jeffkimble/printify-mcp-server

Printify MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that exposes the Printify API, enabling AI agents like Manus to interact with Printify's print-on-demand services programmatically.

Overview

This MCP server provides a bridge between AI agents and the Printify API, allowing automated management of:

• Shops: View connected shops
• Catalog: Browse product blueprints, print providers, and variants
• Products: Create, retrieve, and publish products
• Orders: Submit and manage orders
• Uploads: Upload design images

Features

• ✅ Full Printify API v1 integration
• ✅ Secure authentication with API tokens
• ✅ Comprehensive error handling
• ✅ TypeScript implementation
• ✅ Compatible with MCP SDK 0.5.0+
• ✅ Easy deployment to cloud platforms

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ or Node.js 20+
• A Printify account with API access
• Printify API token

Installation

1. Clone or Download

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd printify-mcp-server

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Configure Environment

Create a .env file in the root directory:

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env and add your Printify API token:

PRINTIFY_API_TOKEN=your_actual_token_here

How to get your Printify API token:

1. Log in to your Printify account
2. Navigate to My Profile → Connections
3. Generate a new Personal Access Token
4. Copy the token (it will only be shown once)

4. Build the Project

npm run build

Usage

Running Locally

For development:

npm run dev

For production:

npm start

Connecting to Manus

To use this MCP server with Manus, you need to configure it in your MCP settings. The server communicates via stdio (standard input/output).

Example MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "printify": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/printify-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "PRINTIFY_API_TOKEN": "your_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

The MCP server exposes the following tools that AI agents can use:

Shops

• get_shops: Retrieve all shops connected to the account

Catalog

• get_blueprints: List all available product blueprints (t-shirts, mugs, etc.)
• get_blueprint: Get details of a specific blueprint
• get_print_providers: List all print providers
• get_blueprint_print_providers: Get print providers for a specific blueprint
• get_blueprint_variants: Get variants (sizes, colors) for a blueprint from a print provider

Uploads

• upload_image: Upload a design image from URL or base64

Products

• get_products: List all products in a shop
• get_product: Get details of a specific product
• create_product: Create a new product with designs and variants
• publish_product: Publish a product to a sales channel (Etsy, Shopify, etc.)

Orders

• get_orders: List orders with optional filters
• create_order: Submit a new order

Example Workflows

1. Create and Publish a T-Shirt

User: "Create a t-shirt with my logo and list it on Etsy"

Agent workflow:
1. get_shops → Get shop_id
2. upload_image → Upload the logo design
3. get_blueprints → Find t-shirt blueprint_id
4. get_blueprint_print_providers → Choose a print provider
5. get_blueprint_variants → Select sizes and colors
6. create_product → Create the product with design placement
7. publish_product → Publish to Etsy

2. Submit an Order

User: "Order 5 of product ABC123 and ship to John Doe"

Agent workflow:
1. get_shops → Get shop_id
2. create_order → Submit order with line items and shipping address

Deployment

Deploy to Stainless (or any cloud platform)

This MCP server can be deployed to any cloud platform that supports Node.js applications.

General steps:

1. Push your code to a Git repository
2. Configure environment variables on your hosting platform
3. Set the start command to npm start
4. Deploy

For Stainless specifically:

• Follow Stainless deployment documentation
• Ensure PRINTIFY_API_TOKEN is set in environment variables
• The server will communicate via stdio protocol

Environment Variables

API Rate Limits

Be aware of Printify's API rate limits:

• Global limit: 600 requests per minute
• Catalog endpoints: 100 requests per minute
• Product publishing: 200 requests per 30 minutes

The MCP server will return error messages if rate limits are exceeded.

Error Handling

The server includes comprehensive error handling:

• API errors are captured and returned with descriptive messages
• Network errors are handled gracefully
• Invalid tool calls return helpful error responses

Development

Project Structure

printify-mcp-server/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts          # Main server implementation
├── dist/                 # Compiled JavaScript (generated)
├── package.json          # Dependencies and scripts
├── tsconfig.json         # TypeScript configuration
├── .env.example          # Example environment variables
├── .gitignore
└── README.md

Building

npm run build

Watch Mode

For development with auto-rebuild:

npm run watch

Troubleshooting

"PRINTIFY_API_TOKEN environment variable is required"

Make sure you've created a .env file with your token, or set the environment variable in your deployment platform.

Rate Limit Errors (429)

You've exceeded Printify's API rate limits. Wait a moment and try again, or implement request throttling in your agent logic.

Authentication Errors (401)

Your API token may be invalid or expired. Generate a new token from your Printify account settings.

Security Considerations

• Never commit your .env file to version control
• Store API tokens securely in environment variables
• Use HTTPS when deploying to production
• Rotate API tokens periodically
• Limit token scopes to only what's needed

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Resources

• Printify API Documentation
• Model Context Protocol Specification
• MCP SDK Documentation

Support

For issues with:

• This MCP server: Open an issue in this repository
• Printify API: Contact Printify Support
• MCP Protocol: Visit MCP Documentation

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