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C
CartCut

CartCut

Local
cartesiancs.comMedia & Design818Updated 1d ago
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About CartCut

CartCut MCP is a bridge package that connects Claude and other MCP clients to the CartCut desktop video editor. It lets an MCP client edit the project currently open in CartCut. The package runs over stdio and relays messages to the MCP server inside the app, and edits can be undone in CartCut's own history.

Key features

  1. 01Cut video from a transcript
  2. 02Add captions to a project
  3. 03Trim and rearrange clips
  4. 04Apply motion, transitions and effects
  5. 05Undo edits in the CartCut app

Use cases

  1. 01Ask Claude to remove pauses or mistakes based on a transcript
  2. 02Add captions to an open video project
  3. 03Reorder clips and add transitions

MCP support

This package is the stdio side of an MCP connection. The client starts it through npx, and it relays messages to the MCP server built into CartCut at http://127.0.0.1:9826/mcp.

Configuration

Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.

mcp.json · Universal config
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cartesiancs-cartcut": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cartesiancs/cartcut-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CARTCUT_MCP_TOKEN": "<CARTCUT_MCP_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}
Run commandnpx -y @cartesiancs/cartcut-mcp
Environment variables to set
CARTCUT_MCP_TOKENSecretOptional. CartCut's MCP token; read from CartCut's own settings when unset.

Local servers need a runtime on your machine (e.g. Node.js 18+). Config file locations differ by client; see your client’s docs.

Packages
npm@cartesiancs/cartcut-mcp0.1.0

Tools

No tool list yet

Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.

Details

From the project README

@cartesiancs/cartcut-mcp

Connects Claude, and any other MCP client, to the CartCut video editor running on your computer. Claude edits the project you have open: cutting from a transcript, adding captions, trimming and restaging clips, motion, transitions and effects. Every edit lands in CartCut's own undo history, so ⌘Z takes it back.

CartCut runs its MCP server inside the app, on http://127.0.0.1:9826/mcp. This package is the stdio side of that connection: the client starts it, and it relays every message to the app and back. It needs no configuration: it reads CartCut's token from CartCut's own settings.

Requirements

Install

Claude Code
claude mcp add cartcut -- npx -y @cartesiancs/cartcut-mcp

Add -s user to have it in every project. For the editing skill as well, which is what makes Claude a good editor rather than one that merely has the tools, install the plugin instead: plugins/cartcut-editing. If the skill is not installed, the bridge tells Claude where to read it.

Claude Desktop, Cursor and other clients
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cartcut": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@cartesiancs/cartcut-mcp"]
    }
  }
}
Codex
codex mcp add cartcut -- npx -y @cartesiancs/cartcut-mcp

Configuration

Both variables are optional.

VariableDefault
CARTCUT_MCP_TOKENread from CartCut's settingsThe token under the ⚡ icon at the bottom right of the CartCut window.
CARTCUT_MCP_URLhttp://127.0.0.1:9826/mcpWhere CartCut listens.

Without CARTCUT_MCP_TOKEN, the token comes from CartCut's config.json:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/cartcut-app/config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\cartcut-app\config.json
  • Linux: ~/.config/cartcut-app/config.json

Behaviour worth knowing

CartCut can restart underneath a session. Quit it, update it, open it again: the next call opens a new session with the app and carries on, and the client is told to re-read the tool list.

A call is never sent twice. If CartCut closes while a tool call is running, the call is answered with an error rather than retried, because it may already have changed the timeline. Look at the editor before asking again.

Nothing leaves the machine. The bridge only ever talks to the address above.

Troubleshooting

  • "CartCut is not running, or its MCP bridge is off": open CartCut, then reconnect (/mcp in Claude Code).
  • "CartCut refused the token": CARTCUT_MCP_TOKEN is set to an old token. Unset it, or copy the current one from the ⚡ icon.
  • "There is no CartCut token": CartCut has never been opened on this account. Open it once.

npx -y @cartesiancs/cartcut-mcp --version prints the version. The bridge logs to stderr and never to stdout, which carries the protocol.

License

MIT

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