mcp · diff
git:20260927.253d415 to git:20260930.c757b30
5 added, 5 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: mcp
description: "MCP server mode for montaj — load when running as an MCP client (e.g. Claude Desktop)"
step: false
---
# Montaj MCP
Montaj exposes itself as an MCP server over stdin/stdout.
## Starting the server
```bash
montaj mcp
# or directly:
node mcp/server.js
```
## Claude Desktop config
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"montaj": {
"command": "montaj",
"args": ["mcp"]
}
}
}
```
- ## Using steps
+ ## What the server exposes
- Steps are MCP tool calls — not curl, not bash. The MCP host handles transport. Each montaj step is exposed as an MCP tool with the same name and params as the CLI commands.
+ One tool: `render`, which renders a project to MP4. Everything else runs through the CLI (`montaj <command>`; `montaj --help` lists them) from a shell: create the project with `montaj run` and run each step with its command. Over HTTP, `montaj serve` runs a step with `POST /api/steps/<name>`. The Montaj app's connector adds its own `run_step` and project tools.
- Follow the headless CLI loop from the root skill. Clips, prompt, and workflow come in via MCP tool call params. Write project state to `project.json` in the project directory as you go.
+ Follow the headless CLI loop from the root skill. Write project state to `project.json` in the project directory as you go.
- ## Logging progress — the `log` tool
+ ## Logging progress
- Call `log` before each step: `{"project": "<id>", "message": "<short, human-readable message>"}`. Say what you're doing, not why. If a `montaj serve` the project belongs to is running, the message appears live in the UI's activity feed; otherwise it's printed to the server process's stderr. This is the same `_contract` "log `<message>`" verb every other Montaj interface performs — see `skills/_contract/SKILL.md`.
+ There is no `log` tool. Log with the CLI before each step: `montaj log --project <id> "<short, human-readable message>"`. Say what you're doing, not why. If a `montaj serve` the project belongs to is running, the message appears live in the UI's activity feed; otherwise it's printed to stderr. This is the same `_contract` "log `<message>`" verb every other Montaj interface performs (see `skills/_contract/SKILL.md`).