Screenly - MCP Server

Screenly's MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server allows AI assistants and large language models to interact directly with your digital signage infrastructure.

$ screenly mcp

The MCP Server exposes Screenly’s capabilities through the Model Context Protocol, enabling AI tools like Claude, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible clients to manage your screens, playlists, and assets conversationally.

Configure your AI client

Add the Screenly MCP Server to Claude Desktop or Cursor:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "screenly": {
      "command": "screenly",
      "args": ["mcp"],
      "env": {
        "API_TOKEN": "your-api-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Once configured, your AI assistant has access to the full Screenly platform — screens, assets, playlists, labels, and Edge Apps. All access is scoped by your API token, so the MCP server inherits the same permissions and restrictions as your user account. AI assistants cannot perform any action beyond what you are authorized to do.

Real-world examples

With the MCP Server running, you can manage your entire digital signage fleet through natural language. Here are some real-world scenarios:

Screen inventory and status

Check on your fleet without opening a dashboard:

“List all my screens and show which ones are offline.”

The assistant calls screen_list and gives you a summary — names, locations, and connection status — in seconds.

Label-driven bulk updates

Manage screens at scale using labels instead of updating them one by one:

“Find all screens with the label ‘Retail’ and assign the ‘Store Promo’ playlist to them.”

The assistant uses label_list to find the matching screens, then label_link_playlist to roll out the playlist across your entire retail fleet in one go.

Smart scheduling with natural language

Combine labels and predicates to set up sophisticated schedules without touching a single config file:

“Schedule the ‘Taco Tuesday’ asset on all screens with the label ‘Cafeteria’ to play every first Tuesday of the month.”

The assistant creates a playlist with the right predicate, adds the asset, and links it to the ‘Cafeteria’ label — all from a single sentence.

Campaign rollouts

Marketing teams can update content across locations without writing scripts:

“Upload this video as ‘Summer Sale’ and add it to the beginning of the ‘Storefront’ playlist.”

The assistant calls asset_create to upload the video, then playlist_item_create to prepend it to the playlist.

Build playlists from scratch

Set up a complete playlist in a single conversation:

“Create a playlist called ‘Lobby Morning’ and add the Company News, Weather, and Welcome assets to it with 20 seconds each.”

The assistant calls playlist_create followed by playlist_item_create for each asset with the specified duration.

Organize content with asset groups

Keep your media library tidy:

“Create an asset group called ‘Q1 Campaign’ and move the January Promo, February Sale, and March Launch assets into it.”

The assistant uses asset_group_create and asset_group_update to organize everything.

Audit and clean up

Find orphaned content and remove clutter:

“Show me all assets that aren’t used in any playlist.”

The assistant cross-references asset_list and playlist_item_list to identify unused assets.

“Remove unused assets older than 90 days.”

The assistant filters by date and calls asset_delete for each stale asset.

Explore Edge Apps

Inspect your deployed Edge Apps and their configuration:

“List all my Edge Apps and show me the settings for the Weather app.”

The assistant calls edge_app_list and then edge_app_list_settings to surface the configuration.

Available tools

The MCP Server exposes tools across the full Screenly platform:

Screens — screen_list, screen_get
Assets — asset_list, asset_get, asset_create, asset_update, asset_delete
Asset Groups — asset_group_list, asset_group_create, asset_group_update, asset_group_delete
Playlists — playlist_list, playlist_create, playlist_update, playlist_delete
Playlist Items — playlist_item_list, playlist_item_create, playlist_item_update, playlist_item_delete
Labels — label_list, label_create, label_update, label_delete, label_link_screen, label_unlink_screen, label_link_playlist, label_unlink_playlist
Shared Playlists — shared_playlist_list, shared_playlist_create, shared_playlist_delete
Edge Apps — edge_app_list, edge_app_list_settings, edge_app_list_instances

To learn more about how to set up and use the Screenly MCP Server, visit our Developer Portal.

MCP Server