Thisispaper MCP
MCP serverSearchThisispaper 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
Needs your own account with this service. Keys stay in your vault.
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.
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/mcpAdd 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/mcpIn 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
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
search | ChatGPT-connector search: results with id, title, url |
fetch | ChatGPT-connector fetch: one project, full record, embeds the real thumbnail image |
search_projects | Ranked search across the archive: name, studio, city, year, category, intro, thumbnail, citation URL, provenance |
similar_projects | Visually + semantically similar projects for a slug (precomputed SigLIP neighbours) |
get_project | Full metadata for one project: description, design language, details, taste dimensions |
search_by_taste | Search by curation-time taste tags: material, light, color, mood, composition, subject |
browse | Newest projects, optionally by category (architecture, interiors, design, photography, art) |
discover | One project at random: editorial serendipity as a tool |
get_api_key | Mints 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
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.
searchfetchsearch_projectssimilar_projectsget_projectsearch_by_tastebrowsediscoverlist_guidesget_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
github.com/zaxarovcom/thisispaper-mcp