Clip and schedule video from an AI agent
ClipAI ships an MCP server, so the whole pipeline is callable by an agent. Claude, or any MCP-compatible client, can import a long video, read the AI-detected clips and their scores, render one to a captioned 9:16 short, and schedule it to a connected account - from a single message. Seven tools, one API key, no clone or build step.
Install
Add this to your MCP client's configuration. It needs Node 20 or newer. Generate the key in ClipAI under Settings, then API keys.
{
"mcpServers": {
"clipai": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "clipai-mcp"],
"env": { "CLIPAI_API_KEY": "clip_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" }
}
}
}CLIPAI_BASE_URL is optional and defaults to https://clipai.online. It must be an origin - scheme and host, no path.
The tools
import_youtube
Import a YouTube URL and start AI clip detection. Returns a video_id and a job_id.
list_videos
List the org's videos with their status and clip counts.
list_clips
List clips, optionally for one video: id, title, status, score, start and end.
get_clip
Fetch a single clip. This is what you poll after rendering.
render_clip
Render a clip to a 9:16 short with burned-in captions. Pass reframe_focus: "track" to pan the crop with the speaker. Returns a jobId.
list_social_accounts
List the connected social accounts available to schedule to.
schedule_clip
Schedule a rendered clip, or publish it now, to one of those accounts.
A typical agent run
- 01import_youtube
- 02list_clips (poll until clips appear)
- 03render_clip
- 04get_clip (poll until status is READY)
- 05list_social_accounts
- 06schedule_clip
Questions
What is the ClipAI MCP server?
It is an MCP server that exposes ClipAI's clipping pipeline as agent-callable tools, so Claude or any MCP-compatible client can import a video, list the AI-detected clips, render one, and schedule it to a connected social account from a single message. It is published to npm as clipai-mcp and needs Node 20 or newer.
How do I install it?
You do not need to clone or build anything. Point your MCP client at npx -y clipai-mcp and set CLIPAI_API_KEY in its environment. The configuration block on this page is the whole setup.
How does it authenticate?
With a per-org API key that you generate in ClipAI under Settings then API keys. It is sent as an Authorization bearer token. The key starts with clip_, carries the org owner's authority, and can be revoked at any time from the same screen.
Can I point it at a different host?
Yes. Set CLIPAI_BASE_URL, which defaults to https://clipai.online. It must be an origin - scheme and host with no path - because a path suffix is silently dropped when request paths are resolved against it.
Does the API work without MCP?
Yes. The same API key works for any programmatic call, not just this server. The MCP server is a wrapper over the ClipAI API, so anything an agent can do here you can also do directly over HTTP.
What does it cost?
MCP and API access are included in the single $19/month ClipAI plan, with a 14-day free trial and no card required. There is no separate agent or developer tier.