What meme API or MCP server can I use to search and place memes in my app?
Use memecub's developer tools: a REST API for keyword search (1 credit per call), a remote MCP server at https://memecub.com/mcp for AI agents, a CLI via npx memecub, and a skill you install with npx skills add https://memecub.com into Claude Code, Codex or Cursor. There is a keyless trial of 20 searches a day, so you can test search and placement before picking a plan. If nothing in the library fits, the AI meme maker at /generate creates a new image from a character, action and caption.
Send when a teammate or agent has lost its API key and the whole integration is blocked.
The reaction for the moment your search endpoint finally returns the right meme.
Use when a request to the meme endpoint comes back empty or 404.
Post it when unit tests pass but the end-to-end meme placement still breaks.
A reply for threads arguing about whether your meme search needs a full REST layer.
Send when someone bolts an AI agent onto an old app and calls it an integration.
For the day-one vibe coding post where the API is supposed to pick up the call.
Use when keyword search in your app returns something completely unrelated.
How the memecub developer tools fit together
The REST API is the base layer: send a keyword and get matching memes back, at 1 credit per search call. Use it from any backend or mobile app where you control the request.
The remote MCP server at https://memecub.com/mcp lets AI agents call the same search without custom glue code. Point Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or another MCP-capable client at that URL and the agent can look up memes on its own.
The CLI (npx memecub) covers quick lookups and scripts, and the skill (npx skills add https://memecub.com) teaches supported coding agents how to use the tools. A keyless trial gives you 20 searches a day to try the flow.
A minimal search-then-place flow
Step 1: search by keyword through the REST API or the MCP server and keep the meme id from the result.
Step 2: place the meme where it belongs in your UI or content. For articles, the AI meme placement tool at /match takes pasted text and picks a fitting meme for each paragraph, which is a fast way to see placement quality before you build your own.
Step 3: if no result fits, call the AI meme maker at /generate with a character, action and caption, or use an existing meme as reference. It takes about 10 seconds per image at 500 credits each and refuses real people.
Step 4: check licensing before shipping. Most library memes are collected from the web and are fine for personal chats, with copyright staying with the original creators, so they are not for commercial use. Turn on the filter for openly licensed images (Openverse, open-source emoji, public-domain art) when the output is commercial.
Choosing between memecub and GIF APIs
GIF APIs such as GIPHY, Tenor and KLIPY are built around GIF and sticker search, and recent coverage notes GIPHY's API moving to paid access. If your product needs animated GIFs specifically, those remain the usual comparison points.
memecub is aimed at memes and 表情包 plus agent workflows: keyword search, an MCP server, a CLI and an installable skill in one place. That makes it a fit when the caller is an AI agent or when you want search and AI placement in the same toolchain.
Pricing is published up front: free 1000 credits a month, Hobby $3/mo for 10000 credits, Pro $9/mo for 50000, Scale $29/mo for 250000, and credit packs from $5. Search costs 1 credit per call, so you can estimate spend from your expected query volume.
Tone and etiquette for meme output
Keep memes as a garnish, not the message. One meme per paragraph or per reply reads better than a wall of them, and the /match tool follows that idea by picking one per paragraph.
Respect the license boundary. Personal-chat use of web-collected memes is fine; commercial surfaces should use the openly licensed filter or AI-generated images.
Do not generate real people. The AI meme maker refuses them, so design your prompts around characters and situations instead.
Let your AI find the memes
REST API, remote MCP, CLI and a skill. Try 20 searches a day without a key.
More that fit
FAQ
How can I let an AI agent find and send memes?
Connect the agent to the remote MCP server at https://memecub.com/mcp, or install the skill with `npx skills add https://memecub.com` into Claude Code, Codex or Cursor. The agent can then search by keyword and pick a meme for the moment.
What API lets me search memes by keyword?
memecub's REST API does keyword search at 1 credit per call, with a keyless trial of 20 searches a day. GIF-focused APIs like GIPHY, Tenor and KLIPY are the alternatives if you need animated GIFs rather than memes.
Is there a free way to try it before paying?
Yes. The keyless trial allows 20 searches a day, and the free plan includes 1000 credits a month. Paid plans start at $3/mo for Hobby.
Can I use the memes commercially?
Most library memes are collected from the web and are for personal chats only, with copyright staying with the original creators. Use the filter for openly licensed images, or generate your own with the AI meme maker, for commercial work.
What if no meme in the library fits?
Use the AI meme maker at /generate: describe a character, action and caption, or start from an existing meme as reference. Each image takes about 10 seconds and costs 500 credits.