Cursor

Yes, Cursor can drive After Effects. You install the Prism MCP panel, copy your personal MCP URL from it, and paste that URL into Cursor once. From then on Cursor can read your open composition and write real, editable layers and keyframes into it.

What you need first

Connect Cursor to After Effects

Where to paste it in Cursor

Add Prism to your mcp.json:

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

What to ask first

Once Cursor is connected, start with something small and checkable:

• "Tell me about my current composition." — proves the read path
• "Stagger these layers by two frames and ease them out." — proves the write path
• "Transcribe this audio layer into subtitles." — proves Prism AI

More in your first prompts.

If it does not work

The longer list is in troubleshooting.

Common questions

Do I pay for Cursor and Prism separately?

Yes, and that is deliberate. You keep your own Cursor subscription and Prism never resells model access — which is exactly why AI actions have no cap on Pro. See your AI client.

Does Cursor see my project files?

No. Your .aep files, footage and comps stay on your machine. Only the structure of the open composition and the instruction you asked for make a round trip.

Can I use Cursor and another client at the same time?

Yes. The same URL works in every client, so you can add it to as many as you like and switch whenever you want.

Can I undo what Cursor does?

Yes. Every action lands as one step in After Effects history, so a single undo reverts it, and anything destructive is preceded by a restore point.

Related

• Your AI client — every client that works, and why you keep your own
• Quickstart — the whole setup in five minutes
• Prism MCP — what the MCP tab does
• First prompts — what to ask on day one