Start Here — Colour Memory API
REST + MCP · v2.3.3 · 65 tools · 19,000+ archive colours · public demo key
Colour intelligence<br>for agents and design systems.
Maps hex values, palettes, and images to named archive colours. Returns CIEDE2000 distance, Lab/LCh metrics, WCAG contrast, cultural risk, provenance, and design tokens. No signup to try it.
→ Public rate-limited demo key — safe to use in client examples
Architecture
1Archive layerStructured colour records with names, primary sources, notes, and hex values drawn from historical and cultural archives.
2Metric layerLab/LCh, LRV, CIEDE2000 distance, WCAG contrast, palette scoring — deterministic computation, no LLM.
3Agent layer65 REST endpoints and MCP tools for LLMs, design systems, and automated workflows.
4Narrative layerOptional LLM-generated reports, hooks, and briefs — clearly labelled where used.
Authentication
Your demo key
No signup. The demo key is rate-limited to 50 calls but covers everything below. Get a production key at colourmemory.com when you're ready to build.
API Key<br>Copy
cm_demo_public_quickstart
Pass as header: X-Api-Key: cm_demo_public_quickstart · Public, rate-limited, safe to expose in client examples.
Tool 1 of 3
query.hex
Match any hex to the archive. Returns the nearest named colour with its primary source, confidence score, claim_role, and do_not_say guardrails. This is the core of what Colour Memory does.
curl<br>Copy
curl -X POST https://api.colourmemory.com/query/hex \<br>-H "X-Api-Key: cm_demo_public_quickstart" \<br>-H "Content-Type: application/json" \<br>-d '{"hex": "#D4A829", "n_results": 1}'
Response — key fields
nameSong Gold Sycee
archiveChina
primary_sourceNorthern Song Dynasty monetary records, 960–1127
confidence0.92
claim_strengthA — Direct institutional record
claim_roleanchor
do_not_say
Do not describe this hex as spectrophotometrically measured — values are computed from material descriptions.
claim_role tells you how hard you can push this entry: anchor = load-bearing evidence. reject = stub, exclude from deliverables.
Tool 2 of 3
archive.search
Full-text keyword search across thousands of archive colours. This is a text search, not a colour search — search for "arterial blood" not "red". Use query.hex for hue-based retrieval.
curl<br>Copy
curl -X POST https://api.colourmemory.com/archive/search \<br>-H "X-Api-Key: cm_demo_public_quickstart" \<br>-H "Content-Type: application/json" \<br>-d '{"query": "arterial blood", "archive": "Keats", "include_full": true}'
Response
nameKeats's Lung
slugkeats:keats-s-lung
hex#C8B6B0
primary_sourceThe Letters, 3 February 1820
claim_roleanchor
Always save the slug from search results. Pass it to colour.card for reliable retrieval — slugs never break on apostrophes.
Tool 3 of 3 · Commercial palette analysis
brand.audit
Pass a palette of hex values. Returns WCAG accessibility matrix, cultural risk notes by market, archive matches with provenance, palette role assignments, and a commercial verdict. Fully deterministic — no LLM involved.
curl<br>Copy
curl -X POST https://api.colourmemory.com/brand/audit \<br>-H "X-Api-Key: cm_demo_public_quickstart" \<br>-H "Content-Type: application/json" \<br>-d '{<br>"palette": ["#D4A829", "#1A5C6E", "#0F2D6B", "#0A0A0B"],<br>"markets": ["UK", "China", "Middle East"],<br>"context": "luxury packaging"<br>}'
Response — key fields
wcag_matrixAll foreground/background combinations with AA/AAA pass/fail
cultural_riskPer-market flags with context notes
commercial_labelArchive-verified name for each hex
verdict_copyPlain-English palette verdict
issuesActionable flags requiring attention
Optional · No code required
Connect to Claude or ChatGPT
All tools load instantly via MCP. No SDK. No boilerplate. One URL. Disconnect and reconnect after any update to refresh the tool list.
https://api.colourmemory.com/mcp<br>Copy<br>https://api.colourmemory.com/mcp
Claude (web)
Settings → Integrations → Add Integration → paste URL
Claude Desktop
Add to claude_desktop_config.json:
"colour-memory": {<br>"type": "sse",<br>"url": "https://api.colourmemory.com/mcp",<br>"headers": {<br>"X-Api-Key": "YOUR_KEY"
ChatGPT / any client
Settings → Connectors → Add → paste URL. Reconnect to refresh tool list. Tools use dot-notation: archive.search, brand.audit, brand.collision
Reference
All tools
Start with the three above. Come back to the rest when you need them.
query.hex ★<br>Match any hex to the archive with CIEDE2000 distance
archive.search ★<br>Full-text search across archive colour names and notes
brand.audit ★<br>WCAG matrix, cultural risk, palette roles, verdict
brand.collision<br>Can this brand own this colour?
archive.evidence_gap<br>Is this claim supported?
archive.coverage_gap<br>Which themes are thin?
cultural.anachronism<br>Period mismatch detection
index.resonance<br>Material-consequence score
ecommerce.namer<br>Archive names for 40 SKUs
colour.card<br>Full provenance by slug
query.conceptual<br>Semantic search by mood
archive.report_brief<br>Editorial research package
Full...