๐Ÿ“– ASCII Art Converter โ€” Documentation

Part of the PlatPhorm News network โ€ข ascii.platphormnews.com

๐Ÿš€ Quick Start

  1. Open ascii.platphormnews.com
  2. Upload an image using the Upload button, or drag & drop
  3. Adjust resolution, character set, and color mode
  4. Click Copy, ASCII, deASCII, Image, or Export
  5. Copy and ASCII export stay compact with preserved line breaks; color mode adds chroma through rich clipboard, local deASCII handoff, and API metadata.

๐ŸŽจ Character Sets

NameCharactersBest For
Standard .:-=+*#%@General purpose
Detailed70-step photo rampFine photo gradients and deASCII round trips
Blocks โ–‘โ–’โ–“โ–ˆBlock graphics, pixel art
Minimal .:โ–ˆHigh contrast, simple
Binary 01Compact terminal output
Matrix 0123456789$+-*/=%"'#@&_(),.;:?!\|{}<>[]^~Symbol-heavy experiments

๐Ÿ”Œ API Reference

POST /api/convert

Convert an inline image or trusted artifact URL to ASCII art. Small output returns inline ASCII; large output returns a real preview, chunks, hashes, and artifact links.

curl -X POST https://ascii.platphormnews.com/api/convert \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "image": "data:image/png;base64,...",
    "resolution": 0.11,
    "charset": "standard",
    "grayscale": true,
    "inverted": false
  }'

POST /api/convert/url

Convert a trusted PlatPhorm or Vercel Blob image artifact URL without a key. External or untrusted URLs require PLATPHORM_API_KEY and still pass HTTPS, SSRF, content-type, and size guardrails.

curl -X POST https://ascii.platphormnews.com/api/convert/url \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "artifactUrl": "https://browserops.platphormnews.com/artifacts/run/screenshot.png",
    "width": 220,
    "charset": "blocks"
  }'

POST /api/convert/browserops

BrowserOps screenshot artifact conversion. A confirmed BrowserOps or Vercel Blob screenshot URL can be converted publicly inside the PlatPhorm network; run and screenshot IDs are preserved in the artifact metadata.

POST /api/convert/agentui

AgentUI workflow image artifact conversion. Trusted AgentUI, BrowserOps, or Vercel Blob screenshot artifact URLs convert without a key; outbound AgentUI handoff still uses /api/artifacts/&lbrace;id&rbrace;/send/agentui and requires PLATPHORM_API_KEY.

POST /api/convert/chunked

Force a temporary chunked ASCII artifact with manifest, chunks, preview, hashes, and export links. The Web UI Stream Large button uses this public path for the current image; untrusted external artifact URLs still require PLATPHORM_API_KEY.

GET /api/v1/charsets

List the active character sets used by the UI, API, and MCP tools.

GET /api/health

Health check endpoint.

curl https://ascii.platphormnews.com/api/health

GET /api/docs

OpenAPI 3.1 specification (JSON).

POST /api/mcp

Model Context Protocol endpoint. JSON-RPC style tool calls.

curl -X POST https://ascii.platphormnews.com/api/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "method": "tools/call",
    "params": { "name": "get_info" }
  }'

Trusted Artifact Automation

ASCII accepts trusted image artifact URLs from ascii.platphormnews.com, BrowserOps, AgentUI, Docs, and other *.platphormnews.com services without PLATPHORM_API_KEY. Vercel Blob image artifact hosts are also accepted for no-friction PlatPhorm workflow output.

Untrusted external URLs require PLATPHORM_API_KEY on the server request. The server blocks localhost, private IP, link-local, and metadata hosts, requires HTTPS, limits response size, and only decodes PNG, JPEG, GIF, or WebP image artifacts.

A BrowserOps run URL by itself is not treated as screenshot proof. The workflow must provide a screenshot image payload or artifact URL before ASCII can claim conversion completion.

Automation Transports

ASCII supports REST conversion, chunked artifact manifests, NDJSON streaming, MCP JSON-RPC tools, and Atom/RSS update feeds. SSE is not implemented because NDJSON streams, manifest/chunk URLs, and MCP cover the current automation needs without another transport.

True async queued conversion jobs are planned for durable storage and long-running multi-step workflows. Today, conversion returns synchronously with either inline ASCII or a temporary artifact manifest.

See /automation for the full transport matrix and recommended agent flows.

๐Ÿค– MCP Integration

This site exposes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) endpoint compatible with AI agents.

  • Discovery: /.well-known/mcp.json
  • Endpoint: /api/mcp
  • Tools: convert_image, convert_image_url_to_ascii_preview, convert_large_image_to_ascii_manifest, convert_browserops_screenshot_to_ascii, list_ascii_artifacts, list_charsets, get_charset, get_info, get_health, list_webhooks, protected webhook/report tools
  • Roadmap: /roadmap
  • RSS Feed: /rss.xml
  • Auth: Public read-only introspection; protected mutations require PLATPHORM_API_KEY
  • Protocol: MCP 2025-03-26 over JSON-RPC 2.0

โ™ฟ Accessibility Support

  • Skip to main content link
  • ARIA labels on all interactive elements
  • Semantic HTML5 elements (<main>, <nav>, <section>, <header>, <footer>)
  • Keyboard navigable controls
  • Focus indicators for all interactive elements
  • High contrast dark mode optimized for readability
  • Screen reader announcements for loading, errors, copy, drop, and conversion completion
  • Proper heading hierarchy

Accessibility support is implemented in the UI, but this page does not claim a formal third-party WCAG audit.

โ“ FAQ

How do I convert an image to ASCII art?

Upload any image (PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP) by clicking the upload button or dragging and dropping. Adjust resolution and character set, then copy or download the result.

Is this tool free to use?

Yes, the browser converter is free with no sign-up required. Server conversion for trusted PlatPhorm and Vercel Blob image artifact URLs is also public; untrusted external URL fetches require PLATPHORM_API_KEY.

Does this tool support MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

Yes. The tool exposes an MCP endpoint at /api/mcp with tools for inline image conversion, trusted artifact URL conversion, BrowserOps screenshot conversion, artifact manifests, health checks, charset listing, and webhook management. Discovery at /.well-known/mcp.json.

Can AgentUI or BrowserOps send screenshots to ASCII without friction?

Yes, when the workflow provides a real screenshot image artifact from *.platphormnews.com or a trusted Vercel Blob image artifact URL. External or untrusted image URLs require PLATPHORM_API_KEY.

What is claws.platphormnews.com?

It is an integrated part of our broader network. See our documentation at https://platphormnews.com/api/docs for more integrations.

๐ŸŒ PlatPhorm News Network