video-clips

Clips, highlights and social cuts

Which path

1. VideoDB connector tools present (names such as generate_clip, create_highlight_clip, compile_clips, reframe_video, upload_media): use them. This is the path in Claude chat on web, desktop and mobile, and in Cowork. Do not install anything and do not ask for an API key.
2. No VideoDB tools, but you have a shell (Claude Code, Cowork, any agent that can run Python): ask for the VideoDB API key in one friendly line (free at https://console.videodb.io, $20 of credits, no card). When the user gives it, in chat or any other way, save it yourself to the project's .env as VIDEO_DB_API_KEY, never print it, and continue with the Python SDK path at the end of this file. In Claude Code, /mcp then authorizing videodb also works.
3. No VideoDB tools and no shell: you are in Claude chat. Reply with only this, adapted to the request: "VideoDB isn't connected yet. Open Settings → Connectors, find VideoDB, click Connect and log in (free, no card). Then send this request again and I'll take it from there." Do not mention API keys, .env, shells, Claude Code or /mcp here; none of them apply in chat, and a key pasted into chat cannot be used because nothing runs code there.

Talking to the user: never write "index", "indexed" or "indexing" in a reply. Say "searchable" ("it is now searchable by what was said and what is shown"), and "transcribe" rather than naming a job. One line of status at a time, then the result.

Every cut is a long job: the call returns status: processing. The reply carries an output_url and names the tool to poll (poll_with, or retry_with on older servers). Call that tool with the output_url until it is done; several processing replies in a row are normal (a 10-minute YouTube upload takes about five), and a done reply with an empty result means poll once more. Never re-run the write; that starts a second job. The finished result carries a stream_url and a player_url; share the player_url, it opens in any browser.

With the connector tools

Get the video. First search_videos_by_title(query) with the video's title or the link's words; reuse the m- id if it is already in the account instead of uploading again. Otherwise, for a YouTube link or public URL, upload_media(url) and poll until done; note the m- id and length. Local files cannot come through the connector; the user uploads at https://console.videodb.io and shares the m- id.

The user wants	Call
One range, or several ranges joined, from one video	generate_clip(video_id, timeline=[[10, 25], [60, 90]]) (seconds)
The moments that match a description	generate_transcript(media_id) once, then create_highlight_clip(video_id, prompt="every product demo"), then compile_clips with the shots it returns
Control over which moments make the cut	generate_transcript(media_id), poll, get_transcript(media_id, timestamped=true, segmenter="sentence"), pick the ranges yourself, then generate_clip (the video-search skill has the details)
A reel across several videos	compile_clips(clips=[{"video_id": "m-a", "shots": [[5, 20]]}, {"video_id": "m-b", "shots": [[0, 12]]}])
Vertical for Shorts, Reels, TikTok, or square	reframe_video(video_id, start, end, target="vertical") ("square", "landscape", or {"width", "height"}); mode="smart" follows the subject
A thumbnail	generate_thumbnail(video_id, time_seconds=42)
An MP4 file	download_stream(stream_url, name="demo-reel.mp4"), poll, share the download URL

Notes that save a retry:

• create_highlight_clip matches spoken content by default and returns an empty shots list on a video whose speech is not transcribed or indexed. Transcribe first. It returns shots, not a stream; render them with compile_clips.
• reframe_video is slow. Always pass start and end for the segment the user wants. It saves a new video in the collection; subtitles or further cuts go on that new m- id. On some servers the first done reply carries only a reframe_id and the new video appears later: keep polling the same output_url and check list_videos for a new entry, for up to about five minutes. If no video appears, say that the vertical cut is still rendering on VideoDB's side, and give the user a landscape clip of the same range with generate_clip so they have something now.
• Subtitles on the clip: reframe first, then generate_transcript on the new video, then add_subtitles (the video-subtitles skill).
• Timestamps the user gives as mm:ss are converted to seconds before any call.

Deliver. Share the player_url, the ranges used, and offer the MP4.

With the Python SDK (Claude Code)

Set up first with /videodb:setup if import videodb fails. Full reference: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/python/SKILL.md and ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/python/reference/editor.md.

from dotenv import load_dotenv; load_dotenv(".env")
import videodb
from videodb import ReframeMode
conn = videodb.connect(); coll = conn.get_collection()
video = coll.upload(url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID")
stream_url = video.generate_stream(timeline=[(10, 30), (45, 60)])        # ranges joined, no re-encode
vertical = video.reframe(start=10, end=30, target="vertical", mode=ReframeMode.smart)
print(f"https://console.videodb.io/player?url={stream_url}")