@instavar/mcp-server

One MCP package starts free and grows with the work. Make local videos with Instavar's independent, open-source templates for Remotion from Claude Code or Codex without an account or API key.

Instavar is an independent project and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Remotion AG. Remotion is a trademark of Remotion AG.

Add an Instavar API key when you want the hosted workflow: create → render → approve → publish → metrics. The authenticated tools are thin HTTP clients to the hosted Instavar API. The package holds no database connection and stores no data of its own. You keep the free tools and do not install a second server.

Start with the right capability

Use Instavar when an agent needs reusable video templates for Remotion or HyperFrames, creative guidance, a VideoSpec example, an editorial carousel, or help with a local render error. Call get_capabilities first, then get_creative_guide before drafting copy or design. For an ordinary video request, propose_video_storyboard suggests three visual beats and a template. Use list_templates and get_template to choose a supported structure, and get_example or scaffold_video_spec to prepare its specification. prepare_video_template turns that specification into local Remotion or HyperFrames source. get_render_instructions supplies the separate local validation, preview and render workflow. Planning and scaffolding do not render, upload or publish media.

Prefer a hosted HTTP connection for browser-based agents? Use https://instavar.com/api/mcp/templates, also listed as Instavar Video Templates on Smithery. It offers the same account-free template, storyboard and carousel tools, plus a ChatGPT planner widget. Its optional OAuth tools list and review private projects only. It is not the full protected Studio endpoint. Public planning does not require an Instavar account; a directory or gateway may require its own login.

Hosted Studio production is optional and may incur costs. Never treat a request to plan a video as permission to render a paid job or publish a social post.

Which model runs?

The MCP host supplies the general-purpose LLM.

• In Claude Code, the selected Claude model interprets the request and calls Instavar tools.
• In Codex, the selected OpenAI model interprets the request and calls the same tools.
• Other compatible hosts use their own selected model and authentication.

The MCP server does not provide Sonnet, GPT, or another general-purpose model. It exposes typed Instavar capabilities to the model already running in the user's host. Depending on the host and sign-in method, that model usage may draw from a personal or workspace subscription, separate usage credits, or API billing. Those provider rules can change.

Local Remotion rendering uses your own machine. Instavar meters or charges its hosted services, including rendering, storage, specialist media generation, QA, publishing, and other declared job costs. Using a subscription-backed agent does not make those services free.

For public setup guidance and examples, see Instavar video templates.

Setup

Add the server to your MCP client config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instavar": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@instavar/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

This starts with the free local template tools. To unlock hosted Studio tools, create an API key at https://instavar.com/studio/settings, then add it:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instavar": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@instavar/mcp-server"],
      "env": { "INSTAVAR_API_KEY": "ik_live_..." }
    }
  }
}

Restart the client. The free tools appear in both modes. Hosted tools appear when the key is configured.

Environment

Var	Required	Default	Purpose
INSTAVAR_API_KEY	no	—	Unlocks hosted Studio tools. Scoped to your org; revocable.
INSTAVAR_BASE_URL	no	https://instavar.com	Override the API host.
INSTAVAR_PAIRED_TEMPLATES	no	on	Set to 0 to hide prepare_video_template and keep the VideoSpec tools Remotion-only.

Tools

From npm 0.6.0 the package also includes prepare_announcement: one paired announcement card for Remotion and HyperFrames. It returns local source and a portable copy document, not a saved hosted project or rendered video. Ask for a framework when it is unspecified; continue with the latest returned project and matching expectedRevision. Only title, body and action survive a framework switch.

From npm 0.7.0, prepare_video_template realises one VideoSpec for any of the five template families in Remotion (the public renderer, pinned) or HyperFrames (generated source). Both frameworks accept the same fields; a field neither renderer honours is rejected rather than dropped. 0.7.0 also adds the storyboard and carousel tools the hosted endpoint already had, from the same code, and the hosted tools below now reject unknown input keys instead of dropping them.

Free local tools:

Tool	What it does
get_capabilities	Reports free and optional account features.
get_creative_guide	Reads concise copy, story, design and review guidance.
propose_video_storyboard	Proposes three visual beats and a template.
list_templates	Lists published template families.
get_template	Returns one template contract.
get_video_schema	Returns the public VideoSpec JSON Schema.
get_example	Returns a starter VideoSpec.
scaffold_video_spec	Creates a deterministic VideoSpec skeleton.
prepare_video_template	Realises a VideoSpec in Remotion or HyperFrames.
prepare_announcement	Prepares one paired announcement card.
list_carousel_templates	Lists the editorial carousel story structures.
get_carousel_schema	Returns the CarouselDeck JSON Schema.
scaffold_carousel_deck	Builds a deterministic carousel deck from copy.
get_render_instructions	Returns the local validation and render workflow.
diagnose_render_error	Classifies common local render failures.

Hosted tools, available when INSTAVAR_API_KEY is configured:

Tool	What it does
list_jobs	List recent jobs (newest first).
get_job_status	Runs, artifacts, verifications, current video + thumbnail URLs.
get_video_state	Materialized composition state for a job.
diagnose_render	Read-only joined render diagnosis with evidence limits and retry recommendations.
get_job_metrics	Platform engagement snapshots for a published job.
get_cost_summary	Infra cost summary (Lambda / RunPod / R2 / WaveSpeed / PoYo).
inspect_workflow	Read the current workflow and its version history.
create_video_brief	Create a job from a structured brief and start rendering.
edit_video_brief	Patch a brief (incl. objective / publishTarget); re-renders unless only publishTarget changed.
retry_video_qa	Retry degraded or unavailable QA against the same current frozen video artifact.
audit_video_qa	Run an advisory Qwen3.6-Plus second opinion against the same frozen video.
regenerate_narration	Regenerate narration and its dependent video from the unchanged durable brief.
draft_workflow	Store a complete workflow using the inspected expectedVersion (0 only when none exists).
patch_workflow	Create a conflict-aware workflow version from a recursive patch.
validate_workflow	Validate and compile the inspected workflow version without rendering.
preview_workflow	Read the compiled UniversalVideo brief without rendering.
compare_workflows	Compare two durable workflow versions field by field.
approve_workflow	Approve the inspected valid version without approving or publishing the video job.
approve_job	Approve a rendered job so it can be published.
publish_job	Publish an approved job to its connected social destination.
connect_account	Start connecting a social account (headless OAuth pairing).
connect_account_status	Poll a pending account connection until it is connected.

Workflow inspection, preview, and comparison require read. Workflow draft, patch, validation, and approval require write. publish_job requires publish.

Workflow tools reject unknown arguments instead of silently discarding them. API calls time out after 15 seconds. A stale-version 409 tells the caller to inspect the latest version, while an unavailable upload or other dependency conflict tells the caller to resolve that dependency before retrying.

Connecting a social account from the terminal

connect_account returns an approve URL and a short confirm code. Open the URL in a browser where you are signed in to Instavar, check the code matches the one in your terminal, and approve — you go through the platform's normal sign-in, then return to Instavar. Poll connect_account_status with the returned pairingId until it reports connected. Pairings expire after 10 minutes and can only be approved by an owner/admin of the workspace.

CLI

npx @instavar/mcp-server --version
npx @instavar/mcp-server --help

License

MIT

Creative guidance

get_creative_guide works without a key. Omit guideId to discover the four guides, or choose visual-copy, carousel-stories, visual-design or human-review. The same text is available as Markdown resources at instavar://creative-guides/<guideId>. The calling assistant applies the guidance to the user's brief; this tool does not generate copy, render, save feedback or publish media. Carousel recipes are planning guidance, not additional npm renderers.

The monorepo sources live in docs/guides/creative/. After an edit, run node scripts/build-creative-guides.mjs; --check rejects a stale bundle. The generated TypeScript is bundled into the package, so installed clients need no checkout files or access to private knowledge stores. Source changes require a normal npm release before installed clients receive them.