sendshort-mcp

SendShort MCP

MCP server for the SendShort public API. Lets agents import a YouTube long video, turn it into shorts, and schedule shorts and slideshows to the user's TikTok and YouTube accounts.

Professional or Business plan required.

Setup

Add the hosted server's URL to your AI app. The first time it connects, a SendShort page opens: sign in, check which app is asking, and click Allow. No API key needed.

https://app.sendshort.ai/api/mcp

Open Settings → Preferences → Connect your AI agent in SendShort for one-click installs and per-app steps.

	Hosted + sign-in (recommended)	Hosted + API key	Local npm package
What runs	Nothing on your machine	Nothing on your machine	npx sendshort-mcp (Node.js 18+)
Credentials	SendShort sign-in (OAuth)	ss_sk_… key in a header	ss_sk_… key in an env var
Clients	Claude (web, Desktop, Code), ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Codex	Any HTTP MCP client	Any stdio MCP client

Use an API key only when your client can't sign in with OAuth, or for scripts that call the HTTP API.

Claude and Claude Desktop

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector, paste the URL, then click Connect and allow access on the SendShort page that opens.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user sendshort https://app.sendshort.ai/api/mcp

Then type /mcp, select sendshort and choose Authenticate.

ChatGPT

Settings → Apps & Connectors, create a connector with the URL and OAuth authentication, then allow access on the SendShort page that opens. Custom connectors may require developer mode (under Advanced settings).

Cursor

One-click install is on the settings page. Or add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sendshort": { "url": "https://app.sendshort.ai/api/mcp" }
  }
}

VS Code

One-click install is on the settings page. Or add this to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "sendshort": { "type": "http", "url": "https://app.sendshort.ai/api/mcp" }
  }
}

Codex

codex mcp add sendshort --url https://app.sendshort.ai/api/mcp
codex mcp login sendshort

With an API key instead

Create a key under Settings → Preferences → API keys. It's shown once. Keys expire after 1 year by default; you can pick 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, or never. Send it only in the Authorization header, never in the URL:

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user sendshort https://app.sendshort.ai/api/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer ss_sk_yourkey"

In JSON configs, add "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ss_sk_yourkey" } next to url.

Rate limit

The hosted server allows 120 requests per minute per connected app or API key, counting every call including status polls. Over the limit it returns HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header. Job starts also have their own per-minute limits (see Limits).

Local npm package

Use @latest so npx picks up new releases without changing your config:

npx -y sendshort-mcp@latest

Package: sendshort-mcp on npm

Variable	Required
SENDSHORT_API_KEY	yes

The server exits at startup if the key is missing or malformed.

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sendshort": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "sendshort-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "SENDSHORT_API_KEY": "ss_sk_yourkey"
      }
    }
  }
}

OpenClaw

OpenClaw uses mcp.servers in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json, not mcpServers.

openclaw mcp add sendshort \
  --command npx \
  --arg -y \
  --arg sendshort-mcp@latest \
  --env SENDSHORT_API_KEY=ss_sk_yourkey

openclaw mcp probe sendshort

Hermes

mcp_servers:
  sendshort:
    command: "npx"
    args: ["-y", "sendshort-mcp@latest"]
    env:
      SENDSHORT_API_KEY: ss_sk_yourkey

Security

• Connected apps (signed in with OAuth) appear under Settings → Preferences → Connected apps, with when each was last used. Disconnect stops an app on its next request.
• Only Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, and apps that finish sign-in on your own machine can be allowed. The consent page refuses any other app, so a look-alike app can't get access by using a familiar name.
• A connected app can use the MCP tools and nothing else in your account. It counts against your plan's quota like anything you create yourself.
• An API key has full access to your SendShort API quota. Don't commit it or paste it into shared chats. Revoke it under Settings → Preferences → API keys if it leaks. Revocation takes effect on the next request.
• Each account can have up to 10 active keys. Use one key per tool or machine so you can revoke them one at a time. Connected apps don't count toward this limit.
• Tools declare MCP annotations. Status, list, and poll tools are marked read-only, so clients can auto-approve them. import_youtube, clip_video, and create_music_video start jobs that use quota. schedule_short and schedule_slideshow post publicly on the user's accounts. cancel_scheduled_post and delete_video are marked destructive.

Tools

Tool	What it does
get_status	Plan, long-video slots (max 8), IMPORT_SHORTS / clip quota, clip rate-limit, and youtube_import_rate_limit
import_youtube	Preflight quota, then queue a long-video import from a YouTube, Twitch, Kick, or direct video file link. Returns a job_id quickly
get_import_status	Poll an import job. video_id is set only when the file is in storage
list_videos	The user's imported long videos, newest first, with slot usage (max 8)
delete_video	Delete a long video to free a slot. Shorts made from it stay
list_moments	List moments for a video_id (gpt and created). Optional generate=true creates GPT moments if none exist
list_themes	Caption theme presets for clip_video.theme
list_templates	Caller’s starter templates for clip_video.starter_template_id
clip_video	Queue clipping for an imported video_id with optional moment selection and styling
get_clip_status	Poll a clip job. download_url is set only when the MP4 exists in storage
create_music_video	Queue a 9:16 music video (max 60s) from a music link, public audio file, or uploaded audio
get_music_video_status	Poll a music-video job. download_url is set only when the MP4 exists
list_social_accounts	Connected TikTok and YouTube accounts to schedule to
list_shorts	The user's shorts (made in the app or the API), newest first, with the source video_id
get_short	One short, with a signed download_url once it is exported (app or API)
list_slideshows	The user's slideshows, newest first
schedule_short	Schedule an exported short to TikTok and/or YouTube
schedule_slideshow	Schedule a slideshow to TikTok as a photo post (TikTok only)
list_scheduled_posts	Scheduled, failed, and (optionally) published posts with per-account status
cancel_scheduled_post	Delete a scheduled post before it publishes

You must have rights to the track and any uploaded video. SendShort does not grant a music license. Lyric captions are speech-to-text and can mis-hear sung lyrics, including copyrighted lyrics.

import_youtube arguments:

Field	Type	Default	Notes
youtube_url	string	required	Any supported video link: YouTube (watch, shorts, live, youtu.be), Twitch, Kick, or a public direct link to a video file. The field name is historical
lang	string	en	Transcription language code

list_moments arguments:

Field	Type	Default	Notes
video_id	number	required	Imported videos.id
generate	boolean	false	Generate GPT moments when the video has none yet

clip_video arguments:

Field	Type	Default	Notes
video_id	number	required	Imported videos.id owned by the API key user
count	1–20	5	Used only when moment_ids is omitted. Ignored when moment_ids is set
moment_ids	number[]	—	Specific moment ids from list_moments (1–20). Quota = array length; allows re-clipping created moments
theme	number	18	Caption theme id from list_themes
crop_style	string	—	none | blur | basic | caption | rounded-square
short_format	string	—	9:16 | 16:9 | 1:1 | 4:5
starter_template_id	uuid	—	From list_templates. Omit it to use the account's default template, or send null for no template. Explicit crop_style / short_format still win
brolls / zoom / silents / transitions / audio_effects	boolean	false	Enhance toggles
translate	boolean	false	Translate captions
translateList	string[]	[]	Target language codes when translating
style	object	—	Optional caption overrides (font, colors, position, emojis, etc.)

Merge order for caption fields: theme defaults → starter template → style overrides → explicit crop_style / short_format.

get_status fields to keep straight:

• import_shorts_* / clip_quota_* — monthly shorts quota. Clip jobs consume this by the number of shorts created. YouTube import does not consume it. Value "unlimited" (plan -1) means no monthly cap.
• long_videos — concurrent long-video slots (max 8). If remaining is 0, free a slot with list_videos and delete_video, or delete a video from Home in the SendShort app.
• youtube_import_rate_limit — YouTube import starts per minute for this API key (3/min).
• rate_limit — clip starts per minute for this API key (5/min).

Agent flow

• get_status — confirm Professional/Business access, remaining long_videos slots, import_shorts_remaining, and rate limits. If long_videos.remaining is 0, call list_videos, ask the user which video to remove, then call delete_video.
• import_youtube { "youtube_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=…" } → job_id (status: queued).
• Poll get_import_status every 5–15s until video_id is set (status: complete).
• list_moments with that video_id and generate: true if needed; optionally list_themes / list_templates.
• clip_video with moment_ids and styling (or count for random GPT picks) → clip job_id.
• Poll get_clip_status until top-level status is complete, or each clip has download_url.

To get the file of a short the user made in the app, find it with list_shorts, then call get_short. download_url is null until the short is exported in the editor.

Example prompt:

Import https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ into SendShort, list moments, clip the highest-virality one with theme Hormozi and crop_style blur, then poll until a download URL is ready.

YouTube download can take several minutes. A job with no SSE heartbeat for 45 minutes is marked failed. Clip transcription + render can take several more minutes; a clip job that never creates shorts within ~6 minutes is marked failed.

Scheduling posts

• list_social_accounts — connected accounts. If none, the user connects one in the SendShort app (Settings → Preferences).
• list_shorts or list_slideshows to find the item (or use the short id from get_clip_status).
• schedule_short or schedule_slideshow with publish_at (ISO 8601 with timezone; omit to post within ~5 minutes).
• list_scheduled_posts to see whether it went out. Posts appear in the SendShort calendar too.

schedule_short arguments (set tiktok, youtube, or both):

Field	Type	Default	Notes
short_id	number	required	Must be exported (rendered)
publish_at	string	now	ISO 8601 with timezone, not in the past
tiktok.account_ids	string[]	required	From list_social_accounts
tiktok.caption	string	""	Max 2200 characters
tiktok.privacy_level	string	PUBLIC_TO_EVERYONE	Or MUTUAL_FOLLOW_FRIENDS, FOLLOWER_OF_CREATOR, SELF_ONLY
tiktok.allow_comments / allow_duet / allow_stitch	boolean	true
tiktok.draft	boolean	false	Send to the TikTok inbox to finish in the app instead of posting
youtube.account_ids	string[]	required	From list_social_accounts
youtube.title	string	short name	Max 100 characters
youtube.description	string	""	Max 5000 bytes
youtube.tags	string[]	["shorts"]
youtube.privacy	string	public	public | unlisted | private

schedule_slideshow takes slideshow_id, publish_at, and tiktok (account_ids, caption up to 4000 characters, privacy_level, allow_*). Slides are rendered before posting when they changed.

When a short has licensed music, its attribution is added to the TikTok caption and the YouTube description.

HTTP API

Same backend the MCP tools call. Base URL: https://app.sendshort.ai

Authorization: Bearer ss_sk_…
Content-Type: application/json

Error	Meaning
401 invalid_api_key	Missing, malformed, revoked, or expired key
401 invalid_token	OAuth access token expired, or the app was disconnected. The client refreshes or signs in again
403 api_access_required	Plan does not include API/MCP access (Professional or Business required)
403 forbidden	Video not owned, or LONG_VIDEO_TO_SHORT is off
403 quota_exceeded	Long-video slots full, or count exceeds remaining IMPORT_SHORTS
429 rate_limit	Clip: 5 starts/min/key. YouTube import: 3 starts/min/key

GET /api/v1/status

curl -sS https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/status \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY"

POST /api/v1/import

Returns 202 after auth, feature check, long-video quota check, and rate-limit reservation. Download continues in the background.

curl -sS -X POST https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/import \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"youtube_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"}'

Optional body field: lang (default en).

GET /api/v1/import/:job_id

Poll until video_id is non-null.

JOB=$(curl -sS -X POST https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/import \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"youtube_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"}' | jq -r .job_id)

while true; do
  curl -sS "https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/import/$JOB" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY" | tee /tmp/import.json
  jq -e '.status == "complete" and .video_id != null' /tmp/import.json && break
  sleep 10
done

POST /api/v1/clip

Returns 202 after auth, ownership check, IMPORT_SHORTS preflight, and rate-limit reservation. When moment_ids is present, quota uses moment_ids.length and count is ignored. Generation continues in the background. Successful jobs increment IMPORT_SHORTS usage by the number of shorts created.

curl -sS -X POST https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/clip \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"video_id": 12345, "moment_ids": [101, 102], "theme": 1, "crop_style": "blur"}'

Optional body fields: count, moment_ids, theme, crop_style, short_format, starter_template_id, brolls, zoom, silents, transitions, audio_effects, translate, translateList, style.

GET /api/v1/videos/:video_id/moments

curl -sS "https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/videos/12345/moments?generate=true" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY"

GET /api/v1/themes

curl -sS https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/themes \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY"

GET /api/v1/templates

curl -sS https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/templates \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY"

GET /api/v1/clip/:job_id

Poll until download_url is non-null. Signed MP4 URLs are short-lived.

JOB=$(curl -sS -X POST https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/clip \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"video_id": 12345, "count": 1}' | jq -r .job_id)

while true; do
  curl -sS "https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/clip/$JOB" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY" | tee /tmp/job.json
  jq -e '.status == "complete" or .clips[0].download_url != null' /tmp/job.json && break
  sleep 10
done

Pending clip fields: has_subtitles, render_claimed, render_id, processing.

Long videos and shorts

Endpoint	MCP tool
GET /api/v1/videos?search=&limit=&offset=	list_videos
POST /api/v1/videos/:video_id/delete	delete_video
GET /api/v1/shorts/:short_id	get_short

curl -sS https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/shorts/12345 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY"

get_short returns export_status (exported or not_exported) and a short-lived signed download_url when exported.

Scheduling endpoints

Endpoint	MCP tool
GET /api/v1/social-accounts	list_social_accounts
GET /api/v1/shorts?search=&limit=&offset=	list_shorts
GET /api/v1/slideshows?search=&limit=&offset=	list_slideshows
POST /api/v1/schedule/short	schedule_short (same body)
POST /api/v1/schedule/slideshow	schedule_slideshow (same body)
GET /api/v1/schedule?include_past=true	list_scheduled_posts
POST /api/v1/schedule/:schedule_id/cancel	cancel_scheduled_post

curl -sS -X POST https://app.sendshort.ai/api/v1/schedule/short \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDSHORT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"short_id": 12345, "publish_at": "2026-10-02T18:00:00+02:00",
       "tiktok": {"account_ids": ["…"], "caption": "New drop #shorts"},
       "youtube": {"account_ids": ["…"], "title": "New drop"}}'

Limits

• Professional or Business plan (API_ACCESS feature)
• YouTube import requires LONG_VIDEO_TO_SHORT
• At most 8 long videos at a time; free a slot with delete_video or in the SendShort app (Home)
• 3 YouTube import starts / minute / API key
• 5 clip starts / minute / API key
• 120 hosted MCP requests / minute / connected app or API key (all calls, including polls)
• YouTube import does not consume IMPORT_SHORTS
• Each clip job consumes IMPORT_SHORTS by shorts actually created (preflight requires remaining >= count or remaining >= moment_ids.length)
• No schedule or social publish yet
• Music videos: Starter 0, Professional 10 per month, Business unlimited (MUSIC_VIDEO). Quota increments only when a job completes. In-flight jobs count against remaining. Failed and timed-out jobs consume 0
• 3 music-video starts / minute / API key
• Music videos are 9:16 and trimmed to 60 seconds from the start. Sources longer than 7 minutes are rejected before trim
• media_type: gameplay (default) or aesthetic (a background clip from the SendShort library), or custom (your own video; requires video_url or video_path)
• sound_wave and beat_bars default to true on music-video jobs
• Upload audio or custom video with POST /api/v1/music-video/upload ({"kind":"audio"} or {"kind":"video"}), PUT the file to upload_url, then pass key as audio_path or video_path