adds the server at that address.

  • ChatGPT

    https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp

    In Settings, enable Developer mode, create an MCP app, and paste this address. Your plan and workspace must allow custom apps.

  • Codex

    codex mcp add thisispaper-mcp --url 'https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp'

    Run it once, then sign in with codex mcp login thisispaper-mcp if the server asks for an account.

From the project's README

As published by zaxarovcom/thisispaper-mcp in README.md.

Thisispaper is an independent art, architecture and design publication. Every project in the archive was curated by human editors since 2011.

Search 2,500+ curated projects: search, visual similarity, and full project metadata with material, light, mood and composition tags written during curation. Free tier, no signup to try.

Contact: studio@thisispaper.com

  • Endpoint (Streamable HTTP, stateless): https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp
  • Docs: thisispaper.com/intelligence/api-docs
  • Auth: optional. Anonymous requests work out of the box (results capped at 5). A free self-serve key (200 calls/month) unlocks full results via Authorization: Bearer tip_live_...

Tools

ToolWhat it does
searchChatGPT-connector search: results with id, title, url
fetchChatGPT-connector fetch: one project, full record, embeds the real thumbnail image
search_projectsRanked search across the archive: name, studio, city, year, category, intro, thumbnail, citation URL, provenance
similar_projectsVisually + semantically similar projects for a slug (precomputed SigLIP neighbours)
get_projectFull metadata for one project: description, design language, details, taste dimensions
search_by_tasteSearch by curation-time taste tags: material, light, color, mood, composition, subject
browseNewest projects, optionally by category (architecture, interiors, design, photography, art)
discoverOne project at random: editorial serendipity as a tool
get_api_keyMints a free API key (200 calls/month) for an email address

Every project-shaped response carries provenance (curated by, selection date, in archive since) and a permanent citation_url.

Install

Cursor

Add to Cursor

Or add to .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "thisispaper": {
      "url": "https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Gemini CLI

gemini extensions install https://github.com/zaxarovcom/thisispaper-mcp

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http thisispaper https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp

Claude.ai (custom connector)

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector → URL: https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp

Any MCP client (generic)

Transport: Streamable HTTP. URL: https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp. No OAuth. Optional header: Authorization: Bearer tip_live_...

Getting a free key

Ask the agent to call get_api_key with your email, or use the API docs page. 200 calls/month, no card.

Try it

"Find concrete chapels in the Thisispaper archive"
"Show me projects similar to audeum-kengo-kuma"
"What materials define Japanese teahouse projects?"
"Find projects with rammed earth and dusk light"

About

Thisispaper is an independent art, architecture and design publication. Every project in the archive was curated by human editors since 2011.

Contact: studio@thisispaper.com

Tools it offers (10)

What this server listed when Ahel dialed its public endpoint in Sep 2026, with no key and no account of yours. The names are the server’s own.

  • search
  • fetch
  • search_projects
  • similar_projects
  • get_project
  • search_by_taste
  • browse
  • discover
  • list_guides
  • get_api_key

Signals

Last commit
Jul 2026
Weekly downloads
41
Weekly_downloads
39 weekly_downloads
Advanced
Delivery
thisispaper MCP server → your Ahel connector (mcp.ahel.ai) → your AI.
Item type
mcp-server
Key
io-github-zaxarovcom-thisispaper
Source
github.com/zaxarovcom/thisispaper-mcp
Hosted endpoint
https://www.thisispaper.com/intelligence/api/mcp