8 Ways to Run Event Photos from ChatGPT, Claude and Grok

Plugin or MCP: which one you need

Both routes reach the same 9Pic AI tools with the same safeguards. Only the setup differs.

• ChatGPT: install the published 9Pic AI plugin from the ChatGPT plugin directory. No address to paste.
• Claude, Claude Code, Grok, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and others: add the 9Pic AI MCP server, https://mcp.9pic.ai/mcp, as a custom connector. See the guides for Claude and Claude Code and Grok.

Either way you sign in on the 9Pic AI page with your dashboard account. The assistant only reaches the organisations and events your role allows. Step-by-step setup for every app is in the AI Assistants guide.

1. The race-morning status check

At 6 a.m. nobody wants to log in to a dashboard on a phone. Ask instead:

“Which of my events are still in draft, and how many photos are waiting to be processed for Sunday's half marathon?”

The assistant lists your events, then reads the event's photo progress: imported, processed, waiting and failed photos, and whether the gallery is live. This is a read, so nothing changes. It works well from the ChatGPT mobile app on the start line.

2. Set up a new event in one message

“Create a wedding event called Priya and Arjun for 14 December 2026 at 6 p.m. India time. Keep selfie search on and make it private.”

The assistant creates a draft event with the dashboard defaults, then changes only the settings you named. For running events, BIB search is on by default; for weddings and conferences, you usually want selfie search alone. The event stays in draft until you publish it, so you can finish branding and watermarks in the dashboard afterwards.

3. Pull in photos from every photographer's folder

Photographers deliver through whatever they use. Hand the links to the assistant:

“Add this Google Drive folder as a photo source called Finish Line, add this Dropbox folder as Course, then import the photos.”

The assistant connects each HTTPS shared folder from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or SharePoint, then starts the import. Importing uses no credits. Ask “Has the import finished?” later and it checks the job status instead of starting a second import.

4. Process within a credit budget

This is where the assistant is most careful, because processing spends credits.

“We have 3,000 photos. Preview processing 1,500 of them now and tell me the credit cost.”

Before the first change, the assistant reads your plan and credit balance. It then asks for a preview: the number of photos that will actually be processed and the credits that will use. Processing uses 1 credit per photo when BIB or selfie search is on. Nothing starts until you reply yes, and it never switches off search to save credits unless you ask. If credits run short, it says so and suggests a smaller batch rather than selling you more.

5. Go live at the right moment, and roll back

Sponsors sometimes want the gallery held until the awards ceremony ends. Keep the event in draft, then:

“Publish the 10K gallery now.”

The assistant explains that participants will be able to open the gallery, then publishes. If something is wrong, “Move the 10K gallery back to draft” stops participant access straight away while keeping every photo and setting. Publishing again is one more message.

6. A settings audit before a busy weekend

“For every event this weekend, check that selfie search is on, bulk download is off and the photo count is shown. Fix any that are different.”

The assistant reads each event's settings, reports the differences and changes only what you asked for. It is a quick way to catch the one event someone set up from an old template. Many assistants also ask you to approve each change as it runs.

7. Post-event engagement reports

“Summarise gallery engagement for every event we ran in October and write it as a short sponsor update.”

The assistant reads estimated, aggregate gallery engagement for each event and drafts the update. Claude Code is handy here: it can save the report as a file next to your other race-day documents. Analytics are included from the Pro plan upward, can be partial for some dates and never identify participants. The assistant reports missing dates instead of treating them as zero.

8. One assistant for many organisations

Photography agencies often work for several organisers, each with its own 9Pic AI organisation.

“List my organisations, then show the draft events in Coastal Running Club.”

The assistant lists every organisation you belong to and your role in each. When a request could apply to more than one, it asks which you mean. It never guesses an organisation or event.

Where the assistant stops and asks

• Credits: processing always starts with a preview and needs your confirmation.
• Publishing: it explains participant access before going live or back to draft.
• Questions are not orders: asking for status or a preview never changes anything.
• No purchases: it never buys credits, changes your plan or opens a checkout.
• No participant data: it never returns participants' photos or selfie search results to the chat.

Watermarks, branding, event location, team members and 9Pic Checkout stay in the dashboard.

Tips for better prompts

• Name the event, and the organisation if you belong to more than one.
• Give dates with a time and time zone when creating events.
• Say the number of photos you want processed, so the preview matches your budget.
• Ask for one change at a time on live events, then check the status.

FAQ

Do I need a paid 9Pic AI plan?

No. The plugin and MCP server work on every plan, including the free Trial. Your plan and credits decide what you can do, such as processing photos or reading engagement analytics. See pricing for what each plan includes.

Is this the same as the 9Pic API?

No. The plugin and MCP server let an assistant run your account with your dashboard sign-in. The 9Pic API is for developers building their own apps with an API key.

Can my whole team use it?

Yes. Each person connects their own assistant and signs in with their own 9Pic AI account, so everyone keeps their own role.

How do I remove access?

Disconnect 9Pic AI in your assistant's connector or plugin settings. Access stops straight away.

What to do next

1. Install the ChatGPT plugin, or add https://mcp.9pic.ai/mcp to Claude, Grok or your editor.
2. Ask for your organisations and events to check the connection.
3. Run use case 4 on a test event with a small batch before your next race day.