Shortform Kit

What the Shortform Kit MCP server does

The Shortform Kit MCP server exposes remote tools for public video and social-media research. It accepts public post URLs or, for some tools, creator and video identifiers, then returns structured results to an MCP-compatible assistant. Supported post sources include Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Facebook, Pinterest, Threads, Vimeo, and Reddit.

The Shortform Kit MCP server covers both media operations and reference data. Media tools can inspect a post, retrieve a downloadable asset, or produce a transcript. Research tools cover YouTube channel identification, platform publishing requirements, monetization benchmarks, audio loudness, subtitles, thumbnail patterns, and estimated YouTube earnings.

How it works

The service is hosted remotely and uses Streamable HTTP rather than a local process. Add its MCP URL to a supported client, then let the assistant invoke individual tools with a public URL or the inputs required by that tool. The repository documents configurations for Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, and Claude custom connectors.

No API key or account is required according to the README. Data-oriented responses include source URLs and use sourced material published through Shortform Kit’s data pages. The HTTP API description is available at https://shortformkit.com/openapi.json.

Setup and configuration

Configure the Shortform Kit MCP server with this endpoint:

https://shortformkit.com/mcp

For Claude Code, use:

claude mcp add --transport http shortformkit https://shortformkit.com/mcp

Cursor and VS Code use their MCP JSON configuration files with the server URL and HTTP transport. Claude users can add the URL as a custom connector through Settings and Connectors; availability of custom connectors depends on the user’s plan. No environment variables or local credentials are listed as required.

Tools and capabilities

• get_video_info returns a public post’s title, author, duration, available qualities, caption, and hashtags.
• download_media provides MP4, MP3, image, cover, or timestamped-frame downloads. It can restrict a download to a selected section.
• transcribe_video creates a Whisper transcript with timestamps, supports more than 90 languages, and can optionally translate into English.
• youtube_channel_id resolves a channel ID, handle, channel URL, and RSS feed from a handle or video link.
• social_video_specs supplies sourced 2026 upload requirements for nine platforms, including dimensions, duration limits, and caption or hashtag limits.
• creator_monetization, loudness_and_subtitles, youtube_thumbnail_trends, and estimate_youtube_earnings provide creator research, production guidance, measured thumbnail data, and view-based earnings estimates.

Limitations and notes

The service applies the same fair-use rate limit per IP as the Shortform Kit website. Download links remain valid for 15 minutes, and downloaded files are deleted after that period. Use the service only for material you own or are authorized to use.

Results from the data tools are sourced and licensed CC BY 4.0, with a source URL included in the response. Earnings, monetization, trend, and platform-specification results should therefore be treated as sourced estimates or guidance rather than guarantees. The README does not describe private-post access or authenticated platform accounts.