How to Connect Claude to After Effects (Real Keyframes)

Connect Claude or any MCP client to After Effects with Prism. Setup steps, what to ask, real editable keyframes in your timeline, and fixes.

One copy and paste connects your AI client to your live After Effects project: your personal Prism MCP URL, copied from the panel — this page has the exact config for each client. For why a live connection beats pasting scripts, see what an MCP server for After Effects is for; for the read-then-act loop and reversibility, see how Prism works.

The short version

You bring your own AI client — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, Windsurf, and more — and it works inside your live composition.

You connect by copying your personal Prism MCP URL from the panel and pasting it into your client — no terminal, no Node.js, no code editor.

The same personal URL works in every client; add it once per client and switch agents whenever you like.

Works in After Effects 2024, 2025, and 2026 on macOS and Windows.

Before you start: what you need

You need	Details
After Effects	2024, 2025, or 2026 — macOS or Windows
An MCP client	Any MCP-compatible AI client — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT, Windsurf, and more — see bring your own AI
The Prism panel	Installed and activated with your license key
A couple of minutes	There is no build step

Step by step: connect Claude (and other AI clients) to After Effects with Prism

This is the practical core — how to connect to your After Effects MCP server the non-developer way. There is no shared URL to find online and no token to type by hand. You copy your own personal Prism MCP URL straight from the panel.

Install and activate the Prism panel

If you have not already, install the Prism panel and activate it with your license key (PRISM-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX). That page owns the full install and activation flow.

Click Connect in the MCP tab

In the Prism panel, open the MCP tab and click Connect. The panel then shows your personal Prism MCP URL, unique to your device — it only appears once you are connected. It is permanent and never changes, so if you need it again, re-copy the same URL.

Copy the URL the panel shows

Copy that URL from the panel. This is the one thing you paste into your AI client. Treat it like a password — it identifies your device.

Add it to your AI client

In your client, add a custom MCP server and paste your URL. The per-client steps are below — pick yours.

Open the composition you want to work in

Whatever comp is active is the comp the AI will see.

Ask for something small to confirm the loop

Ask "Tell me about my current composition." A correct read-back means you are connected.

Add your Prism MCP URL, per client

Paste your own URL — the one the panel shows — wherever the blocks below show YOUR_PRISM_MCP_URL.

Claude (Desktop or web)

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector → paste the URL the panel shows.

Cursor

Add it to your mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "prism": {
      "url": "YOUR_PRISM_MCP_URL"
    }
  }
}

ChatGPT

Settings → Connectors (or Custom MCP) → add a custom MCP server → paste the URL the panel shows. Custom connectors require ChatGPT's developer mode on a paid plan — enable it under Settings → Connectors → Advanced.

Windsurf

Add Prism to your mcp_config.json the same way as Cursor:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "prism": {
      "serverUrl": "YOUR_PRISM_MCP_URL"
    }
  }
}

Any other MCP client

Add a custom MCP server and paste the URL the panel shows. Because Prism is a standard MCP server, the same personal URL works in any MCP-compatible client.

That is the whole setup. The same personal URL works in every client; add it once per client and switch agents whenever you like. The After Effects panel and your license key stay the same — only the connector entry differs from client to client.

To confirm the loop, ask "Tell me about my current composition." For the starter-prompt gallery and what each prompt returns, see your first prompts. Your project files stay on your machine; only the specific action you request round-trips to the server — full detail on how Prism works.

If a client does not list Prism's tools after you paste the URL, or a command runs but the result looks wrong, see troubleshooting for connection debugging.

Your first prompts — what to ask first and what comes back
Bring your own AI — supported clients and why AI actions are unlimited
What is an MCP server for After Effects — why a live connection beats pasting scripts
Troubleshooting — connection debugging and AE quirks

Connect AI