git:20260615.9a28338 to git:20260704.a8cc11f

13 added, 10 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: vidseeds-efficiency

- description: Use before expensive VidSeeds MCP workflows — seeds, daily MCP call quotas, async jobId polling, when to call vidseeds_get_seed_balance, and avoiding retry loops on MCP_QUOTA_EXCEEDED or insufficient seeds.

+ description: Use before expensive VidSeeds MCP workflows - seeds, daily MCP call quotas, async jobId polling, when to call vidseeds_get_seed_balance, and avoiding retry loops on MCP_QUOTA_EXCEEDED or insufficient seeds.

+ license: MIT

---

# VidSeeds MCP efficiency

Read this before multi-step or charge-bearing workflows.

## Orient first (free)

- New to this server, or unsure which tool does the job? Call **`vidseeds_guide`** — it returns the capability map, the recommended tool chain for a stated `goal`, and what VidSeeds does not do. It is free and quota-exempt, so it never costs seeds or a call-bucket token. The server's `initialize` instructions and the `vidseeds://guide` resource carry the same orientation; workflow **prompts** (e.g. `optimize-youtube-video`, `make-thumbnail`) hand you the ready-made tool chain. Reach for these before concluding a capability is missing. **Parameter-level field docs are intentionally omitted from `tools/list` JSON schemas to save context** — use `vidseeds_guide` (with a `goal`) or read `vidseeds://guide` when you need argument semantics beyond types/enums.

+ New to this server, or unsure which tool does the job? Call **`vidseeds_guide`** - it returns the capability map, the recommended tool chain for a stated `goal`, and what VidSeeds does not do. It is free and quota-exempt, so it never costs seeds or a call-bucket token. The server's `initialize` instructions and the `vidseeds://guide` resource carry the same orientation; workflow **prompts** (e.g. `optimize-youtube-video`, `make-thumbnail`) hand you the ready-made tool chain. Reach for these before concluding a capability is missing. **Parameter-level field docs are intentionally omitted from `tools/list` JSON schemas to save context** - use `vidseeds_guide` (with a `goal`) or read `vidseeds://guide` when you need argument semantics beyond types/enums.

## Two cost layers

- 1. **Per-tool seeds** — Some tools spend seeds (thumbnails, intelligence, translation, etc.). Read-only tools are free. Charge-bearing tools state their seed cost in the first sentence of their compressed `tools/list` description; when it is not there, call `vidseeds_guide` with the tool name for the confirmed cost. Confirm with the user before charge-bearing calls. (2026-06: use `fields: ["description","tags"]` on regenerate for light/correct-price partials; thumbnail edits cost more than generation when using input reference image.)

- 2. **Daily MCP call quota** — Almost every tool call counts toward a plan bucket (continuous refill, not midnight reset). When the bucket is empty, each extra call costs **1 seed** on top of any per-tool cost.

+ 1. **Per-tool seeds** - Some tools spend seeds (thumbnails, intelligence, translation, etc.). Read-only tools are free. Charge-bearing tools state their seed cost in the first sentence of their compressed `tools/list` description; when it is not there, call `vidseeds_guide` with the tool name for the confirmed cost. Confirm with the user before charge-bearing calls. (2026-06: use `fields: ["description","tags"]` on regenerate for light/correct-price partials; thumbnail edits cost more than generation when using input reference image.)

+ 2. **Daily MCP call quota** - Almost every tool call counts toward a plan bucket (continuous refill, not midnight reset). When the bucket is empty, each extra call costs **1 seed** on top of any per-tool cost.

| Plan | Refill / day | Bucket cap |

| ------- | ------------ | ---------- |

| Sprout | 1,000 | 2,000 |

| Growth | 3,000 | 6,000 |

| Harvest | 8,000 | 16,000 |

| Agency | 20,000 | 40,000 |

| Trial | 1,000 | 1,000 |

**Free and quota-exempt:** `vidseeds_get_seed_balance`, `vidseeds_get_seed_balance_and_subscription`, `vidseeds_guide`.

## Before expensive work

- 1. `vidseeds_get_seed_balance` — seeds, remaining included MCP calls, overage rate (free).

+ 1. `vidseeds_get_seed_balance` - seeds, remaining included MCP calls, overage rate (free).

2. Tell the user expected per-tool seed cost (from the tool's compressed description, or `vidseeds_guide` when the description omits it).

3. Prefer **async + poll** for long jobs instead of hammering sync tools that may time out at the edge.

+ Promo campaign note: `vidseeds_generate_promo_campaign_pack` is seed-charged on successful AI generation; conversion to drafts with `vidseeds_create_social_posts_from_campaign_pack` is not the billable AI step.

## Async job pattern

Many writes return immediately with `jobId` (and often `pollTool` or a named poll tool in the response):

1. Call the async or generate tool → capture `jobId` and `expectedCostSeeds` if present.

2. Poll the indicated tool every **~3s** until `completed` or `failed`.

3. On `failed`, surface the error once; do not retry in a tight loop.

Examples:

| Start | Poll |

| -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |

| `vidseeds_generate_thumbnail` | `vidseeds_get_thumbnail_job` |

| `vidseeds_regenerate_project_metadata_async` | `vidseeds_get_regenerate_project_metadata_job` |

| `vidseeds_create_project_metadata_async` | `vidseeds_get_create_project_metadata_job` |

| `vidseeds_optimize_marketing_metadata_async` | `vidseeds_get_optimize_marketing_metadata_job` |

- Thumbnail generation is typically **70–100s**. Project metadata regeneration can be **60–130s** — prefer async variants for production.

+ Thumbnail generation is typically **70–100s**. Project metadata regeneration can be **60–130s** - prefer async variants for production.

- ## Errors — do not spin

+ ## Errors - do not spin

| Code / message | Action |

| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

- | `AUTH_REQUIRED` / 401 | PAT missing — see `vidseeds-setup` |

- | `SUBSCRIPTION_REQUIRED` / 402 | Trial ended — user must subscribe |

+ | `AUTH_REQUIRED` / 401 | PAT missing - see `vidseeds-setup` |

+ | `SUBSCRIPTION_REQUIRED` / 402 | Trial ended - user must subscribe |

| `MCP_QUOTA_EXCEEDED` | Stop retrying; show top-up link from error; wait for bucket refill or add seeds |

| Insufficient seeds | `vidseeds_get_seed_balance`; user tops up at <https://vidseeds.ai/seeds> |

## Minimize round-trips

- Use `vidseeds_get_project_snapshot` when you need project + platform rows in one call instead of many `get_project` loops.

- For connections, `vidseeds_list_platform_connections` before per-id fetches unless you already have `connectionId`.

- Batch discovery: `vidseeds_get_bulk_video_metadata` when comparing many videos.

- - Reuse the same `requestId` / idempotency keys on retries the tool docs allow — avoids double billing.

+ - Reuse the same `requestId` / idempotency keys on retries the tool docs allow - avoids double billing.

## When `tools/list` is enough

`tools/list` descriptions are compressed (first sentence + safety signals: seed cost, destructive warnings, async polling); parameter shapes and full argument semantics live in **`vidseeds_guide`** / `vidseeds://guide`. Skills teach composition; do not duplicate the full catalog here.