VS Code MCP Integration

Capture a webpage or turn HTML/CSS into a PNG, WebP, or PDF with HTML/CSS to Image.

You’ll need: an HCTI account with image credits. Sign in through your browser when connecting—no API key to copy.

Using Copilot in your terminal? Follow the GitHub Copilot guide.

1. Connect Copilot

In VS Code, sign in to GitHub Copilot, then:

Run MCP: Add Server from the Command Palette.
Select HTTP, enter https://mcp.hcti.io, and name it hcti.
Choose Workspace or Global, then start the server and accept its trust prompt.
Sign in to HCTI in the browser when prompted.
Open Copilot Chat in Agent mode and enable HCTI in the tool picker.

Set up with mcp.json instead

Merge this into .vscode/mcp.json, then start HCTI using the controls above the entry. Complete browser sign-in and enable its tools in Copilot Chat.

{
  "servers": {
    "hcti": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.hcti.io"
    }
  }
}

For all projects, use MCP: Open User Configuration. VS Code setup reference.

2. Take a screenshot

Send this prompt after connecting:

Use HTML/CSS to Image to screenshot https://example.com as a PNG.
Set viewport_width to 1440 and device_scale to 1. Return the image URL.

Open the returned image URL to view your screenshot. Replace https://example.com with your own public URL.

3. Render HTML/CSS

Try a small card with explicit text, colors, and dimensions:

Use HCTI to render this HTML and CSS as a PNG at device_scale 1.
HTML: <div class="card">Hello from HCTI</div>
CSS: .card { width: 1200px; height: 630px; display: flex;
align-items: center; justify-content: center; background: #172554;
color: white; font: 64px sans-serif; }
Return the hosted image URL.

The result is a dark blue card with centered white text. Edit the text or CSS and render again to refine it.

Create an Open Graph card

Give Copilot the relevant stylesheet and page title, then ask:

Read the brand colors and typography in this workspace. Create
self-contained HTML/CSS for a 1200×630 Open Graph card titled
"New release". Render it with HCTI at device_scale 1 and return the PNG URL.

Open the result to check the title, spacing, and brand colors. Ask Copilot to update the HTML/CSS and render again for changes. HCTI needs the rendered markup and accessible assets, so source component files may need to be converted first.

Available tools

HTML/CSS to Image (HCTI) exposes the same MCP tools in every supported client. Ask your assistant to use HCTI by name when you want it to render HTML/CSS or capture a website.

Account usage

Tool	What it does
check_usage	Check images used, the account’s image allowance, the next reset date, and whether overages are enabled. Does not render an image.

Screenshots and rendering

Tool	What it does
create_image	Render HTML and CSS as PNG, JPG, WebP, or PDF. Accepts rendering options such as `device_scale`, `viewport_width`, `viewport_height`, and `ms_delay`.
create_url_image	Capture a public webpage or a specific element using a CSS selector. Supports viewport settings and cookie banner blocking.
create_templated_image	Render a saved template using its `template_id` and a `template_values` object.
create_batch_images	Render multiple variations in one request, with shared `default_options` and per-image `variations`.
get_max_batch_size	Check the authorized account’s current batch limit before preparing a batch.

Template management

Tool	What it does
create_template	Save HTML and CSS as a reusable template with variables.
update_template	Update an existing template by ID.
list_templates	Find templates in the connected HCTI account.
list_template_versions	Inspect the version history of a template.

See the rendering parameters for available options and the Template Editor guide for designing reusable templates.

Troubleshooting

Missing tools or connection errors

Run MCP: List Servers and inspect HCTI’s status and output. Check that the workspace configuration uses servers, that the URL includes https://, and that OAuth authorization completed.

In Copilot Chat, use Agent mode and enable HCTI in the tool picker. Check the selected workspace or user profile if the server appears elsewhere but not in this session. Organization policy can restrict MCP access.

Rendering errors

HCTI fetches webpages from its hosted service. Use a publicly accessible URL; it cannot reach your computer’s localhost. For HTML/CSS rendering, supply the file contents and accessible assets rather than local file paths. Check your HCTI dashboard for available image credits.

See shared MCP troubleshooting for authentication and rendering errors, or choose another client.

Need help?

Talk to a human. Please email us support@htmlcsstoimage.com with any questions and we’ll gladly help you get started.