Cloudinary Shell MCP server

Cloudinary Shell (cldsh)

MCP server, interactive shell and scriptable CLI for Cloudinary

cldsh lets you work with a Cloudinary account like a file system:

• AI agents (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor) get Cloudinary tools through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), with previews and confirmation before anything is deleted or replaced.
• Developers get an interactive shell with folders, tab completion, history and inline image previews.
• Scripts and CI get single commands with JSON output and meaningful exit codes.

It works with both Cloudinary folder modes: dynamic folders (every account created since June 2024) and the older fixed folders. The mode is detected automatically.

Working on a project that uses Cloudinary? Give INTEGRATION.md to your AI agent or team: integration patterns (Next.js, React, Node.js, Python), transformation recipes and cldsh workflows.

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How cldsh compares

Cloudinary also publishes an official CLI (cloudinary-cli, Python) and official MCP packages (@cloudinary/*). cldsh is a separate, independent project built for a different workflow: one Node binary that is a shell, a scriptable CLI and an MCP server together, authenticated with your existing API key — no Python runtime, no OAuth browser flow, no hosted service required.

	cldsh	cloudinary-cli (official)	@cloudinary/* MCP (official)	community MCP servers
Runtime	Node, npx	Python, pipx/Docker	Node, npx per package	Node, npx
Auth	API key / .env	OAuth login	OAuth (hosted) or API key	API key
Interactive shell (cd, ls, tab completion)	✅	❌ one-shot flags	❌ not a CLI	❌ not a CLI
MCP server	✅ same binary	❌	✅ (5 separate packages)	✅
Confirm before delete/move/overwrite	✅ two-step token, --dry-run	❌	—	❌
Fixed/dynamic folder mode	✅ auto-detected	not documented	not documented	not documented

Pick cldsh for one local tool, API-key auth and a safety net on AI-driven changes. Pick the official packages for Cloudinary-maintained, domain-split MCP servers with OAuth and enterprise support.

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Quick start

Requires Node.js 20 or newer and a Cloudinary account (cloud name, API key and API secret, or a CLOUDINARY_URL).

# AI agents: add the MCP server to Claude Code
claude mcp add cloudinary npx -y cloudinary-shell --mcp

# Developers: open the interactive shell
npx cloudinary-shell

# Scripts: run one command
npx cloudinary-shell ls products --json

Install globally to get the shorter cldsh command: npm install -g cloudinary-shell.

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MCP server (for AI agents)

cldsh --mcp runs an MCP server over stdio (JSON-RPC 2.0). It supports protocol versions 2025-06-18, 2025-03-26 and 2024-11-05.

Client setup

Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cloudinary": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "cloudinary-shell", "--mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code: claude mcp add cloudinary npx -y cloudinary-shell --mcp

Cursor: Settings → MCP → Add new MCP server, type command, command npx -y cloudinary-shell --mcp.

Check the setup with cldsh mcp: it runs the handshake, lists the tools and makes a live call on your account.

Tools

Tool	What it does	Main arguments
cloudinary_list	List folders and assets (wildcards allowed)	path, resource_type, delivery_type, max
cloudinary_tree	Folder tree	folder, depth, resource_type, max_files
cloudinary_info	Full metadata of one asset	public_id, resource_type, delivery_type
cloudinary_get_url	Delivery URL, optionally transformed or signed	public_id, transformation, signed, resource_type
cloudinary_upload	Upload a local file or directory	local_path, name, folder, recursive, overwrite, resource_type, dry_run
cloudinary_download	Download assets to the local disk	public_id, destination, overwrite, dry_run
cloudinary_move	Move or rename an asset or folder	source, target, overwrite, change_public_id, dry_run
cloudinary_delete	Delete assets, or folders with recursive	target, recursive, resource_type, dry_run
cloudinary_mkdir	Create a folder	folder
cloudinary_rename_folder	Rename or move a folder (dynamic folder mode)	from, to
cloudinary_account	Cloud name, folder mode, credential source, remaining API budget	—

Every tool carries MCP annotations (read-only, destructive, idempotent), so clients can decide when to ask you.

Safety

• Two-step changes. cloudinary_delete, cloudinary_move, cloudinary_rename_folder, and uploads that would replace existing assets first return a preview with a confirm_token. Nothing changes until the agent calls again with the same arguments and that token. Tokens are single-use, expire after 5 minutes and stop working if the account changes. dry_run: true only previews.
• Local files. Uploads and downloads can only reach the folder the server was started in, the folders your MCP client shares as roots, and folders added with --allow-path. The cldsh credentials folder, ~/.ssh and hidden files (unless named explicitly) are always refused. Downloads never overwrite a local file unless overwrite: true.
• Server options:
  • --read-only: only the read-only tools (list, tree, info, get_url, account).
  • --allow-path <dir>: allow another local folder (repeatable).
  • --no-confirm: run changes in one call, as in cldsh 1.x. Use only for trusted automation.

"args": ["-y", "cloudinary-shell", "--mcp", "--read-only"]

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Command line (for scripts and CI)

Run any command directly: cldsh <command> [arguments] [options].

• Results go to stdout; progress, warnings and errors go to stderr.
• --json prints machine-readable JSON on stdout (errors are printed as JSON on stderr).
• Exit codes: 0 success, 1 error, 2 wrong usage, 3 partly failed (for example 2 of 50 uploads failed), 4 needs confirmation (add --yes) or was cancelled.
• --profile <name> uses a saved profile for one command.

# Upload a build folder with subfolders
cldsh upload ./dist/assets -r --to site/assets

# CDN URLs of every asset in a folder
cldsh ls portfolio --json | jq -r '.files[].secure_url'

# Assets larger than 100 KB
cldsh ls portfolio --json | jq -r '.files[] | select(.bytes > 100000) | .public_id'

# Preview a delete, then run it without the question
cldsh rm 'old-*' --dry-run
cldsh rm -r archive/2023 --yes

Quote wildcards. Your shell expands an unquoted cld* into local file names before cldsh sees it. Write cldsh rm 'cld*'. If every name given to rm exists in the local directory, cldsh refuses and reminds you.

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Interactive shell

Run cldsh with no arguments.

Connected to Cloudinary account: my-cloud (global credentials profile (default))
[my-cloud]$~ cd products
[my-cloud]$~/products ls -l

      SIZE(KB)  DIMENSIONS(px)  NAME      FORMAT  TYPE
      ────────  ──────────────  ────────  ──────  ─────
           245  1200x630        hero      png     image
            15  512x512         logo      svg     image
          1830  1920x1080       promo     mp4     video

• The prompt shows the account (and profile) and the current folder.
• Tab completes commands, options, folder paths (cd apps/<Tab>) and asset names.
• History is kept across sessions in ~/.cldsh_history (private file; lines with credentials are never saved).
• Paths are relative to the current folder; / or ~ is the root, .. goes up, cd - goes back.
• help lists all commands; help <command> lists all options of one command.

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Commands

Command	What it does
login [profile] [URL] [--stdin]	Connect an account and save it as a profile (checked with Cloudinary first)
config [ls | use <profile> | rm <profile>]	Show the active account and which sources it overrides; list, switch or remove profiles
ls [path|pattern] [-l]	List folders and assets
cd, pwd	Change and show the current Cloudinary folder (shell only)
lcd, lpwd	Change and show the local directory
mkdir <folder>...	Create folders (parents included)
upload <path> [name] [--to folder] [-r]	Upload a file or a directory
download <name|pattern>... [destination] [-f]	Download assets
mv <source> <target> [-o] [--public-id]	Move or rename an asset or folder
info <name>	Asset metadata (-v for the full API response)
url <name|pattern>... [--t=...] [--signed]	Delivery URLs
view <name> (alias preview)	Show an image or video thumbnail in the terminal
open <name>	Open an asset in the browser
rm [-r] <name|folder|pattern>... [-y]	Delete assets, or folders with -r
tree [folder] [-d N]	Folder tree
quota	Remaining Admin API requests this hour and the folder mode
mcp	Check the MCP server

Options shared by many commands:

Option	Meaning
--rt=image|video|raw|all	Resource type. Listings show all types by default.
--type=upload|private|authenticated	Delivery type
--dry-run	Show what would happen without changing anything
-y, --yes	Don't ask for confirmation
--json	JSON output

Assets can be named by their name in the current folder, by path (products/hero), by public ID, or as asset_id:<id>. If a name matches several assets (for example an image and a video called intro), cldsh lists them; add --rt or use the public ID.

Uploading

[my-cloud]$~/products upload ~/Pictures/hero.png
Uploaded (created): https://res.cloudinary.com/my-cloud/image/upload/v1730000000/products/hero.png

[my-cloud]$~ upload ./media -r --to campaigns/fall
[1/3] created https://res.cloudinary.com/my-cloud/image/upload/.../campaigns/fall/banner.png
[2/3] created https://res.cloudinary.com/my-cloud/video/upload/.../campaigns/fall/teaser.mp4
[3/3] created https://res.cloudinary.com/my-cloud/raw/upload/.../campaigns/fall/notes.txt

• The resource type comes from the file extension: images (including PDF and SVG) → image, video and audio → video, everything else → raw. --rt overrides it.
• Images and videos get a public ID without extension; raw files keep it (notes.txt).
• -r includes subdirectories as subfolders. Dotfiles are skipped.
• Existing assets are overwritten and reported as overwritten; --no-overwrite keeps them (skipped).
• When two files would get the same public ID (photo.jpg, photo.png), both get their extension as suffix (photo_jpg, photo_png).
• Files over 20 MB are uploaded in chunks with progress; temporary failures are retried.
• --dry-run shows the planned public IDs and works without credentials.

Deleting

[my-cloud]$~/products rm hero
deleted  products/hero
Deleted 1 · not found 0 · failed 0

[my-cloud]$~ rm -r campaigns/fall
Delete 3 assets (1 image, 1 video, 1 raw, 2.1 MB) and 1 folder in cloud my-cloud:
  ...
Proceed? [y/N]

• rm -r deletes everything in the folder and its subfolders (all resource and delivery types), then the folder.
• Recursive deletes, wildcard deletes and deletes of more than 20 assets show the plan and ask first. Emptying the whole account asks you to type the cloud name. -y skips the question; scripts need --yes.
• Every asset is reported as deleted, not found or failed, and the exit code is 3 if anything was not found or failed.
• --skip-backup deletes folders that still hold backups of deleted assets.

Moving and renaming

[my-cloud]$~/products mv hero archive/
Moved: /products/hero -> /archive/hero (URL unchanged)

• Dynamic folder mode: moving and renaming keep the delivery URL (the folder and display name change). --public-id also renames the public ID, which changes the URL. Folders can be moved and renamed: mv products catalog/products.
• Fixed folder mode: the folder is part of the public ID, so moving or renaming changes the URL. Cloudinary can't move folders in this mode.
• An existing target stops the move; -o goes ahead. In dynamic mode, -o only replaces an asset with the same public ID; an asset that merely has the same name is kept.
• --dry-run shows whether the URL will change.

URLs, previews and downloads

url hero                          # delivery URL
url hero --t="f_auto,q_auto,w_800" # with a transformation
url 'banner-*'                    # several assets
url private-doc --signed          # signed URL for authenticated assets
view hero --t="e_grayscale"       # inline preview (iTerm2, WezTerm, Ghostty, VS Code, Warp)
download 'shots/*' ./shots/       # several files into a folder

• Unsigned URLs without --t are exactly the asset's secure_url.
• view prints the preview URL when the terminal can't show images.
• download skips local files that already exist unless -f; private and authenticated assets download through signed URLs.

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Accounts and credentials

# Interactive (the secret is not shown while you type)
cldsh login

# From a script, without putting the secret in your shell history
printf %s "$CLOUDINARY_URL" | cldsh login prod --stdin

cldsh config ls          # saved profiles
cldsh config use prod    # switch (also inside the shell)
cldsh config             # active account, where it comes from, what it overrides

Profiles are stored in ~/.config/cldsh/credentials.json (%APPDATA%\cldsh on Windows) with owner-only permissions. Writes are atomic, and a damaged file is never overwritten (login --reset moves it aside).

When several sources are present, the strongest wins:

1. --profile <name>, config use / login in the current shell, or CLOUDINARY_PROFILE
2. CLOUDINARY_URL (or CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME, CLOUDINARY_API_KEY, CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET) in the environment
3. A .env file in the current directory
4. The saved default profile

cldsh warns at startup, and config shows, when a source is overridden. CLOUDINARY_URL options such as ?upload_prefix=https://api-eu.cloudinary.com (EU/AP data centers) and private CDN settings are supported.

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Folder modes and API limits

• cldsh detects the folder mode of your account. Override it with --folder-mode=fixed|dynamic or CLDSH_FOLDER_MODE.
• Listing folders and assets uses Cloudinary's Admin API, which is rate-limited per hour (500 requests on the Free plan). cldsh caches listings for a few seconds, warns when less than 10% of the hourly budget is left, and quota shows the remaining requests. Uploads and delivery URLs don't count.
• In fixed folder mode, listing a folder also pages through its subfolders' assets, so very large folders cost more requests.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
Not connected to a Cloudinary account	Run cldsh login, or set CLOUDINARY_URL. cldsh config shows what is active.
The wrong account is used	cldsh config lists the source in use and the ones it overrides.
Refusing to run "rm" on ... names that all exist in the local directory	Your shell expanded a wildcard; quote it: cldsh rm 'cld*'.
needs an interactive terminal / exit code 4	The command wants a confirmation; add --yes in scripts.
matches 2 assets	Add --rt=image (or video/raw) or use the public ID.
Rate limit reached	cldsh quota shows when the hourly budget resets.

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License

MIT. See CHANGELOG.md for changes between versions.