Connector documentation · updated 21 August 2026
AI video editing in Claude, documented.
Shorty's MCP connector puts an AI video editor inside Claude. Upload raw footage from a conversation, optionally show Shorty a reference video whose editing style to copy, and get back a finished, cloud-rendered MP4 — cuts, captions, pacing and colour treatment included. This page covers setup, every tool, both editing workflows, limits, billing and support.
01 / Setup
Connect the Shorty MCP server
Shorty speaks Model Context Protocol over Streamable HTTP with OAuth 2.0 sign-in. A free Shorty account is created the first time you authorize; no API keys or admin permissions are needed.
MCP endpoint https://mcp.shortyedit.com/mcp
Claude (claude.ai and desktop)
- Open Settings → Connectors and choose Add custom connector (or use its directory entry if available to your account).
- Paste
https://mcp.shortyedit.com/mcpas the URL and confirm. - Click Connect and sign in when the Shorty OAuth page opens.
- Start a chat and ask Claude to edit your footage — the Shorty tools appear automatically.
Claude Code
- Run
claude mcp add --transport http shorty https://mcp.shortyedit.com/mcp. - Run
/mcpinside a session to complete the OAuth sign-in. - Local file paths work directly: point Shorty at clips on disk and it handles the upload.
Other MCP clients
- Any client that supports MCP over Streamable HTTP with OAuth can connect to the same endpoint.
- Clients register via OAuth dynamic client registration; no pre-shared credentials are required.
02 / Workflows
Two ways to edit: autopilot and director mode
Autopilot is the default: Shorty's own director analyses your footage and delivers a finished edit. Director mode hands creative control to the AI agent you're talking to — it watches your footage frame-by-frame, authors the cut itself, and Shorty renders exactly that cut.
Set the direction
Optionally call choose_reference with a direct media URL or local file — the video whose editing style Shorty should copy. Skip it to edit from a written brief alone.
Add your footage
add_footage uploads your own clips. A project is created automatically if you skipped the reference step.
Render the cut
render runs one durable edit: analysis, direction and rendering happen server-side, then the finished MP4 is delivered in the chat.
In director mode the agent first reads the authoring_contract rulebook, watches the media with inspect (contact sheets sampled at 10–24 fps), submits its own composition with author_edit — which type-checks, bundles and previews it in a sandbox with no AI involved — then calls render with the resulting plan revision to produce the full-scale video.
03 / Tools
Tool reference
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| choose_reference | Optional first step. Uploads the reference video whose editing style Shorty will copy (direct media URL or local file) and creates the edit project. Platform pages are never ripped — only direct media. |
| add_footage | Uploads your own clips into the project. Accepts URLs and local paths; creates the project automatically when no reference was chosen. |
| render | Produces the edit. Alone, it runs Shorty's autopilot director as one durable run. With a planRevisionId from author_edit, it renders the agent-directed cut at full scale. Waits and delivers the video by default. |
| status | Lists a project's durable edit runs, resumes an interrupted run, and delivers its finished video. |
| authoring_contract | Director mode step 0: the enforced Remotion authoring rulebook — source policy, import allowlist, font catalog and composition contract. |
| inspect | Director mode step 1: contact-sheet images of the project media sampled at an exact 10–24 fps cadence, plus duration, dimensions and audio facts. |
| author_edit | Director mode step 2: submits the agent's own CreativeVideo.tsx. It runs a deterministic gauntlet (source policy, strict TypeScript, bundle, sandboxed preview) and returns typed errors or a preview sheet with a persisted planRevisionId. |
| paywall | Reports credit balance, authoritative per-edit pricing and upgrade plans; can open a Stripe checkout for a configured plan. |
04 / Limits
Formats, limits and output
- Reference
- MP4, MOV or WebM; up to 256 MB; direct media URL or local file
- Footage
- Your own clips, up to 1 GB per file, stored privately to your account
- Output
- Cloud-rendered, downloadable MP4
- Canvas
- 9:16, 4:5, 3:4, 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 and 21:9
- Durability
- Edit runs survive disconnects; every mutation is idempotent and safely retryable
- Records
- Assets, analyses, plans and renders are immutable backend records
05 / Accounts & billing
Accounts, credits and pricing
Connecting is free: a Shorty account is created at first OAuth sign-in and includes starter credits. Edits and renders consume credits. The paywall tool always reports your live balance and the backend's authoritative per-edit price, and an out-of-credit render fails into the same purchase prompt rather than losing your work. Plans are listed at shortyedit.com/pricing; checkout runs through Stripe.
06 / Data
Data handling
Uploaded media is stored privately to your account as immutable assets. AI service providers process reference media, footage, derived samples, analyses and instructions only as needed to plan and render the requested edit — see the privacy policy for full processing terms. Shorty edits the footage you supply; it does not use AI models to generate video, audio or images, and it never scrapes platform pages for reference material.
07 / FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the Shorty MCP connector?
It connects Shorty's AI video editor to Claude and other MCP clients. You upload raw footage from a conversation, optionally point at a reference video whose editing style you want copied, and receive back a cloud-rendered, downloadable MP4.
How do I connect Shorty to Claude?
If Shorty is available in your Claude connector directory, select it; otherwise add https://mcp.shortyedit.com/mcp as a custom connector in claude.ai settings. Sign in with OAuth when prompted; a Shorty account is created on first sign-in.
Does Shorty generate AI video?
No. Shorty edits footage you provide. AI is used to analyse footage and plan the edit; rendering is deterministic and produces new cuts of your own clips.
What does the connector cost?
Connecting is free and new accounts include starter credits. Edits and renders consume credits; the paywall tool reports your balance and current per-edit pricing, and plans are listed on the pricing page.
What happens if a render is interrupted?
Renders are durable server-side jobs. If the conversation or connection drops mid-render, the run keeps going; the status tool resumes inspection and delivers the finished video.
Where do I get support?
Email support@tools-labs.com. Include the project or edit-run ID from the conversation if your question is about a specific render.
Maintained by Tools Products FZ-LLC · support@tools-labs.com