| name | memegen |
| description | Generate meme images using the memegen.link API. Use when the user asks to create, make, send, or generate a meme, funny image, reaction image, or similar request. Produces meme images via URL — no local image generation needed. Supports 100+ classic meme templates (Drake, Doge, Disaster Girl, Expanding Brain, etc.) and custom backgrounds.
|
Memegen Skill
Generate memes via the memegen.link public API + Imgflip trending templates. No API key required.
Architecture
┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ Template Source │────▶│ Caption Engine │────▶│ Renderer │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ • Built-in IDs │ │ • Manual text │ │ • memegen │
│ • Imgflip API │ │ • Agent-picked │ │ .link │
│ • Custom URL │ │ │ │ • Pillow │
│ • Top 30 fallback│ │ │ │ (local) │
└─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ └─────────────┘
How It Works
Memes are generated entirely via URL — no POST requests needed. Build the URL and download the image.
URL Format
https://api.memegen.link/images/{template}/{top_text}/{bottom_text}.png
Downloading Memes
memegen.link returns HTTP 404 status but valid image body — many HTTP clients reject 404 URLs.
Always download first, then verify:
curl -s -o /tmp/meme.png "https://api.memegen.link/images/drake/top/bottom.png"
file /tmp/meme.png
ls -la /tmp/meme.png
If the file is empty or <1KB, the template ID is probably wrong.
URL Encoding Rules
| Character | Encoding | Example |
|---|
| Space | _ | hello_world |
? | ~q | why~q |
/ | ~s | yes~sno |
# | ~h | tag~h1 |
% | ~p | 100~p |
" | '' | he_said_''hi'' |
_ (literal) | __ | double__underscore |
| Newline | ~n | line1~nline2 |
| Blank line | _ | Top only: /top_text/_ |
Query Parameters
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|
background | URL | Custom background image URL |
width | int | Scale to width (px), use 800 for larger |
height | int | Scale to height (px) |
font | string | Font name (see /api/fonts) |
layout | string | default or top (text positioning) |
color | string | Text color: HTML name or hex (FF80ED) |
🎯 VARIETY RULE — Keep It Fresh
Prefer variety over repetition. Before picking a template:
- Check what templates you've used recently (keep a history if possible)
- Try to pick a different template from the last 5 memes
- BUT — if a specific template is clearly the best fit for the joke, use it even if recent
- After generating, log the template used for future reference
Humor Configuration
This skill includes a humor profile system — an equalizer for meme tone, darkness, and cultural targeting. See humor-profiles.md for the full reference.
Default Profile
| Slider | Default | Range |
|---|
| Darkness | Level 2 (Light) | 1: Clean → 5: Nuclear ☢️ |
| Dank Meter | Normie-Dank | Normie → Dank → Deep Fried → Surreal → Shitpost |
| Style | Contextual (auto-detect) | Sarcasm · Absurdist · Self-deprecating · Deadpan · Wholesome · Roast · Meta · Shitpost |
| Geo | Neutral | 🇲🇽 MX · 🇦🇷 AR · 🇪🇸 ES · 🇺🇸 US · 🇧🇷 BR · 🇨🇴 CO · 🌎 LATAM |
How the Same Topic Hits Different
Topic: "My code has bugs"
Level 1 + Wholesome + Normie:
Template: success | "Found a bug / Fixed it on first try"
Level 2 + Sarcasm + Dank:
Template: fry | "Not sure if my code works / Or the tests are just broken too"
Level 3 + Sarcasm + Dank:
Template: fine | "Production is on fire / This is fine, it's a feature"
Level 4 + Deadpan + Dank (🇲🇽):
Template: harold | "Cuando dices 'ya casi queda' y llevas 3 horas / Pero sonríes porque el deploy es mañana"
Level 5 + Shitpost + Deep Fried:
Template: custom deep-fried | "BRUH THE CODE 💀💀💀 / IT COMPILES THO 😤🔥💯"
Usage in Prompts
Generate a meme about [topic].
Humor profile: Level 3, Dank, Sarcasm, 🇲🇽
Or let the agent auto-detect from context (language used, group chat culture, conversation tone).
Deep Fry Post-Processing
For Level 5 / Deep Fried memes, use the included script:
python3 scripts/deep-fry.py meme.png fried.png --level 4 --emojis --flare
Requires: pip install pillow
Template Selection Guide
For ALL 207 templates with rhetorical patterns and examples, see references/templates-complete.md
For a quick-reference index, see references/template-index.md
Pick templates by rhetorical pattern first, then tone. Each entry includes:
- Formula: the semantic structure of the joke
- Tone: sarcastic, wholesome, self-deprecating, absurd, smug, panicked, etc.
- Structure: what goes in each panel/line
- Best for: situations where this template shines
- Text length: short (1-5 words), medium (5-15), long (15-30) per panel
Binary Comparison (reject X / prefer Y)
drake — Drakeposting
- Formula: rejection of X / preference for Y
- Tone: casual, lighthearted, smug
- Structure: top=bad option (rejected), bottom=good option (approved)
- Best for: lazy shortcuts over proper solutions, guilty pleasures, obvious better choices
- Text length: medium / medium
pooh — Tuxedo Winnie the Pooh
- Formula: basic version of X / refined version of X
- Tone: smug, pretentious, self-aware
- Structure: top=normal/basic way, bottom=fancy/elevated way
- Best for: classy upgrades, pretending to be sophisticated, "we say it differently here"
- Text length: medium / medium
db — Distracted Boyfriend
- Formula: attracted to Z / neglecting Y / Z is the shiny new thing
- Tone: sarcastic, self-deprecating, relatable
- Structure: 3 lines — boyfriend=who's distracted, girlfriend=what's neglected, other=the temptation
- Best for: abandoning responsibilities for fun, shiny object syndrome, love triangles
- Text length: short / short / short
glasses — Peter Parker's Glasses
- Formula: blurry perception of X / clear perception of X
- Tone: revelatory, deadpan
- Structure: top=what it looks like at first, bottom=what it actually is
- Best for: seeing through BS, clarity moments, "oh that's what it really is"
- Text length: medium / medium
astronaut — Always Has Been
- Formula: discovery of X / it was always X
- Tone: ominous, deadpan, absurd
- Structure: 4 lines — astronaut1 sees something, asks question, astronaut2 reveals truth, "always has been"
- Best for: revelations that something was always true, conspiracies, hidden truths
- Text length: short / medium / short / short
- ⚠️ Built-in may be broken — use Imgflip URL with
custom template as fallback
Skepticism / Confusion
fry — Futurama Fry (Squinting)
- Formula: not sure if X or Y
- Tone: suspicious, paranoid, relatable
- Structure: top=not sure if X, bottom=or just Y
- Best for: ambiguous situations, "is this a compliment or insult", reading between the lines
- Text length: medium / medium
morpheus — Matrix Morpheus
- Formula: what if I told you X
- Tone: wise, smug, enlightening
- Structure: top=what if I told you, bottom=the revelation
- Best for: mind-blowing facts, uncomfortable truths, paradigm shifts
- Text length: short / long
philosoraptor — Philosoraptor
- Formula: if X then wouldn't Y
- Tone: absurd, pseudo-intellectual, shower-thought
- Structure: top=philosophical setup, bottom=absurd conclusion
- Best for: shower thoughts, wordplay, "technically correct" logic, paradoxes
- Text length: medium / medium
keanu — Conspiracy Keanu
- Formula: what if X is actually Y
- Tone: paranoid, conspiratorial, wide-eyed
- Structure: top=what if, bottom=wild conspiracy theory
- Best for: absurd theories, connecting unrelated dots, "everything is connected"
- Text length: short / long
Clever Realization / Big Brain
rollsafe — Roll Safe (Thinking)
- Formula: can't have problem X if you do Y (terrible logic)
- Tone: smug, self-satisfied, terrible-advice
- Structure: top=can't X, bottom=if you Y (the "clever" workaround)
- Best for: life hacks that are actually terrible, loophole logic, galaxy-brain shortcuts
- Text length: medium / medium
gb — Galaxy Brain (Expanding Brain)
- Formula: level 1 normal → level 4 absurd/genius
- Tone: absurd, escalating, ironic
- Structure: 4 panels — each progressively more extreme/ridiculous take on same topic
- Best for: escalating absurdity, "big brain" solutions, tier lists of approaches
- Text length: medium / medium / medium / medium
scc — Sudden Clarity Clarence
- Formula: sudden realization that X
- Tone: shocked, enlightened, mind-blown
- Structure: top=setup, bottom=the realization
- Best for: epiphanies, "wait a minute" moments, obvious things nobody noticed
- Text length: medium / medium
Sarcasm / Mockery
spongebob — Mocking SpongeBob
- Formula: mocking repetition of X
- Tone: sarcastic, mocking, petty
- Structure: top=the original statement, bottom=tHe MoCkInG vErSiOn
- Best for: mocking dumb takes, repeating someone's words back at them, "sure buddy"
- Text length: medium / medium (use alternating caps in bottom)
wonka — Condescending Wonka
- Formula: oh you X? you must be Y
- Tone: condescending, sarcastic, smug
- Structure: top=oh you [claim], bottom=you must [sarcastic conclusion]
- Best for: calling out fakes, "oh you're an expert now?", gatekeeping humor
- Text length: medium / medium
kermit — But That's None of My Business
- Formula: [controversial observation] but that's none of my business
- Tone: passive-aggressive, smug, "just saying"
- Structure: top=shady observation, bottom=but that's none of my business
- Best for: throwing shade, gossip, pointed observations you "didn't mean to make"
- Text length: long / short
khaby-lame — Khaby Lame Shrug
- Formula: the obvious solution was right there
- Tone: deadpan, "are you serious", exasperated
- Structure: top=the overcomplicated thing someone did, bottom=the obvious solution
- Best for: overengineering, when the answer was obvious, "just do X"
- Text length: medium / short
Panic / Disaster / Pain
fine — This is Fine (Dog in Fire)
- Formula: everything is on fire / pretending it's okay
- Tone: denial, panicked-calm, self-deprecating
- Structure: top=the disaster happening, bottom=this is fine (or calm response)
- Best for: ignoring problems, deadlines, production outages, Monday mornings
- Text length: medium / short
harold — Hide the Pain Harold
- Formula: pain hidden behind a smile
- Tone: self-deprecating, pained, relatable
- Structure: top=the painful situation, bottom=the forced smile response
- Best for: putting on a brave face, "I'm fine" moments, internal screaming
- Text length: medium / medium
slap — Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock
- Formula: X attacks Y for Z
- Tone: aggressive, dramatic, sudden
- Structure: top=the trigger/joke, bottom=the violent response
- Best for: overreactions, defending something aggressively, sudden consequences
- Text length: medium / medium
gru — Gru's Plan
- Formula: plan → plan → consequence → wait what
- Tone: dramatic irony, panicked, backfire
- Structure: 4 panels — step 1, step 2, unexpected consequence, horrified reaction to step 3
- Best for: plans that backfire, unintended consequences, "I didn't think this through"
- Text length: medium / medium / medium / medium (panel 4 repeats panel 3)
chair — American Chopper Argument
- Formula: escalating argument between two people
- Tone: heated, dramatic, aggressive
- Structure: up to 6 panels — alternating arguments, escalating intensity
- Best for: heated debates, internal conflicts, "the duality of man", pros vs cons arguments
- Text length: medium per panel (up to 6 panels!)
Wholesome / Positive
success — Success Kid
- Formula: attempted X / nailed it
- Tone: triumphant, wholesome, fist-pump
- Structure: top=the challenge or attempt, bottom=the win
- Best for: small victories, passing tests, things going right for once
- Text length: medium / short
stonks — Stonks (Meme Man)
- Formula: did X / stonks (profit/success)
- Tone: absurd, ironic-positive, surreal
- Structure: top=the questionable action, bottom=stonks (or "not stonks" for failures)
- Best for: questionable financial decisions, "business" moves, ironic success
- Text length: medium / short
handshake — Epic Handshake
- Formula: X and Y agree on Z
- Tone: wholesome, unifying, respectful
- Structure: 3 lines — left arm label, right arm label, handshake label (the shared thing)
- Best for: unlikely agreements, common ground between enemies, "we're not so different"
- Text length: short / short / medium
Comparison / Identity
same — They're The Same Picture (Corporate)
- Formula: X and Y are identical / I see no difference
- Tone: deadpan, sarcastic, pointed
- Structure: top=thing 1, bottom=thing 2 (implying they're the same)
- Best for: calling out copycats, "these are literally the same thing", false distinctions
- Text length: short / short
pigeon — Is This a Pigeon?
- Formula: person misidentifies X as Y
- Tone: confused, absurd, oblivious
- Structure: 3 lines — the person (who), the butterfly (what it actually is), "is this a [wrong label]?"
- Best for: misidentifying things, clueless takes, "boomers calling everything WiFi"
- Text length: short / short / short
spiderman — Spider-Man Pointing
- Formula: X and Y are the same thing pointing at each other
- Tone: absurd, meta, accusatory
- Structure: top=first thing, bottom=second thing (both identical)
- Best for: two things that are secretly the same, hypocrisy, "you're one to talk"
- Text length: short / short
woman-cat — Woman Yelling at Cat
- Formula: angry accusation vs calm unbothered response
- Tone: chaotic, confrontational, deadpan
- Structure: top=the angry accusation (woman), bottom=the calm response (cat)
- Best for: arguments where one side is dramatic and the other is chill, overreaction vs facts
- Text length: long / short
Reaction / Mood
kombucha — Kombucha Girl
- Formula: tries X / actually it's not bad
- Tone: surprised, conflicted, "huh okay"
- Structure: top=the thing you reluctantly tried, bottom=the unexpected reaction
- Best for: guilty pleasures, changing your mind, "okay this actually slaps"
- Text length: medium / short
right — Anakin Padmé ("Right?")
- Formula: states plan / partner assumes good intent / "right?" / silence
- Tone: dramatic irony, ominous, escalating dread
- Structure: 5 lines — Anakin states X, Padmé assumes benign reason, "right?", Anakin silent stare, "RIGHT?"
- Best for: someone revealing bad intentions, "wait you're joking right?", red flags
- Text length: medium / short / short / (blank) / short
cmm — Change My Mind
- Formula: hot take stated as fact, daring anyone to argue
- Tone: provocative, confident, debate-me
- Structure: 1 line only — the controversial opinion on the sign
- Best for: hot takes, unpopular opinions, starting arguments, confident declarations
- Text length: medium (single line, keep it punchy)
reveal — Scooby Doo Reveal (Unmasking)
- Formula: X was actually Y all along
- Tone: revelatory, dramatic, "I knew it"
- Structure: 4 lines — the villain, the mask being pulled, the reveal, reaction
- Best for: exposing the truth, "it was X all along", corporate rebranding, hidden motives
- Text length: short / short / short / short
Rhetorical Pattern Quick Reference
Use this to identify the right template category before browsing individual templates:
| Pattern | Templates | When to Use |
|---|
| Binary comparison (A vs B) | Drake, Pooh, Distracted Boyfriend | Rejecting one thing for another |
| Escalation (progressively more extreme) | Galaxy Brain, Expanding Brain | Ideas getting increasingly absurd |
| Dramatic irony (plan backfires) | Gru's Plan, Anakin/Padme ("Right?") | Confident plan with obvious flaw |
| Denial / cope | This Is Fine, Harold | Pretending everything's okay |
| Obvious solution ignored | Khaby Lame, Roll Safe | The answer was simple all along |
| Mockery / sarcasm | Spongebob, Wonka, Kermit | Making fun of a take |
| Identity confusion | Spider-Man Pointing, Same Picture, Pigeon | Things that are the same or misidentified |
| Revelation / unmasking | Scooby Doo Reveal, Peter Parker Glasses | Discovering the truth behind something |
| Hot take / provocation | Change My Mind | Stating a controversial opinion |
| Shared agreement | Epic Handshake | Two sides finding common ground |
| Escalating argument | American Chopper | Multi-party conflict |
Trending Templates via Imgflip
When you want the freshest templates (not just built-in IDs):
curl -s "https://api.imgflip.com/get_memes" | python3 -c "
import sys, json
memes = json.load(sys.stdin)['data']['memes'][:20]
for m in memes:
print(f\"{m['name']}: {m['url']}\")
"
Use with custom background:
https://api.memegen.link/images/custom/{top}/{bottom}.png?background={imgflip_url}&width=800
Custom Background URL Encoding
from urllib.parse import quote
bg = quote("https://i.imgflip.com/30b1gx.jpg", safe=":/")
url = f"https://api.memegen.link/images/custom/top/bottom.png?background={bg}&width=800"
For hardcoded fallback templates (when Imgflip is unreachable), see references/templates-classic.md.
For trending template sources (Reddit, Imgflip scraping, Giphy), see references/templates-trending.md.
Local Render with Pillow (fallback, no network)
When memegen.link is down or you need full control:
from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont
from io import BytesIO
import textwrap, requests
def render_meme(image_url, top, bottom="", output="/tmp/meme.png"):
img = Image.open(BytesIO(requests.get(image_url).content)).convert("RGB")
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(img)
w, h = img.size
font_size = max(w // 12, 20)
try:
font = ImageFont.truetype("/usr/share/fonts/truetype/msttcorefonts/Impact.ttf", font_size)
except OSError:
font = ImageFont.load_default()
def draw_block(text, anchor="top"):
if not text: return
text = text.upper()
lines = textwrap.wrap(text, width=max(int((w * 0.9) / (font_size * 0.6)), 10))
line_h = [draw.textbbox((0,0), l, font=font)[3] - draw.textbbox((0,0), l, font=font)[1] for l in lines]
total = sum(line_h) + (len(lines)-1) * 4
y = 10 if anchor == "top" else h - total - 20
for i, line in enumerate(lines):
lw = draw.textbbox((0,0), line, font=font)[2]
draw.text(((w-lw)/2, y), line, font=font, fill="white",
stroke_width=3, stroke_fill="black")
y += line_h[i] + 4
draw_block(top, "top")
draw_block(bottom, "bottom")
img.save(output, quality=95)
return output
Requires: pip install pillow requests and optionally sudo apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer for Impact font.
⚠️ Known Issues & Lessons
Template names matter — use exact IDs
Common mistakes:
- ❌
buzz-woody → does not exist, grey placeholder
- ✅
buzz → "X, X Everywhere"
- ❌
disaster-girl → wrong
- ✅
ds → Disaster Girl
- ❌
change-my-mind → wrong
- ✅
cmm → Change My Mind
When unsure, fetch https://api.memegen.link/templates/{id} to verify.
Broken/unreliable built-in templates
These render text-only on grey striped background (no image):
- ❌
simply — "One Does Not Simply" — background doesn't load
- ❌
always — "Always Has Been" — background doesn't load
- ❌
panik — "Panik Kalm Panik" — 3-panel doesn't render
Workaround: Use the Imgflip URL from the fallback list with custom template instead.
Don't use formatting tags in meme text
- ❌
~i~text~i~ — renders literally
- ✅ Just use plain text — memes don't need italics
- Only reliable special chars:
~n (newline), ~q (?), ~a (&), ~h (#), ~s (/)
Text encoding
- Accented characters (é, ñ, ó) work fine in URLs
- Keep text SHORT — max ~30 chars per line looks best
- Emojis don't render in memegen.link
Tips
- Keep text short — long text gets tiny
- Use
?width=800 for larger images
- For custom backgrounds:
custom template + ?background=<url>
- For broken built-in templates, use Imgflip URL +
custom as workaround
time.sleep(0.5) between batch requests — be polite to memegen.link
For the full template list and special characters reference, see references/api.md.
