Premiere Pro MCP Server

Select Clips By Name

select_clips_by_name

Select clips in the active sequence by name using case-insensitive substring matching, optionally filtered by track type and index, to target timeline clips for further edits.

Instructions

Select all clips in the active sequence that match a name (substring match). Optionally filter by track type and index.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`name`	Yes	Clip name to search for (case-insensitive substring match)
`track_type`	No	Track type to search (default: both)
`track_index`	No	Specific track index to search (optional, searches all if omitted)
`idempotency_key`	No	Optional client-chosen key (1-128 chars of A-Z a-z 0-9 . _ : -) for this intended edit. Pass a fresh key per edit and reuse it only when retrying that same edit, for example after a client-side timeout. A repeat with the same tool, key and arguments is not run again: while the first call is running it fails with IDEMPOTENCY_IN_PROGRESS (poll get_last_operations); after it finished it returns the original outcome marked replayed. A definite failure with nothing applied (receipt outcome not_applied) may be retried with the same key. Reusing a key with different arguments fails with IDEMPOTENCY_KEY_REUSED. Scoped to this MCP session (the stdio server process or one HTTP session) and held in memory only (200 keys, 1 hour); it does not survive a restart or reconnect. Read-only invocations are never deduplicated.
`add_to_selection`	No	If true, add to existing selection instead of replacing it (default: false)
`expected_cep_target`	No	Optional reviewed CEP sequence/clip identity and exact tick ranges. Checked before every generated command; UXP refuses this CEP-only guard.
`expected_project_path`	No	Optional absolute saved-project path. Every generated CEP command refuses before its body when the active project differs or is unsaved. UXP commands refuse this CEP-only guard; local-only tools do not inspect Premiere. Omit to keep existing behavior.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`ok`	Yes	Whether the tool completed successfully.
`data`	No	Tool-specific result data when ok is true; on failure, diagnostic detail when the tool provides it.
`tool`	Yes	The registered MCP tool name.
`error`	No	Failure detail when ok is false.
`receipt`	No	Versioned common mutation receipt; success never implies rendered verification.
`idempotency`	No	Present when idempotency_key deduplicated this call: replayed is true when the original outcome was returned instead of running again.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv1.25.0Oct 24, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / idempotency_key

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional client-chosen key (1-128 chars of A-Z a-z 0-9 . _ : -) for this intended edit. Pass a fresh key per edit and reuse it only when retrying that same edit, for example after a client-side timeout. A repeat with the same tool, key and arguments is not run again: while the first call is running it fails with IDEMPOTENCY_IN_PROGRESS (poll get_last_operations); after it finished it returns the original outcome marked replayed. A definite failure with nothing applied (receipt outcome not_applied) may be retried with the same key. Reusing a key with different arguments fails with IDEMPOTENCY_KEY_REUSED. Scoped to this MCP session (the stdio server process or one HTTP session) and held in memory only (200 keys, 1 hour); it does not survive a restart or reconnect. Read-only invocations are never deduplicated.",
+  "maxLength": 128,
+  "minLength": 1,
+  "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9._:-]+$",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / idempotency

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": true,
+  "description": "Present when idempotency_key deduplicated this call: replayed is true when the original outcome was returned instead of running again.",
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed3 schema fields changedv1.24.0Oct 12, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / expected_cep_target

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "required": [
+        "sequence_id"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "required": [
+        "source_item"
+      ]
+    }
+  ],
+  "description": "Optional reviewed CEP sequence/clip identity and exact tick ranges. Checked before every generated command; UXP refuses this CEP-only guard.",
+  "properties": {
+    "backend": {
+      "const": "cep",
+      "description": "Backend namespace for these IDs.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "clip": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "description": "Optional exact reviewed timeline clip.",
+      "properties": {
+        "effect": {
+          "additionalProperties": false,
+          "description": "Reviewed effect and parameter identity checked before mutation.",
+          "properties": {
+            "display_name": {
+              "description": "Optional exact host display name.",
+              "maxLength": 512,
+              "minLength": 1,
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "match_name": {
+              "description": "Effect match name from host inspection.",
+              "maxLength": 512,
+              "minLength": 1,
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "parameter_index": {
+              "description": "Inspected zero-based parameter index.",
+              "maximum": 255,
+              "minimum": 0,
+              "type": "integer"
+            },
+            "parameter_name": {
+              "description": "Exact inspected parameter name.",
+              "maxLength": 512,
+              "minLength": 1,
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "match_name",
+            "parameter_index",
+            "parameter_name"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "end_ticks": {
+          "description": "Exact expected exclusive timeline end ticks.",
+          "pattern": "^-?\\d{1,30}$",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "in_ticks": {
+          "description": "Exact expected source In ticks.",
+          "pattern": "^-?\\d{1,30}$",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "node_id": {
+          "description": "Stable CEP node ID.",
+          "maxLength": 512,
+          "minLength": 1,
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "out_ticks": {
+          "description": "Exact expected exclusive source Out ticks.",
+          "pattern": "^-?\\d{1,30}$",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "project_item_id": {
+          "description": "Expected source project-item node ID.",
+          "maxLength": 512,
+          "minLength": 1,
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "start_ticks": {
+          "description": "Exact expected timeline start ticks.",
+          "pattern": "^-?\\d{1,30}$",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "track_index": {
+          "description": "Expected zero-based track index; identity still checked.",
+          "maximum": 255,
+          "minimum": 0,
+          "type": "integer"
+        },
+        "track_type": {
+          "description": "Expected media track group.",
+          "enum": [
+            "video",
+            "audio"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "node_id",
+        "track_type",
+        "track_index"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "project_document_id": {
+      "description": "Exact Premiere project document ID observed during review.",
+      "maxLength": 512,
+      "minLength": 1,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "sequence_id": {
+      "description": "Stable expected active sequence ID.",
+      "maxLength": 512,
+      "minLength": 1,
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "source_item": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "description": "Reviewed source identity for a source-only operation.",
+      "properties": {
+        "media_path": {
+          "description": "Optional exact source-media path.",
+          "maxLength": 4096,
+          "minLength": 1,
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "node_id": {
+          "description": "Exact project-item node ID.",
+          "maxLength": 512,
+          "minLength": 1,
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "node_id"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "backend"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / expected_project_path

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional absolute saved-project path. Every generated CEP command refuses before its body when the active project differs or is unsaved. UXP commands refuse this CEP-only guard; local-only tools do not inspect Premiere. Omit to keep existing behavior.",
+  "maxLength": 4096,
+  "minLength": 1,
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / receipt

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": true,
+  "description": "Versioned common mutation receipt; success never implies rendered verification.",
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedv1.18.6Sep 30, 2026

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / properties / data / description

Previous value: -"Tool-specific result data when ok is true."New value: +"Tool-specific result data when ok is true; on failure, diagnostic detail when the tool provides it."

Changed2 schema fields changedv1.14.4Aug 29, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "data": {
+      "description": "Tool-specific result data when ok is true."
+    },
+    "error": {
+      "description": "Failure detail when ok is false.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "ok": {
+      "description": "Whether the tool completed successfully.",
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "tool": {
+      "description": "The registered MCP tool name.",
+      "minLength": 1,
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "ok",
+    "tool"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedv1.4.0Jul 27, 2026
- removedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
First observedv1.1.1May 28, 2026

TDQS

A3.6/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already disclose that this is not read-only, not destructive, and not idempotent. The description adds useful scope details—active sequence and substring matching—but does not explain key selection behavior such as whether the default replaces the existing selection, despite add_to_selection being a parameter.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

A single front-loaded sentence states the core action and then the optional filters. There is no wasteful wording or buried information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the rich schema, output schema, and annotations, the description is sufficient for selecting clips by name and filtering tracks. It still omits the important default selection-replacement behavior, but that is documented in the add_to_selection parameter description.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents name matching, track filters, idempotency, and guard parameters in detail. The description only reiterates optional track filtering and substring matching, adding little beyond the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific verb and resource: selecting clips in the active sequence by name substring. It clearly distinguishes the operation from read-only siblings like get_selected_clips and get_clip_at_position, though it does not explicitly contrast with other selection tools such as select_clips_by_pattern.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The usage is implied by the name and description: use this when you want to select clips matching a text substring. However, it gives no explicit when-not conditions, prerequisites, or named alternatives among the many selection-related sibling tools.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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