Memegen

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.

Artemio Padilla@artemiopadilla

Install

openclaw skills install @artemiopadilla/memegen

Memegen Skill

Generate memes via the memegen.link public API + Imgflip trending templates. No API key required.

Architecture

text

┌─────────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│  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

text

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:

bash

curl -s -o /tmp/meme.png "https://api.memegen.link/images/drake/top/bottom.png"
file /tmp/meme.png       # Should say "PNG image data"
ls -la /tmp/meme.png     # Should be >10KB for a real meme

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:

text

Template: success | "Found a bug / Fixed it on first try"

Level 2 + Sarcasm + Dank:

text

Template: fry | "Not sure if my code works / Or the tests are just broken too"

Level 3 + Sarcasm + Dank:

text

Template: fine | "Production is on fire / This is fine, it's a feature"

Level 4 + Deadpan + Dank (🇲🇽):

text

Template: harold | "Cuando dices 'ya casi queda' y llevas 3 horas / Pero sonríes porque el deploy es mañana"

Level 5 + Shitpost + Deep Fried:

text

Template: custom deep-fried | "BRUH THE CODE 💀💀💀 / IT COMPILES THO 😤🔥💯"

Usage in Prompts

text

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:

bash

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):

bash

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:

text

https://api.memegen.link/images/custom/{top}/{bottom}.png?background={imgflip_url}&width=800

Custom Background URL Encoding

python

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:

python

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.

Memegen

Install

Memegen Skill

Architecture

How It Works

URL Format

Downloading Memes

URL Encoding Rules

Query Parameters

🎯 VARIETY RULE — Keep It Fresh

Humor Configuration

Default Profile

How the Same Topic Hits Different

Usage in Prompts

Deep Fry Post-Processing

Template Selection Guide

Binary Comparison (reject X / prefer Y)

Skepticism / Confusion

Clever Realization / Big Brain

Sarcasm / Mockery

Panic / Disaster / Pain

Wholesome / Positive

Comparison / Identity

Reaction / Mood

Rhetorical Pattern Quick Reference

Trending Templates via Imgflip

Custom Background URL Encoding

Local Render with Pillow (fallback, no network)

⚠️ Known Issues & Lessons

Template names matter — use exact IDs

Broken/unreliable built-in templates

Don't use formatting tags in meme text

Text encoding

Tips

Related skills