VidSeeds.ai

VidSeeds.ai MCP marketplace and connector catalog

Drive VidSeeds.ai - pre-upload video SEO & metadata optimization and multi-platform publishing - directly from your AI coding client.

VidSeeds.ai analyzes a creator's existing video and produces optimized titles, descriptions, tags, thumbnails, and chapters for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X, then publishes them. It is not a video generator or editor.

This repo is the public marketplace/catalog source for the hosted MCP connector that exposes the VidSeeds.ai workflow (247 tools, all prefixed vidseeds_). It ships the machine-readable metadata that different clients expect:

Client / catalog	What this repo provides
Claude Code	.claude-plugin/marketplace.json, .claude-plugin/plugin.json, .mcp.json, and workflow skills
Codex	.agents/plugins/marketplace.json, .codex-plugin/plugin.json, codex.mcp.json, and workflow skills
Official MCP Registry and downstream catalogs	root server.json for mcp-publisher and registry-compatible crawlers
ChatGPT	source metadata/assets plus docs for the separate Apps SDK endpoint at https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp/chatgpt
Cursor and other MCP clients	copy-paste Streamable HTTP config for https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp

The connector ships no credentials - it tells your client how to call the hosted endpoint with a token you supply.

• Endpoint: https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp (MCP Streamable HTTP)
• Auth (this plugin): Personal Access Token (Authorization: Bearer vs_pat_…)
• Auth (Claude.ai / Desktop): the same endpoint also supports OAuth 2.0 (PKCE + Dynamic Client Registration) - add it as a custom connector, no token needed. See the in-app guide below.
• ChatGPT App: a dedicated endpoint https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp/chatgpt powers the OpenAI ChatGPT App (Apps SDK) with rendered result widgets. Local-only tools (ffmpeg/ffprobe recipes, precision-trim, local-audio transcription) are hidden there since ChatGPT has no local shell - use this Claude Code / Codex plugin for those. ChatGPT distribution is through the ChatGPT Apps submission/directory flow, not by adding this Git repo as a custom marketplace.
• Server: vidseeds v1.9.2 (agent orientation: routing-first server instructions sized for client truncation limits, vidseeds_guide tool, workflow prompts)

More clients & a copy-paste walkthrough: the in-app setup guide at https://vidseeds.ai/settings/mcp-settings covers Claude.ai & Desktop (OAuth), Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and any other MCP client - with ready-to-copy snippets for each.

💳 Paid connector - 14-day free trial. The MCP server is available to paid VidSeeds.ai subscribers. Every account gets a 14-day free trial that starts on the first MCP connection - including older accounts that have never connected before; once it ends, an active subscription is required to keep using the connector. Manage plans at https://vidseeds.ai/pricing.

If you are editing the VidSeeds.ai source code: Do not keep the vidseeds MCP server connected in the same coding agent session you use to work on this repository. The catalog (even with ?toolset=core) is the product surface for operating on user videos/channels. It will consume context you need for the actual code changes. Use your agent's normal file system / grep / edit tools. Only connect the MCP (with ?toolset=core recommended) when you are specifically testing the MCP layer, a new tool, the route handler, etc. See the root AGENTS.md "Context Hygiene" section.

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1. Get a Personal Access Token (required)

1. Sign in at https://vidseeds.ai (free account).
2. Open Settings → MCP Settings: https://vidseeds.ai/settings/mcp-settings.
3. Create a token and copy the secret (vs_pat_…) - it is shown only once (90-day default expiry).
4. Expose it to your client as the VIDSEEDS_PAT environment variable (below).

🔒 The token value never belongs in any file. This package references it by name (VIDSEEDS_PAT); your client injects the value from the environment at connect time. A leaked PAT grants full non-admin access to your account - treat it like a password.

ℹ️ Creating a token is free, but connecting requires a paid subscription or an active 14-day trial (see above). Beyond access, individual tools spend seeds from your balance (read-only tools are free) - connection access and per-tool seed cost are separate, both enforced server-side per call.

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2. Install in Claude Code

Option A - install the plugin (recommended)

/plugin marketplace add CarrotGamesStudios/vidseeds-mcp
/plugin install vidseeds@vidseeds

Then make the token available in the environment Claude Code is launched from:

export VIDSEEDS_PAT="vs_pat_your_token_here"
claude

Run /mcp to confirm the vidseeds server is connected and listing tools. If you see an auth error, VIDSEEDS_PAT was not set in the launching shell - export it and restart.

The plugin's .mcp.json injects your token via Bearer ${VIDSEEDS_PAT} - the same shape Anthropic's official GitHub connector uses. Set VIDSEEDS_PAT before launching; if it is unset, Claude Code flags the vidseeds server as needing configuration.

Option B - add the server directly (no plugin)

For a quick test without installing the plugin. Prefer Option A for daily use - it keeps the token in the environment (VIDSEEDS_PAT) and reads it at runtime, instead of writing the resolved token into ~/.claude.json.

Reference the env var rather than pasting the raw token, so the secret never lands in your shell history or terminal scrollback:

export VIDSEEDS_PAT="vs_pat_your_token_here"
claude mcp add --transport http vidseeds https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp?toolset=core \
 --header "Authorization: Bearer $VIDSEEDS_PAT"

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3. Install in Codex

Codex does not yet offer self-serve central plugin publishing, so the most reliable path is to add the server to your Codex config.

Option A - ~/.codex/config.toml (recommended)

[mcp_servers.vidseeds]
url = "https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "VIDSEEDS_PAT"

Then export the token in the environment Codex runs in:

export VIDSEEDS_PAT="vs_pat_your_token_here"

Option B - CLI

codex mcp add vidseeds --url https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp?toolset=core --bearer-token-env-var VIDSEEDS_PAT

Option C - repo/team marketplace

codex plugin marketplace add CarrotGamesStudios/vidseeds-mcp
codex plugin add vidseeds@vidseeds

This repo also ships a Codex repo marketplace at .agents/plugins/marketplace.json and a plugin manifest at .codex-plugin/plugin.json (MCP config in codex.mcp.json). Point a Codex marketplace at this repo and install vidseeds with codex plugin add or via codex → /plugins. The same VIDSEEDS_PAT environment variable applies.

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4. Install in Cursor

Add the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (per project). Cursor resolves ${env:…} in url / headers, so reference the token by name rather than pasting the secret:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vidseeds": {
      "url": "https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:VIDSEEDS_PAT}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Set VIDSEEDS_PAT in your environment, then enable the vidseeds server in Cursor Settings → MCP. Tool names use the vidseeds_ prefix (underscore, not dot) . Cursor rejects dotted names like vidseeds.generate_thumbnail.

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5. Official MCP Registry and other catalogs

The root server.json is the registry-compatible description of the hosted remote server:

• Name: io.github.CarrotGamesStudios/vidseeds-mcp
• Remote: streamable-http at https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp
• Auth header: required secret Authorization value, for example Bearer vs_pat_your_token_here
• Repository: https://github.com/CarrotGamesStudios/vidseeds-mcp

Maintainership note: publish or republish server.json with the official mcp-publisher CLI whenever the connector version, endpoint, auth requirements, or canonical description changes. Directory sites that ingest the official registry can then discover VidSeeds.ai without needing a Claude/Codex-specific plugin marketplace.

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6. ChatGPT

ChatGPT does not install this Git repo as a custom marketplace. Use the VidSeeds.ai ChatGPT App once it is published in the ChatGPT Apps directory, or use a client that supports custom MCP connectors with the hosted endpoint. The ChatGPT endpoint is https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp/chatgpt; it exposes the ChatGPT-safe subset of tools and rendered widgets.

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7. Agent skills (workflow guides)

This plugin ships skills under skills/ so agents use MCP efficiently without guessing tool chains. Read vidseeds-efficiency before expensive workflows.

Skill	When to use
vidseeds-setup	PAT/OAuth, trial, first connect
vidseeds-efficiency	Seeds, daily MCP quota, async polling
vidseeds-thumbnails	Generate, edit, studio, apply to project
vidseeds-projects	YouTube → project → metadata
vidseeds-analytics	Channel intel, autopsy, discovery
vidseeds-local-video	Local files, ffmpeg recipes, trim
vidseeds-publishing	Connections, preflight, publish

Per-tool parameters and seed costs come from the hosted server's tools/list descriptions. Skills teach composition, not a full catalog. Maintainer sync: MAINTAINERS.md.

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8. What the connector can do

247 tools spanning the full VidSeeds.ai creator workflow:

Area	Examples
Metadata optimization	titles, descriptions, tags, chapters; optimization history
Thumbnails	AI generation, edit, restyle; Thumbnail Studio (trends, briefs, subjects, overlay text, style profiles); publish to YouTube
Projects	create from a YouTube video, snapshots, apply thumbnail, per-platform config
Analytics & intelligence	channel/video analytics, channel intelligence, video autopsy, outlier detection, public-channel audit
Discovery & research	keyword research, trending videos, breakout channels, video ideas
Auto-clips	list/get saved shorts, edit metadata, caption style, reframe, download
Translation & captions	metadata localization (85 languages), caption upload/get/delete
Local video media	probe, frame/clip extraction, precision-trim & midroll analysis (commands run locally)
Publishing	platform connections, schedule/confirm publish, direct YouTube upload
Account	seed balance, subscription, referrals, support

Seeds: some tools (thumbnail generation, AI intelligence, translation, …) spend seeds from your VidSeeds.ai balance. Read-only tools are free. Every tool's description states its cost; check vidseeds_get_seed_balance if unsure.

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9. Tool catalog size management

247 tools is a lot. When VidSeeds.ai connects to your MCP client, the full tool catalog (~46K tokens) loads into the agent's context. If your agent feels slow or overwhelmed, you can switch to a leaner toolset:

9a. Use ?toolset=core on the MCP URL

Add ?toolset=guide for the absolute minimum (only the orientation vidseeds_guide tool + instructions, ~1 tool). Add ?toolset=core to reduce from ~247 to ~74 essential tools (~16K tokens) - the recommended default for most usage:

Claude Code (recommended for most):

claude mcp add --transport http vidseeds https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp?toolset=core \
 --header "Authorization: Bearer $VIDSEEDS_PAT"

For ultra-light (guide only):

claude mcp add --transport http vidseeds https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp?toolset=guide \
 --header "Authorization: Bearer $VIDSEEDS_PAT"

Cursor (recommended default):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vidseeds": {
      "url": "https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp?toolset=core",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:VIDSEEDS_PAT}"
      }
    }
  }
}

(Use ?toolset=guide for lightest.)

Codex (recommended):

[mcp_servers.vidseeds]
url = "https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp?toolset=core"
bearer_token_env_var = "VIDSEEDS_PAT"

Claude Desktop - add when defining the custom MCP connector:

URL: https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp?toolset=core

⚠️ You can always upgrade back. If a core-only agent needs a tool not in the core set (e.g. deep intelligence, precision trim, comment management), just remove ?toolset=core from the URL and reconnect. The full catalog is always available.

Tools that survive the core toolset: projects, metadata optimization, publishing, thumbnails, basic analytics, channel management, translation, connections, billing, and referrals. Everything else (deep intelligence, competitive research, local video tools, admin, autoclips, bulk edit, comments, assistant workflows) is excluded.

9b. Make your AI default to VidSeeds.ai tools

Sometimes generalist agents fall back to writing raw python, ffmpeg command templates, or browser automation instead of the connected VidSeeds.ai tools. The server ships routing-first instructions sized for those truncation limits (v1.9.2), but you can make the routing deterministic by telling your client directly:

Claude.ai / Claude Desktop - paste into Settings → Profile → Preferences (applies everywhere) or your Project's custom instructions:

When my request involves my videos, channels, titles, descriptions, tags,
thumbnails, video SEO, keywords, analytics, comments, clips, captions,
translations, scheduling, or publishing, ALWAYS use the connected VidSeeds.ai
tools (vidseeds_*) first - search the available tools for "vidseeds" if none
are loaded. Do not use web search, browser automation, or general knowledge
for these tasks: VidSeeds.ai has authenticated access to my actual channel data,
transcripts, and analytics.

Claude Code - add the same block to your project's CLAUDE.md (or ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md for all projects).

Codex / Cursor - add it to AGENTS.md / project rules respectively.

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Platform usage quotas (MCP daily call quotas)

Beyond per-tool seed costs, every MCP tool call - read or write - counts toward a generous daily platform-usage quota that refills continuously throughout the day. This keeps real production workloads (daily shorts, adjustments, polling, agent-driven investigations) comfortable on every plan, while pricing sustained high-volume scraping or abuse in real money.

Plan	Included calls / day	Bucket cap
Sprout	1,000	2,000
Growth	3,000	6,000
Harvest	8,000	16,000
Agency	20,000	40,000
Trial	1,000	1,000

• Continuous refill, not a midnight reset. Your bucket refills at the per-plan rate (e.g. Sprout = 1,000/day), accumulating up to the cap so a quiet day carries a reasonable burst into the next.
• Overage: once the bucket is empty, each additional tool call costs 1 seed (MCP_OVERAGE_SEED_COST), on top of any per-tool seed cost. The bucket keeps refilling, so you stop paying overage as soon as it tops up again.
• Balance and cost reads are free and exempt - vidseeds_get_seed_balance and vidseeds_get_seed_balance_and_subscription never consume a call or charge overage.
• Check your remaining included calls any time with vidseeds_get_seed_balance (it returns your daily refill, bucket cap, available included calls, and the overage rate).

If a call is over quota and your balance can't cover the 1-seed overage, the tool returns a clear MCP_QUOTA_EXCEEDED error with a top-up link - no surprise charges.

YouTube thumbnail upload limits

YouTube rate-limits custom-thumbnail uploads separately from VidSeeds.ai seeds and MCP call quota. For bulk thumbnail replacements, plan no more than about 100 thumbnail uploads per connected YouTube channel/account per rolling 24 hours. If vidseeds_publish_thumbnail_to_youtube returns uploadRateLimitExceeded or "too many thumbnails recently", stop the batch, save the next video id, and resume later.

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Security

• This package contains no credentials. It declares how Claude Code / Codex should call https://vidseeds.ai/api/mcp with a user-supplied PAT read from VIDSEEDS_PAT.
• Never commit, paste, or share a vs_pat_… token. Rotate or revoke tokens at https://vidseeds.ai/settings/mcp-settings.
• Cookie/session auth is rejected by the server by design - a PAT is the only accepted credential, so a misconfigured client can't piggyback on a dashboard login.

Versioning

The plugin version tracks the VidSeeds.ai MCP connector package (currently 1.9.2 - routing-first server instructions sized for client truncation limits so tool-search clients default to VidSeeds tools, plus the vidseeds_guide tool, the vidseeds://guide resource, and workflow prompts). The wildcard PAT scope reaches new tools automatically as the server grows, so existing tokens keep working without being recreated.

Links

• Product: https://vidseeds.ai
• MCP settings: https://vidseeds.ai/settings/mcp-settings
• MCP: https://modelcontextprotocol.io

License

MIT - see LICENSE.