Planet Labs MCP Server for Claude Desktop 12 tools β connect in under 2 minutes
Claude Desktop is Anthropic's native application for interacting with Claude AI models on macOS and Windows. It was the first consumer application to ship with built-in MCP support, making it the reference implementation for the Model Context Protocol standard.
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{
"mcpServers": {
"planet-labs": {
// Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About Planet Labs MCP Server
Connect your Planet Labs API to any AI agent and take full control of daily satellite imagery search, discovery, automated delivery, and imagery analysis through natural conversation.
Claude Desktop is the definitive way to connect Planet Labs to your AI workflow. Add Vinkius Edge URL to your config, restart the app, and Claude immediately exposes all 12 tools in the chat interface. ask a question, Claude calls the right tool, and you see the answer. Zero code, zero context switching.
What you can do
- Quick Search β Search for satellite imagery with geometry, date range, cloud cover, and sun elevation filters
- Saved Searches β Create and manage saved searches for recurring imagery monitoring workflows
- Search Results β Execute saved searches with pagination and sorting to retrieve imagery results
- Search Statistics β Get histograms of imagery availability by time interval for planning analysis
- Item Details β View detailed metadata for specific imagery items including acquisition conditions
- Asset Discovery β List all available asset types (visual, analytic, UDM2) for each imagery item
- Item Types β Browse all available satellite imagery types (PSScene, SkySat, RapidEye, Landsat, Sentinel-2)
- Asset Types β Understand available data products (true-color, surface reflectance, uncertainty masks)
- Cloud Coverage β Estimate clear area percentage before downloading imagery for quality assessment
- Subscriptions β List and create automated subscriptions for continuous cloud delivery of imagery
- Multi-Satellite Access β Search across PlanetScope (3-5m), SkySat (sub-meter), RapidEye (5m), Landsat (30m), and Sentinel-2 (10m)
- Global Daily Coverage β Access daily imagery of Earth landmass with 200+ PlanetScope satellites
The Planet Labs MCP Server exposes 12 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Claude Desktop in under two minutes β no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect Planet Labs to Claude Desktop via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the Planet Labs MCP Server with Claude Desktop.
Open Claude Desktop Settings
Go to Settings β Developer β Edit Config to open claude_desktop_config.json
Add the MCP Server
Paste the configuration above into the mcpServers section
Restart Claude Desktop
Close and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new server
Start using Planet Labs
Look for the π icon in the chat. your 12 tools are now available
Why Use Claude Desktop with the Planet Labs MCP Server
Claude Desktop by Anthropic provides unique advantages when paired with Planet Labs through the Model Context Protocol.
Claude Desktop is the reference MCP client. it was designed alongside the protocol itself, ensuring the most complete and stable MCP implementation available
Zero-code configuration: add a server URL to a JSON file and Claude instantly discovers and exposes all available tools in the chat interface
Claude's extended thinking capability lets it reason through multi-step tool usage, chaining multiple API calls to answer complex questions
Enterprise-grade security with local config storage. your tokens never leave your machine, and connections go directly to Vinkius Edge network
Planet Labs + Claude Desktop Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Claude Desktop combined with the Planet Labs MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Interactive data exploration: ask Claude to query DNS records, look up WHOIS data, and cross-reference results in a single conversation
Ad-hoc security audits: type a domain name and let Claude enumerate subdomains, check DNS history, and flag configuration anomalies. all through natural language
Executive briefings: generate comprehensive domain intelligence reports by asking Claude to compile findings into a formatted summary
Learning and training: new team members can explore API capabilities conversationally without needing to read documentation
Planet Labs MCP Tools for Claude Desktop (12)
These 12 tools become available when you connect Planet Labs to Claude Desktop via MCP:
create_saved_search
Accepts the same filter parameters as quick_search including geometry, date range, cloud cover, and item types. Returns a search ID that can be used with get_search_results to execute the search on demand. Essential for automated monitoring, change detection workflows, and recurring imagery retrieval. AI agents should use this when users ask "set up a search for new imagery over my field every week", "create a saved search for cloud-free images", or need to establish recurring imagery monitoring for a specific area. Create a saved search for continuous imagery monitoring
create_subscription
Accepts geometry, date range, cloud cover filters, item types, and delivery destination (cloud storage or webhook). Returns the created subscription with ID and status. Essential for setting up automated monitoring, establishing continuous data feeds for change detection, and ensuring regular imagery delivery for operational workflows. AI agents should use this when users ask "set up daily imagery delivery for my farm", "create a subscription for cloud-free images over this area", or need to establish automated imagery delivery for monitoring applications. Create a new subscription for continuous automated imagery delivery
get_cloud_coverage
Returns clear percentage, cloud percentage, and status information. Essential for quality assessment before downloading imagery, filtering cloudy images from analysis workflows, and ensuring usable imagery for visual interpretation. AI agents should use this when users ask "how cloudy is this image", "what percentage of this scene is clear", or need to assess imagery quality before committing to download. Estimate cloud coverage and clear area percentage for a specific imagery item
get_item_assets
Each asset includes download URLs, file sizes, and permissions. Essential for selecting the appropriate data product for analysis, downloading imagery for GIS processing, and understanding available data products. AI agents should use this when users ask "what assets are available for this image", "get download URLs for analytic imagery", or need to select specific asset types (visual for display, analytic for analysis) for download. List all available asset types (visual, analytic, UDM) for a specific imagery item
get_item_details
Essential for evaluating image quality before download, understanding acquisition conditions, and preparing orders for specific imagery. AI agents should reference this when users ask "show me details for this image", "what is the cloud cover and acquisition time for item X", or need to evaluate imagery quality before downloading. Get detailed metadata for a specific satellite imagery item
get_search_results
Supports pagination (page, page_size) and sorting (acquired asc/desc, published asc/desc). Returns imagery items with acquisition dates, cloud cover, geometry, and available asset types. Essential for retrieving results from pre-configured monitoring searches and executing recurring imagery queries. AI agents should use this when users ask "run my Weekly Farm Monitoring search", "get results from saved search X", or need to execute a saved search and retrieve the latest imagery results. Execute a saved search and retrieve imagery results
get_search_statistics
Essential for understanding imagery availability patterns, planning data collection schedules, and assessing temporal coverage for change detection analysis. AI agents should use this when users ask "how many images are available per month for my area", "show me imagery availability statistics", or need to understand temporal patterns of satellite coverage before setting up monitoring. Get statistical histograms of available imagery for an area and time period
list_asset_types
Returns asset type IDs, display names, and descriptions. Essential for selecting the appropriate data product for specific use cases (visual for visualization, analytic for NDVI calculation, UDM for quality filtering). AI agents should reference this when users ask "what asset types can I download", "difference between analytic and visual assets", or need to understand available data products for analysis. List all available asset types (visual, analytic, UDM, etc.) and their properties
list_item_types
Returns item type IDs, display names, and supported asset types for each. Essential for understanding available imagery sources, selecting appropriate resolution and coverage for analysis, and planning data acquisition strategies. AI agents should use this when users ask "what satellite imagery types are available", "compare PSScene vs SkySat resolution", or need to understand the full catalog of Planet imagery options. List all available satellite imagery item types and their supported assets
list_saved_searches
Returns search names, IDs, filter criteria, item types, and creation dates. Essential for managing monitoring workflows, reviewing existing search configurations, and selecting searches for execution. AI agents should reference this when users ask "show me all my saved searches", "list my monitoring configurations", or need to review existing saved searches before executing them. List all saved searches in your Planet account
list_subscriptions
Returns subscription names, IDs, filter criteria, delivery destinations, and status. Essential for monitoring automated imagery delivery, reviewing subscription configurations, and managing continuous data feeds. AI agents should reference this when users ask "show me all my subscriptions", "list automated imagery deliveries", or need to review existing subscription configurations. List all active imagery subscriptions for continuous cloud delivery
quick_search
Supports item types including PSScene (PlanetScope, 3-5m resolution, daily global coverage), SkySat (sub-meter resolution, high-detail), RapidEye (5m resolution, historical archive), Landsat 8/9 (30m resolution, USGS), and Sentinel-2 (10m resolution, ESA). Returns imagery items with acquisition dates, cloud cover percentages, sun elevation, instrument mode, geometry, and available asset types. Essential for satellite imagery discovery, change detection analysis, disaster monitoring, and agricultural assessment. AI agents should use this when users ask "find cloud-free imagery over this area from last month", "search for PSScene images of my farm", or need to discover available satellite imagery for a specific location and time period. Geometry must be provided as GeoJSON (Point, Polygon, or MultiPolygon). Date filtering uses the acquired property in ISO 8601 format. Cloud cover and sun elevation are filtered using the filter object with range operators. Search for satellite imagery from Planet Labs with geometry, date, and cloud cover filters
Example Prompts for Planet Labs in Claude Desktop
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Desktop agent to start working with Planet Labs immediately.
"Find cloud-free PSScene imagery over my farm boundary from the last 30 days."
"Show me what satellite imagery types are available and their resolutions."
"Create a daily subscription for cloud-free imagery over my monitoring area."
Troubleshooting Planet Labs MCP Server with Claude Desktop
Common issues when connecting Planet Labs to Claude Desktop through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Server not appearing after restart
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\\Claude\\ (Windows).Authentication error
Tools not showing in chat
Planet Labs + Claude Desktop FAQ
Common questions about integrating Planet Labs MCP Server with Claude Desktop.
How does Claude Desktop discover MCP tools?
claude_desktop_config.json file and connects to each configured MCP server. It calls the tools/list endpoint to fetch the schema for every available tool, then surfaces them as clickable options in the chat interface via the π icon.What happens if the MCP server is temporarily unavailable?
Can I connect multiple MCP servers simultaneously?
mcpServers section of the config file. Each server appears as a separate tool provider, and Claude can use tools from multiple servers in a single conversation turn.Is there a limit on the number of tools per server?
Does Claude Desktop support Streamable HTTP transport?
Connect Planet Labs with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
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GitHub Copilot in VS Code with Agent mode and MCP support.
Purpose-built IDE for agentic AI coding workflows.
Autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code.
Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development.
Python SDK for building production-grade OpenAI agent workflows.
Google's framework for building production AI agents.
Type-safe agent development for Python with first-class MCP support.
TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect Planet Labs to Claude Desktop
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 12 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.