# How to connect Pexels to OpenClaw (paste one key, 9 tools) > Connect Pexels to OpenClaw with ClawLink: paste your Pexels key once and 9 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/pexels The usual route to Pexels access for OpenClaw is an MCP server you configure and keep running, plus your own OAuth app or API keys. ClawLink gives OpenClaw a more practical Pexels setup: install one ClawHub skill, connect Pexels in the browser, and OpenClaw can call real Pexels actions from any chat surface with no auth, token refresh, or tool wiring to build yourself. ## Setup It takes three steps to connect OpenClaw to Pexels. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to OpenClaw once. 2. **Connect Pexels** — one-click OAuth in the ClawLink dashboard. 3. **Use it from chat** — ask OpenClaw in plain English. **Paste this into OpenClaw to set up ClawLink:** > I want to connect my apps to OpenClaw through ClawLink. > Please install the ClawLink plugin from ClawHub and enable it: `openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin` > When it is installed, tell me and stop. After I reply, give me the ClawLink pairing link. Setup notes, if you need them: https://claw-link.dev/skill.md **Alternative for any agent (no plugin needed):** if the OpenClaw plugin route isn't available or doesn't work, any AI agent with shell access can use the ClawLink CLI instead: ```bash npx -y @useclawlink/cli login # sign in via browser — no API key to paste npx -y @useclawlink/cli connect pexels # connect Pexels (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions pexels # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run pexels --input '' # execute (add --confirm for writes) ``` ### Install by command The setup prompt above does all of this in one paste. By hand, it is one install command plus a browser approval: ```bash openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin ``` Then ask OpenClaw to set up ClawLink. It starts browser pairing and prints an approval link — open it, approve the device, return to the chat, and say `done`. Finally, connect Pexels in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Pexels API key once. Verify the connection by asking OpenClaw: > Use Pexels to collection media and walk me through the result in plain English. ### Using a different agent? The OpenClaw plugin is one client of ClawLink's MCP server. Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or any agent that can run a shell command pairs with the same ClawLink account through the CLI: ```bash npx -y @useclawlink/cli login ``` `login` opens the same browser approval and stores a credential locally. Once Pexels is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 9 Pexels tools over MCP. Full setup for MCP clients and shell agents: [connect apps to any AI agent](https://claw-link.dev/learn/connect-apps-to-any-ai-agent). ## Pexels MCP for OpenClaw Looking for a Pexels MCP server for OpenClaw? ClawLink connects Pexels to OpenClaw and exposes 9 Pexels tools your agent can call over [MCP](https://claw-link.dev/learn/what-is-an-mcp-server), with [hosted auth](https://claw-link.dev/learn/oauth-for-ai-agents) and nothing to run or maintain yourself. Using Hermes instead? The [Hermes Pexels integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/pexels) works the same way. ## What the OpenClaw Pexels integration can do 9 Pexels tools are ready for OpenClaw once the account is connected. ### All 9 Pexels tools for OpenClaw | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Collection media** `pexels_collection_media` | Get all media within a collection by its ID | | **Curated photos** `pexels_curated_photos` | Get real-time curated photos | | **Featured collections** `pexels_featured_collections` | Get featured collections | | **Get photo** `pexels_get_photo` | Retrieve detailed information about a specific photo | | **Get video by ID** `pexels_get_video_by_id` | Retrieve detailed information about a specific video from Pexels | | **My collections** `pexels_my_collections` | Get all of the user's collections on Pexels | | **Popular videos** `pexels_popular_videos` | Retrieve current popular Pexels videos | | **Search photos** `pexels_search_photos` | Search for photos on Pexels | | **Search videos** `pexels_search_videos` | Search for videos on Pexels by query and optional filters | ## Example prompts **Collection Media** > Use Pexels to collection media and walk me through the result in plain English. **Curated Photos** > Use Pexels to curated photos and walk me through the result in plain English. **Featured Collections** > Use Pexels to featured collections and walk me through the result in plain English. **Get Photo** > Pull the relevant data from Pexels, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. ## ClawLink vs. building it yourself The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want Pexels working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Pexels API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Pexels account becomes available to the agent without you building credential management. | | **Ongoing maintenance** | You own refresh logic, permission debugging, environment config, and every provider-specific edge case for Pexels. | ClawLink handles the repetitive integration plumbing so your team can focus on the workflow instead of the infrastructure. | | **Agent usability** | You still need to expose the right Pexels actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 9 tools for Pexels are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Pexels to AI agents. It is developer infrastructure: Python and TypeScript SDKs, an MCP server, and a catalog past 1,000 apps, aimed at teams shipping agent products. ClawLink is built for OpenClaw users instead. You install the plugin once, connect Pexels in the browser, and the 9 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Pexels key you paste at setup is stored server-side rather than kept in your environment. Choosing between them? Read the full [Composio alternatives](https://claw-link.dev/hub/composio-alternatives) comparison. ### OpenClaw installed the Pexels skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Pexels, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Pexels is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register. ### Connection succeeds but no tools appear Reconnect Pexels from the dashboard, then start a fresh chat if the runtime still has the old tool catalog loaded. ### "Tool schema not loaded yet" error when calling Pexels tools Pexels tool schemas load on demand the first time a tool runs and are cached after that, so this error usually clears on its own: wait a few seconds and retry the same request. If every Pexels call keeps failing with it in a fresh chat, reconnect from the dashboard, and contact support if it still persists — that pattern points to a configuration problem on our side, not something you can fix by reconnecting again. ### Pexels returns 403 or "permission denied" on one action while others work Two usual causes. The connected account may not have access to the specific workspace, inbox, store, or project in the request — check that first. If access looks right, the agent may have sent a placeholder value (like "YOUR_ID" or an example id from documentation) instead of a real one: ask it to run a list or search tool first, then retry the action with a real id from those results. Most failures at this stage are one of these two, not ClawLink bugs. ### API key setup works but results look incomplete Double-check that the API key for Pexels has the right scopes or account access. A valid key can still be too limited for some reads or writes. ### Is there a OpenClaw Pexels integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect OpenClaw to Pexels: link your Pexels account once in the browser and OpenClaw can call the Pexels API through 9 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I add Pexels to OpenClaw with ClawLink? Paste the setup prompt from this page into OpenClaw. It installs the ClawLink Pexels skill from ClawHub, then you click Connect in the dashboard to authorize Pexels. OpenClaw calls the tools from the next message — no config files, and the Pexels key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect Pexels to OpenClaw? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Pexels in the dashboard, authenticate, and OpenClaw can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Pexels up myself? The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want Pexels working from chat. ### OpenClaw installed the Pexels skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Pexels, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Pexels is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register. ## Related - [Connect Cloudinary](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/cloudinary) — Cloudinary is a cloud-based media management platform for uploading, storing, transforming, and delivering images and videos via CDN. - [Connect Penpot](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/penpot) — Open-source design and prototyping platform for collaborative design workflows. - [Canva](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/canva) — Create designs, upload assets, export content, and manage brand templates