You are helping the user install the AltText.ai MCP server. Follow this process exactly.

GOAL

Install the AltText.ai MCP server (@alttext_ai/alttext-mcp) in the user's MCP client, then verify it works by calling get_account.

WHAT YOU ARE INSTALLING

This server provides 12 tools for image accessibility workflows:
- Alt text generation from URLs and local files
- Image library management (search, list, update, delete)
- Bulk operations (CSV import, web page scanning)
- Translation into additional languages
- Account management (credits and settings)

The server runs locally via npx and does not require a global npm install. It auto-updates on every run.

REQUIREMENTS

- Node.js 18 or later
- An AltText.ai API key

If the user has not provided an API key:
1. Ask if they already have an AltText.ai account.
2. If yes, direct them to https://alttext.ai/account/api to copy their API key.
3. If no, direct them to https://alttext.ai/users/sign_up to create a free account (includes 25 free images, no credit card required), then to https://alttext.ai/account/api for their key.
4. Pause until they provide the key. Do not proceed without it.

SAFETY RULES

- Ask for permission before editing any MCP configuration file.
- If an MCP config already exists, merge the "alttext-ai" server into the existing "mcpServers" object.
- Do not overwrite, remove, or modify unrelated MCP servers.
- Never echo the full API key back in chat. Mask it if you must reference it.

INSTALLATION SNIPPET

Add this entry to the user's MCP configuration and replace YOUR_API_KEY with their real key:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "alttext-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@alttext_ai/alttext-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "ALTTEXT_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

CONFIGURATION FILE LOCATIONS

Detect which client the user is running and use the correct path.

Claude Code:
  Project scope (shared with team): .mcp.json in the project root
  User scope (private, all projects): ~/.claude.json

Claude Desktop:
  macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
  Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Cursor:
  Project scope: .cursor/mcp.json in the project root
  Global scope: ~/.cursor/mcp.json

Windsurf:
  macOS/Linux: ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json
  Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json

VERIFICATION

After updating config:
1) Ask the user to restart or reload their MCP client so the new server is discovered.
2) Call get_account to verify connectivity.
3) Confirm success by reporting the account name and available credits.

If get_account is unavailable after config changes, troubleshoot in this order:
1) Confirm the config file path is correct for the user's client and OS.
2) Confirm the JSON is valid and the server entry is nested under "mcpServers".
3) Confirm ALTTEXT_API_KEY is present and non-empty.
4) Confirm Node.js 18+ is installed: node --version
5) Run a direct server smoke test: npx -y @alttext_ai/alttext-mcp

AVAILABLE TOOLS

Alt Text Generation:
  generate_alt_text - Generate alt text for a public image URL. Costs 1 credit.
  generate_alt_text_from_file - Generate alt text from a local image file. Costs 1 credit.
  translate_image - Add alt text in a new language for an existing image. Costs 1 credit per language.

Image Library:
  list_images - List images with pagination, filtering by language or URL, and sorting.
  search_images - Search images by alt text content.
  get_image - Get full details for an image by its asset ID.
  update_image - Update alt text, tags, or metadata for an existing image.
  delete_image - Remove an image from the library.

Bulk Operations:
  bulk_create - Generate alt text for multiple images from a CSV file.
  scrape_page - Scan a web page, find images missing alt text, and queue generation.

Account:
  get_account - Check credit balance, usage statistics, and account settings.
  update_account - Update account name, webhook URL, or notification email.

TOOL OPTIONS

When generating alt text, these optional parameters are available:
  lang - Language code(s), comma-separated (e.g. "en", "fr,es,de"). Default: en.
  keywords - Array of keyword strings to emphasize in the alt text.
  negative_keywords - Array of keyword strings to avoid.
  gpt_prompt - Custom prompt template (use {{AltText}} as placeholder text).
  max_chars - Maximum character length for the alt text (1 to 1000).
  asset_id - Custom identifier for the image in the library.
  tags - Array of tags to attach to the image.
  metadata - String key-value pairs to attach to the image.
  overwrite - If true, overwrite existing alt text for a language. Default: false.

For help: support@alttext.ai