MCP for Adobe Premiere Pro

What it does

An independent MCP server for Adobe Premiere Pro on Windows and macOS. It runs on your own machine and talks to Premiere through a connector panel you install into the app. On Premiere 25.6 and later the makers now point you to the UXP connector first. That .ccx plugin reaches the server over a loopback WebSocket guarded by a token you pick. The older CEP panel stays as the compatibility route for earlier Premiere versions and for tools that have no UXP path yet. With CEP, the server drops generated ExtendScript into a shared temp folder and the panel runs it and writes the result back.

The published package registers 447 core tools, and 445 of those are listed in the default profile. A connected UXP panel adds 98 more. They cover project and bin work, media import, timeline edits (insert, overwrite, split, trim, ripple, roll, slip), effects, Lumetri colour, keyframes, markers, captions and export through Adobe Media Encoder. FCP XML, AAF, OMF and a locally built CMX 3600 EDL handle interchange. Many tools are local planners that never touch Premiere. Hand them a transcript or word timings and they plan filler-word cuts, chapter markers, short-form picks, caption files and delivery steps per platform. Most edits read the result back from Premiere and report an error when the change did not land.

Start with the read-only `verify_premiere_connection` check and work on a copy of the project. A few details come from the code rather than the README. PREMIERE_MCP_CAPABILITIES replaces the default authority set instead of adding to it. So to turn on raw scripting you write out `inspect,edit,export,filesystem,unsafe-script` in full, and an unknown name stops the server at startup. PREMIERE_UXP_TOKEN is ignored when PREMIERE_BRIDGE_MODE is cep, so no UXP listener starts in that mode (src/index.ts). The local planners assume 30 fps when `frame_rate` is left out, and the result then carries a warning asking for the sequence's real rate (src/server.ts).

What it needs

On Premiere 25.6 or later, install the UXP .ccx connector from the GitHub release (see uxp-plugin/DISTRIBUTION.md in the repository), choose a secret of at least 16 characters and enter it both as PREMIERE_UXP_TOKEN for the server and in the panel under Window > UXP Plugins. For older Premiere versions, or tools with no UXP route, install the CEP connector (`premiere-pro-mcp --install-cep`, `npm run install-cep` from a clone, or the signed .zxp from the release) and open Window > Extensions > MCP for Adobe Premiere Pro. Restart Premiere and open a project first. The Claude Desktop .mcpb bundle carries its own server and needs no Node.js, but it still needs a connector.

Limits

• Early release Many edits use Adobe's undocumented QE DOM and are marked experimental
• Limit Some Premiere 26.3 installs silently ignore QE structural edits and effect writes; the tools then return an error with the observed state
• Not covered Clip speed and direction cannot be changed: speed_change, reverse_clip and set_clip_speed_qe stop before touching the project
• Not covered add_text_overlay stops before any change because Premiere exposes no text-to-caption API; import an SRT or VTT instead
• Limit CEP-only tools still need the CEP panel even when UXP is connected, and a failed UXP edit is not retried through CEP
• Not covered Readback confirms parameter values and structure, not rendered pixels; check exported frames before delivery
• Limit Local planners assume 30 fps unless frame_rate is passed (src/server.ts)
• Platform Windows and macOS only; the server must run beside Premiere
• Not covered The hosted endpoint at premiere-pro-mcp.fly.dev rejects unauthorised callers and cannot reach Premiere on your computer

Many edits use Adobe's undocumented QE DOM (marked experimental); some Premiere 26.3 builds silently ignore QE structural edits and effect writes; the tools report these as errors. Clip speed and direction cannot be changed: `reverse_clip`, `speed_change` and `set_clip_speed_qe` stop before changing anything, and `add_text_overlay` likewise stops because Premiere exposes no API for it. Volume tools touch only Volume > Level, not Essential Sound's Amplify. Readback proves parameter values, not rendered pixels. The hosted endpoint at premiere-pro-mcp.fly.dev rejects unauthorised callers and cannot reach Premiere on your computer. The CEP installer turns on Adobe's PlayerDebugMode setting.

Who it suits

Suits video editors and post teams who run Premiere locally and want an assistant to inspect projects, plan cuts from transcripts, and make checked timeline, marker, caption and export changes, starting read-only. It writes to live projects, so test on a duplicate. It is not a fit if you lack a Premiere licence, work on Linux, or want a cloud service: the server must sit beside Premiere. It is not made by Adobe. Its README notes that the npm package adobe-premiere-pro-mcp declares the same `premiere-pro-mcp` command, so check which package is installed before configuring a client.