---

What is this?

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI assistants like Claude, Windsurf, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client directly control Adobe Premiere Pro — importing media, editing timelines, applying effects, managing keyframes, exporting, and more.

"Add the B-roll clips to V2, apply a cross dissolve between each, color correct them to match the A-roll, and export a 1080p ProRes."

The AI handles the entire workflow through 269 tools that cover nearly every ExtendScript and QE DOM API available in Premiere Pro.

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Quick Start

1. Install

Option A — npm (recommended):

npm install -g premiere-pro-mcp

Option B — Clone from source:

git clone https://github.com/ppmcp/premiere-pro-mcp.git
cd premiere-pro-mcp
npm install
npm run build

2. Install the CEP plugin

If installed via npm:

premiere-pro-mcp --install-cep

If cloned from source:

npm run install-cep

This symlinks the plugin into Premiere Pro's extensions folder and enables debug mode.

Manual installation (macOS)

mkdir -p ~/Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions
ln -s "$(pwd)/cep-plugin" ~/Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/MCPBridgeCEP

# Enable unsigned extensions (CSXS 9–14)
for v in 9 10 11 12 13 14; do
  defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.$v PlayerDebugMode 1
done

Manual installation (Windows)

1. Copy the cep-plugin folder to %APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\MCPBridgeCEP
2. Open Registry Editor and set these DWORD values to 1:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\CSXS.12\PlayerDebugMode
   • (repeat for CSXS.9 through CSXS.14)

3. Configure your MCP client

Claude Desktop

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "premiere-pro": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/premiere-pro-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "PREMIERE_TEMP_DIR": "/tmp/premiere-mcp-bridge"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf / Cascade

Add to your MCP server configuration:

{
  "premiere-pro": {
    "command": "node",
    "args": ["/absolute/path/to/premiere-pro-mcp/dist/index.js"],
    "env": {
      "PREMIERE_TEMP_DIR": "/tmp/premiere-mcp-bridge"
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project or global config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "premiere-pro": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/premiere-pro-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "PREMIERE_TEMP_DIR": "/tmp/premiere-mcp-bridge"
      }
    }
  }
}

4. Start the bridge in Premiere Pro

1. Open (or restart) Premiere Pro
2. Go to Window > Extensions > MCP Bridge
3. Set the Temp Directory to match your MCP client config (e.g., /tmp/premiere-mcp-bridge)
4. Click Start Bridge — you should see a green "Running" status
5. Ask your AI assistant: "What's my current Premiere Pro project?"

---

Architecture

Local (stdio):

┌───────────────┐   stdio (MCP)   ┌──────────────┐   File-based IPC   ┌──────────────┐
│  AI Client    │ ◄──────────────► │  MCP Server  │ ◄────────────────► │  CEP Plugin  │
│  (Claude,     │                  │  (Node.js /  │   .jsx commands    │  (runs inside │
│   Windsurf,   │                  │   TypeScript) │   .json responses  │   Premiere)   │
│   Cursor)     │                  └──────────────┘                    └──────┬────────┘
└───────────────┘                                                             │ evalScript()
                                                                              ▼
                                                                       ┌──────────────┐
                                                                       │  Premiere Pro │
                                                                       │  ExtendScript │
                                                                       │  + QE DOM     │
                                                                       └──────────────┘

Remote (HTTP/SSE — Fly.io):

┌───────────────┐  HTTP+SSE (MCP)  ┌─────────────────────┐   File-based IPC   ┌──────────────┐
│  AI Client    │ ◄───────────────► │  MCP Server         │ ◄────────────────► │  CEP Plugin  │
│  (any MCP     │                   │  premiere-pro-mcp   │   .jsx / .json     │  (Premiere)  │
│   client)     │                   │  .fly.dev           │   shared volume    └──────────────┘
└───────────────┘                   └─────────────────────┘

1. AI client invokes an MCP tool (e.g., add_to_timeline)
2. MCP server generates ES3-compatible ExtendScript with helper functions prepended
3. Script is written to a .jsx command file in a shared temp directory
4. CEP plugin polls for command files, executes via CSInterface.evalScript()
5. Result JSON is written to a response file and returned to the AI

The file-based IPC bridge is simple, reliable, and works across macOS and Windows without network sockets.

---

Tools (269)

Discovery & Inspection (10 + 10)

Tool	Description
get_project_info	Current project name, path, sequences, items
get_active_sequence	Detailed active sequence with all clips
list_project_items	All items in the project panel
get_full_project_overview	Comprehensive snapshot: bin tree, sequences, media types
get_full_sequence_info	Exhaustive sequence data: tracks, clips, effects, markers
get_full_clip_info	Everything about a clip: effects, keyframes, metadata
get_timeline_summary	Human-readable overview: duration, coverage %, effects
search_project_items	Filter by name, extension, offline status, color label
get_premiere_state	Full snapshot: project, sequence, playhead, selection
inspect_dom_object	Explore any Premiere Pro DOM object interactively

Project Management (26)

Tool	Description
save_project / save_project_as / open_project	File operations
create_project / close_project	Project lifecycle
import_media / import_folder / import_ae_comps	Import media and AE comps
create_bin / delete_bin / rename_bin / create_smart_bin	Bin management
import_sequences / import_fcp_xml	Import from other projects
create_bars_and_tone	Generate bars & tone media
set_scratch_disk_path	Configure scratch disks
consolidate_and_transfer	Project Manager consolidation

Timeline & Editing (10 + 27 advanced)

Tool	Description
add_to_timeline / overwrite_clip	Insert and overwrite edits
ripple_delete	Remove clip and close gap (QE)
roll_edit / slide_edit / slip_edit	Professional trim modes (QE)
move_clip_to_track	Move between tracks (QE)
set_clip_speed_qe / reverse_clip	Speed/reverse (QE)
split_clip / trim_clip / move_clip	Basic edits
set_clip_properties	Opacity, scale, rotation, position
link_selection / unlink_selection	Link/unlink A/V

Effects & Color (8)

Tool	Description
apply_effect / apply_audio_effect	Apply by name (QE)
remove_effect / remove_all_effects	Remove effects
color_correct	Lumetri: exposure, contrast, temperature, etc.
apply_lut	Apply LUT files
stabilize_clip	Warp Stabilizer with configurable settings

Keyframes (8)

Tool	Description
add_keyframe / get_keyframes	Create and read keyframes
remove_keyframe / remove_keyframe_range	Delete keyframes
set_keyframe_interpolation	Linear / Hold / Bezier
get_value_at_time	Query interpolated value at any time
set_color_value	Set color properties on effects

Export & Encoding (14)

Tool	Description
export_sequence	Export via Adobe Media Encoder
capture_frame	Export frame as PNG, return as base64 image
export_as_fcp_xml / export_aaf / export_omf	Interchange formats
encode_project_item / encode_file	Direct encoding
start_batch_encode	Start render queue

Source Monitor & Playback (7 + 4)

Tool	Description
open_in_source / close_source_monitor	Source monitor control
insert_from_source / overwrite_from_source	3-point editing
play_timeline / stop_playback	Playback control (QE)
play_source_monitor	Play in source monitor

Selection & Clipboard (7 + 6)

Tool	Description
select_clips_by_name / select_clips_in_range	Smart selection
copy_effects_between_clips	Copy effects via QE
batch_apply_effect	Apply effect to multiple clips
set_blend_mode	27 blend modes

Media Properties (16)

Tool	Description
set_offline / has_proxy / detach_proxy	Offline/proxy management
set_override_frame_rate	Override FPS
set_scale_to_frame_size	Auto-scale to sequence frame
get_xmp_metadata / set_xmp_metadata	Raw XMP access
get_color_space	Color space info

Sequence Management (11)

Tool	Description
create_sequence / create_sequence_from_preset	Create sequences
duplicate_sequence / delete_sequence	Manage sequences
auto_reframe_sequence	Auto-reframe for social media
attach_custom_property	FCP XML custom properties
unnest_sequence	Replace nested sequence with its clips

Workspace & Captions (2 + 1)

Tool	Description
get_workspaces / set_workspace	Switch workspace layouts
create_caption_track	Create caption/subtitle tracks

Scripting (6)

Tool	Description
execute_extendscript	Run arbitrary ExtendScript (ES3)
evaluate_expression	Quick one-line eval
send_raw_script	Bypass security validation (advanced)

...and 100+ more

Track targeting, batch operations, markers, audio levels, motion/transform, metadata, sequence settings, navigation, project analysis, and more. Run get_project_info to get started — the AI will discover what it needs.

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MCP Resources

The server exposes two LLM context resources:

Resource URI	Description
config://premiere-instructions	Best practices: workflow order, timeline rules, effect tips, error handling
config://extendscript-reference	Complete ExtendScript API reference for writing custom scripts

These are automatically available to MCP clients that support resources, giving the AI deep context about how to drive Premiere Pro effectively.

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Remote Deployment (Fly.io)

The server includes an HTTP/SSE transport (src/http-server.ts) for remote access via mcp-remote or any MCP client that supports Streamable HTTP.

A live instance is running at https://premiere-pro-mcp.fly.dev.

Connect via mcp-remote

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "premiere-pro": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "https://premiere-pro-mcp.fly.dev/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Self-host on Fly.io

# Clone and deploy your own instance
git clone https://github.com/ppmcp/premiere-pro-mcp.git
cd premiere-pro-mcp
fly apps create your-app-name
fly deploy --remote-only

# Optional: add bearer token auth
fly secrets set MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=your-secret-token

Then connect with:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "premiere-pro": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "https://your-app-name.fly.dev/mcp",
               "--header", "Authorization: Bearer your-secret-token"]
    }
  }
}

Note: The file bridge still requires the CEP plugin to share the same PREMIERE_TEMP_DIR. For cloud deployments this means running a sync agent or using fly proxy / WireGuard to reach your local machine.

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Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
PREMIERE_TEMP_DIR	Shared temp directory for MCP ↔ CEP communication	OS temp dir + /premiere-mcp-bridge
PREMIERE_TIMEOUT_MS	Command timeout in milliseconds	30000
PORT	HTTP port (HTTP/SSE transport only)	3000
MCP_AUTH_TOKEN	Bearer token for HTTP transport auth (optional)	unset

---

Project Structure

premiere-pro-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts                 # Entry point — stdio transport setup
│   ├── http-server.ts           # Entry point — HTTP/SSE transport (Fly.io / remote)
│   ├── server.ts                # MCP server — registers all 269 tools + 2 resources
│   ├── bridge/
│   │   ├── file-bridge.ts       # File-based IPC (write .jsx, poll .json)
│   │   └── script-builder.ts    # ExtendScript generator with ES3 helpers
│   ├── tools/                   # 28 tool modules
│   │   ├── discovery.ts         # Project discovery and queries
│   │   ├── project.ts           # Project management and import
│   │   ├── media.ts             # Media and proxy management
│   │   ├── sequence.ts          # Sequence creation and settings
│   │   ├── timeline.ts          # Timeline clip operations
│   │   ├── effects.ts           # Effect application and color correction
│   │   ├── transitions.ts       # Transition management (QE DOM)
│   │   ├── audio.ts             # Audio levels and keyframes
│   │   ├── text.ts              # Text overlays and MOGRTs
│   │   ├── markers.ts           # Sequence and clip markers
│   │   ├── tracks.ts            # Track add/delete/lock/visibility
│   │   ├── playhead.ts          # Playhead, work area, in/out points
│   │   ├── metadata.ts          # Metadata, XMP, color labels
│   │   ├── export.ts            # Export, frame capture, encoding
│   │   ├── advanced.ts          # QE DOM: ripple, roll, slide, slip, speed
│   │   ├── keyframes.ts         # Keyframe CRUD and interpolation
│   │   ├── scripting.ts         # Execute arbitrary ExtendScript
│   │   ├── inspection.ts        # Deep project/sequence/clip inspection
│   │   ├── selection.ts         # Clip selection utilities
│   │   ├── clipboard.ts         # Copy effects, batch operations
│   │   ├── source-monitor.ts    # Source monitor control
│   │   ├── track-targeting.ts   # Track targeting, motion, audio props
│   │   ├── utility.ts           # Batch ops, analysis, navigation
│   │   ├── health.ts            # Connectivity ping
│   │   ├── workspace.ts         # Workspace layout switching
│   │   ├── captions.ts          # Caption track creation
│   │   ├── playback.ts          # Timeline/source playback control
│   │   └── project-manager.ts   # Project consolidation/transfer
│   └── resources/
│       └── extendscript-reference.ts  # API reference for LLM context
├── cep-plugin/                  # CEP panel that runs inside Premiere Pro
│   ├── CSXS/manifest.xml        # Extension manifest (PPRO 14.0+)
│   ├── index.html               # Panel UI
│   ├── main.js                  # Bridge polling and script execution
│   ├── host.jsx                 # ExtendScript entry point
│   └── CSInterface.js           # Adobe CEP interface library
├── scripts/
│   └── install-cep.sh           # CEP plugin installer (symlink + debug mode)
├── Dockerfile                   # Multi-stage Docker build for Fly.io
├── fly.toml                     # Fly.io deployment config
├── RESEARCH.md                  # API research and implementation status
├── CONTRIBUTING.md              # Contribution guidelines
├── CHANGELOG.md                 # Version history
└── LICENSE                      # MIT License

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Technical Details

Why CEP instead of UXP?

CEP (Common Extensibility Platform) provides full ExtendScript access in Premiere Pro, including the undocumented QE DOM — which is the only way to apply effects by name, perform ripple deletes, and do advanced trim operations. UXP in Premiere Pro is still maturing and lacks equivalent API coverage. CEP works across Premiere Pro 2020–2025+.

ExtendScript Compatibility

All generated scripts use ES3 syntax (var, manual for loops, no arrow functions, no let/const) since ExtendScript is based on ECMAScript 3. The buildToolScript() function prepends a library of helper functions to every script.

Security

• Scripts are validated before execution — blocks eval(), new Function(), System.callSystem()
• 500KB script size limit
• send_raw_script bypasses validation for advanced users (with explicit opt-in)
• Temp directory created with restricted permissions (mode 700)

QE DOM

Many tools use the undocumented QE DOM (enabled via app.enableQE()). These tools are marked with "Uses QE DOM" in their descriptions. The QE DOM provides capabilities unavailable through the standard ExtendScript API:

• Apply effects and transitions by name
• Ripple delete, roll/slide/slip edits
• Set clip speed and reverse
• Frame blending and time interpolation
• Remove all effects from a clip

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Troubleshooting

CEP plugin doesn't appear in Premiere Pro

1. Verify debug mode: defaults read com.adobe.CSXS.12 PlayerDebugMode should return 1
2. Check the plugin exists: ls ~/Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/MCPBridgeCEP
3. Completely restart Premiere Pro (not just close/reopen the project)
4. Check the CSXS version matches your Premiere Pro version

Commands timeout or hang

1. Verify the CEP panel shows "Running" with a green dot
2. Ensure temp directories match between MCP client config and CEP panel
3. Check if Premiere Pro is busy (rendering, modal dialog open)
4. Increase timeout: set PREMIERE_TIMEOUT_MS to 60000 or higher
5. Try ping tool to test basic connectivity

AI client can't see tools

1. Restart the AI client after editing config
2. Verify the path to dist/index.js is absolute and correct
3. Run node dist/index.js in a terminal to check for startup errors
4. Ensure npm run build completed without errors

QE DOM tools fail

1. QE tools require an active sequence — open one first
2. Some QE operations are index-based and can fail if clips have been reordered
3. Re-query the sequence structure after QE operations

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

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License

MIT — free for personal and commercial use.