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Artlist Bridge MCP: After Effects

Last updated: November 09, 2026

Overview

The Artlist Bridge MCP lets your AI assistant work directly inside your open After Effects project. Instead of downloading assets and importing them by hand, you describe what you want in plain language and your assistant builds and edits the composition for you, using Artlist AI tools and the Artlist music and sound effects catalog. This article explains what the Bridge MCP is, what you need before you start, how to set it up, and how to use it.

Note: The Bridge MCP currently works with Adobe After Effects and with Claude and ChatGPT. Support for other apps may be added in the future.

What is the Bridge MCP?

The Artlist MCP connects your AI assistant to Artlist, so it can generate images, videos, voiceovers, and music, and search the music and sound effects catalog. The Bridge MCP adds a second connection: a bridge between your assistant and the After Effects project you have open on your computer.

When both are connected, your assistant can find or generate an asset with Artlist and place it in your composition in the same conversation. You keep iterating in plain language, and each change updates the same composition.

💡 Tip: Not sure what an MCP is? See Artlist MCP: Connect Claude, ChatGPT, and VS Code to Artlist for a short explanation.

What it can do

  • Build and edit in your open composition — your assistant works in the After Effects project you already have open, and can create a new project if you ask it to
  • Use Artlist assets — combine the Artlist MCP with the bridge so your assistant can generate images, videos, and voiceovers, or find music and sound effects, and use them in your composition
  • Follow a script — for example, paste a script with timestamps and ask for a motion graphic synced to it
  • Keep your work editable — the result uses native After Effects keyframes, so you can open the composition and keep editing it yourself
  • Use built-in skills — the plugin includes ready-made instructions that help your assistant produce clean, easy-to-edit results in After Effects

⚠️ Note: Your assistant can only perform a defined set of actions in After Effects. It does not get unrestricted control of the app.

Before you start

The Bridge MCP only works when both of these are connected:

  1. The Artlist connector in Claude or ChatGPT
  2. The Artlist AI Tools plugin in After Effects, with MCP Relay connected

You'll also need:

  • Adobe After Effects 2026 (v26.0) or later, on Mac or Windows
  • An active Artlist account with an AI plan
  • Claude or ChatGPT

How to set it up

Step 1: Connect Artlist to your AI assistant

Add the Artlist MCP to Claude or ChatGPT and sign in with your Artlist account. Follow the steps in Artlist MCP: Connect Claude, ChatGPT, and VS Code to Artlist. The server URL is https://mcp.artlist.io/mcp.

Step 2: Install the Artlist plugin in After Effects

  1. Download the Artlist AI Tools plugin installer from the Artlist Plugins page.
  2. Run the installer.
  3. Open After Effects and go to Window > Extensions > Artlist AI Tools.
  4. Click Sign in and log in with your Artlist account in the browser window that opens.

For more on installing and signing in, see Using the Artlist AI Tools After Effects Plugin.

Step 3: Connect MCP Relay in the plugin

  1. In the Artlist panel in After Effects, find the MCP Relay section.
  2. Click Connect.
  3. Keep After Effects open with your project while you work with your assistant.

💡 Tip: If Artlist isn't added to your assistant yet, the panel won't be able to connect. Finish Step 1 first, then click Connect again.

How to use it

Once both sides are connected, open a chat with your assistant and describe what you want. There are no commands to remember.

  • Build from a script. Paste a script with timestamps and ask your assistant to build a motion graphic in your open composition.
  • Add assets. Ask for an image, a video, a voiceover, a music track, or a sound effect, and ask your assistant to place it in the composition.
  • Keep iterating. Ask for changes in plain language, such as "make the title bigger" or "swap the music for something calmer". Each change updates the same composition.
  • Finish by hand. Open the composition in After Effects and edit it like any other project.

💡 Tip: Be as descriptive as you would be when working with a colleague. The more detail you give about timing, style, and the assets you want, the closer the first result will be.

Good to know

  • The Bridge MCP works with the After Effects project that is open on your computer. Keep After Effects running while you work.
  • Generating assets with Artlist uses your Artlist plan and AI credits, the same as the Artlist MCP and Artlist AI Tools.
  • Your assistant works through a limited set of After Effects actions, so some things may still need to be done by hand.
  • Support is currently limited to After Effects. Other apps, such as Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and Blender, aren't supported by the Bridge MCP yet.

Troubleshooting

The panel can't connect

Make sure Artlist is added to your AI assistant (Claude or ChatGPT) and that you're signed in to the same Artlist account in the plugin. Then click Connect in the MCP Relay section again.

The panel says a computer is already connected

This can happen if an earlier connection wasn't closed properly, for example after leaving the panel open for a long time. Close and reopen the Artlist panel in After Effects, then click Connect again.

The connection was lost

Click Connect in the MCP Relay section to reconnect. Your After Effects project isn't affected.

Your assistant says it can't reach After Effects

Check that After Effects is open with your project, that the Artlist panel is open, and that MCP Relay shows as connected. If you started a new chat, ask your assistant to try again.

Still stuck?

Contact Artlist Support and tell us which assistant you're using (Claude or ChatGPT), your After Effects version, and what the panel or your assistant showed.

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