premiere-pro-mcp

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Import Fcp Xml

import_fcp_xml

Import a Final Cut Pro XML file as a new Premiere project or into the currently open project, with optional target bin placement and reporting of reused items.

Instructions

Import a Final Cut Pro XML file. Default mode new_project opens it as a new Premiere project: app.openFCPXML(path, projPath) requires a destination project path, and verified is true only when that destination exists as a file and Premiere has that exact path open. Mode into_open_project instead imports the XML into the currently open project with project.importFiles and succeeds only when the sequence count grew; the XML also brings its own clips, which can duplicate existing items, or Premiere can link them to existing items that point at the same media. That mode reports reusedItems (pre-existing project items and their bins that the new sequences use), so a later bin cleanup does not silently empty the new timelines.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "path": "<path>"
    },
    "name": "import_fcp_xml"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`mode`	No	new_project (default) opens the XML as a new project saved at project_path. into_open_project imports it into the open project.
`path`	Yes	Full path to the FCP XML file to read
`target_bin`	No	into_open_project mode only: bin name or node ID to import into. Defaults to the project root.
`project_path`	No	Full path of the new .prproj file Premiere should create for the imported timeline. Required in new_project mode (app.openFCPXML takes both a source and a destination path); ignored in into_open_project mode.
`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 the HTTP server process when Streamable HTTP is stateless per request) and held in memory only (200 keys, 1 hour); it does not survive a restart or reconnect. Read-only invocations are never deduplicated.
`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.

First observedv1.30.0Nov 14, 2026

TDQS

A3.9/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=false, destructiveHint=false and idempotentHint=false, and the description adds genuinely new behavioral detail: what "verified" means in new_project mode (destination file exists and Premiere has that exact path open), what success looks like in into_open_project mode (sequence count grew), and the risk that imported clips duplicate existing items or link to existing media. The reusedItems explanation and the bin-cleanup warning disclose downstream consequences that no annotation conveys. It stops short of stating permission/authorization requirements or failure modes.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

The purpose is front-loaded in the first sentence and the two modes follow in order, with no filler. The final sentence about reusedItems and bin cleanup is dense and slightly tangled, but every clause carries information an agent would otherwise have to guess.

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?

This is a mutation tool with 7 parameters, nested guard objects, and an output schema, and the description covers both modes' success criteria and the duplication/reuse hazard, which is the most important thing to know before calling it. Return shapes need not be explained because an output schema exists. Authorization requirements are the main thing left unaddressed.

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 mode, path, project_path, target_bin, idempotency_key and the CEP guard objects. The description reinforces the project_path requirement in new_project mode and clarifies mode semantics, but contributes no syntax, format, or default information beyond what the schema states, so the baseline of 3 applies.

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 opening sentence gives a specific verb and resource ("Import a Final Cut Pro XML file") and the rest of the text splits the operation into two clearly named modes. It does not explicitly contrast itself with siblings such as import_edl or import_sequences, but the import/export distinction against export_as_fcp_xml is self-evident from the verb.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

Mode selection is spelled out: default new_project opens the XML as a new Premiere project, while into_open_project imports into the currently open project. That is real when-to-use guidance, but there is no explicit statement about when a caller should prefer import_fcp_xml over other import tools (EDL, sequences, media), so the alternative-selection layer is left implicit.

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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