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PopNx MCPMCP servers for people who use AI · explained in plain words

Refs

by refs.videoversion 0.17.0i★ –iRuns in the cloud
Registry namevideo.refs/refs

How to install

What it does

4,100 launch videos measured shot by shot. Free account to search; Pro for blueprints and plans.

  • Connects Runs in the cloud
  • Account or key Works without a key · add Authorization if you have one (often raises limits)
  • Category Design, images & audio

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Passed 2/3 checks · What you ask goes through the maker’s server (refs.video) · ✓ Commands checked Nov 13, 2026

First: which AI do you use?

Pick your app and the steps appear below.

Works with Claude · about 2 min

No key, nothing to install · Set it up once on claude.ai or the desktop app, then use it in chat · free accounts can add 1 · on Team/Enterprise an Owner adds it

  1. Open Claude’s Connectors page

    CustomizeConnectors

    CustomizeConnectors1Add2https://…3Add4
  2. Click “Add” → “Custom” → “Web” and fill in these 2 fields

    Copy each value into the field with the same name in Claude, then click Continue

    Name · NameRefs
    Remote MCP server URL · Addresshttps://refs.video/mcp

    Click Continue past the sign-in settings Claude detected · under Authentication choose what the maker says (Sign in now, Sign in when needed or No sign in), then click Add

  3. Turn it on in a chat

    +ConnectorsRefs

  4. Try it

    Use Refs and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing

    ✓ If Claude says it is using Refs or shows a Refs tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Works with ChatGPT, depending on your plan

Full MCP: ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu on the web · Pro: connects with read/fetch permissions, so tools that change data may not work · Plus: not confirmed in OpenAI’s docs; if you see an add-custom-MCP option on the Plugins page you can try these steps · web only

  1. Open ChatGPT’s add-MCP page on the web

    Plugins+Add custom MCP server

    ChatGPTPlugins1+2https://…3Create4
  2. Fill in the name and address

    Enter a name, paste the address under Connection, tick the risk warning and click Create as a plugin

    Name · NameRefs
    Connection · Addresshttps://refs.video/mcp
  3. Pick Refs in a chat

    Start a new chat and pick Refs from your plugins before typing

  4. Try it

    Use Refs and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing

    ✓ If ChatGPT says it is using Refs or shows a Refs tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against OpenAI’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Works with Claude Code · about 2 min

No key, nothing to install

  1. Open Terminal

    Mac: press Command+Space and type Terminal · Windows: open PowerShell

  2. Paste this command and press Enter

    claude mcp add --transport http --scope user refs https://refs.video/mcp
  3. Type /mcp in Claude Code

    You should see Refs listed as connected

  4. Try it

    Use Refs and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing

    ✓ If Claude Code says it is using Refs or shows a Refs tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against Anthropic’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Works with Cursor · about 2 min

No key, nothing to install

  1. Click this button to open Cursor

    Open in Cursor

    Cursor asks you to confirm; click Install

  2. Open the AI chat in Cursor in Agent mode

  3. Try it

    Use Refs and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing

    ✓ If Cursor says it is using Refs or shows a Refs tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against Cursor’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Works with VS Code · about 2 min

No key, nothing to install

  1. Click this button to open VS Code

    Open in VS Code

    VS Code asks you to confirm; click Install

  2. Open the AI chat in VS Code in Agent mode

  3. Try it

    Use Refs and tell me what you can do for me, then show me one thing

    ✓ If VS Code says it is using Refs or shows a Refs tool in the answer, you are connected

Menu names checked against VS Code’s help page on Nov 11, 2026 · your screen may differ slightly by app version

Other apps that use MCP, such as Windsurf, Zed or Gemini CLI, each add servers differently. See how in the app list.

See every app that uses MCP →

Address for apps that connect over the web

Addresshttps://refs.video/mcp

JSON settings are under “For developers” below

Stuck? Ask people who use Refs💬 Discussion →
For developers: Terminal commands and JSON settings

Over the web

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http --scope user refs https://refs.video/mcp

Cursor (~/.cursor/mcp.json)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "refs": {
      "url": "https://refs.video/mcp"
    }
  }
}

VS Code (mcp.json)

{
  "servers": {
    "refs": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://refs.video/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Values you fill in

  • Authorization secret HTTP header
    Sign in with your Refs account (MCP OAuth: the Claude apps, Claude Code) or send Bearer refs_… from https://refs.video/account. A free account searches; the other tools need Pro.

Descriptions are as written by the maker.

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

At a glance

Downloads per weeki
Not on npm/PyPI
Verified domain
✓ refs.video
Licencei
No licence stated
Connection
Runs in the cloud
Transport
streamable-http
Latest versioni
0.17.0
Published to registryi
Nov 8, 2026
Code last changedi
–
Maker
refs.video
Repo
–
Website
refs.video
Registry status
Active

Which apps can use it

Based on how this server connects and on each app’s own docs, checked Nov 10, 2026.

Connect over the internet in

ClaudeChatGPTGooseLM StudioMsty StudioCherry StudioCursorVS Code + GitHub CopilotVisual StudioWindsurf (Devin Desktop)ZedKiroClineContinueJetBrains AI AssistantClaude CodeCodex CLIGemini CLIOpenCodenodecodeWarpLibreChatOpen WebUIRaycast

All apps, with pros and cons →

Related guides

What it can do

Tool names and descriptions exactly as the server reported them on Nov 14, 2026. The maker wrote them, not us; we show them as plain text.

  • search_videos

    Search 4,000+ dissected top-performing videos (launch films, product demos, explainers, motion design, interactive/3D, film + music, teasers, UGC ads). Needs a Refs account; a free one is enough (the app asks the user to sign in). Cards carry the REF id, title, maker, length, asp

  • get_blueprint

    The full reverse-engineered blueprint of one video: hook frame by frame, beat sheet with timestamps, shot list, style guide, voice and sound, script template, production plan, edit recipe, QA checklist, plus a runnable recipe prompt. Markdown by default; format "json" returns the

  • get_frames

    One video's labelled frame sheets as images, so you can see the reference instead of guessing from text: the hook (first 3 s at 0.25 s steps), one frame per shot, and the whole film at fixed steps where measured. sheet "transitions" adds every frame around each cut and in-shot ch

  • list_formulas

    Formulas distilled across many videos of one format (e.g. 'the silent UI workflow', 'the delayed hardware reveal'). Returns ids, titles, summaries and their source films; fetch one with get_formula. Needs a Refs account with Pro; without one, the app asks the user to sign in. sea

  • get_formula

    The full cross-video formula for one format, as markdown: structure, timing ranges, what top performers share, mistakes to avoid, and a template prompt. Needs a Refs account with Pro; without one, the app asks the user to sign in. search_videos is free.

  • list_collections

    Your collections on refs.video (named sets of films you saved) and your favourites, with ids and film counts. Pass an id to get_collection to read the films and use them as references. Needs a Refs account with Pro; without one, the app asks the user to sign in. search_videos is

  • get_collection

    Every film in a Refs collection as search cards (REF id, link, length, aspect, measured metrics, why it works). Takes a collection id or refs.video/c/… link: anyone's shared collection, or your own private one; "favourites" gives the films you hearted. Then use them as references

  • list_brands

    Your brand imports on refs.video (refs.video/saved → Brandprint): each X account you imported, with its progress and film count. Private to you. Pass an id or handle to get_brand for the brand kit and every film. Needs a Refs account with Pro; without one, the app asks the user t

  • get_brand

    One of your brand imports: the brand kit (the brand's house style across all its films: palette, type, logo and end card, motion and easing, pacing and cut rhythm, camera, transitions, sound and voice, recurring formats, written as rules to follow) plus each film's blueprint summ

  • plan_video

    Give a brief (product, audience, length, platform) and 1-5 references (REF ids, links or ids, or your brand films' brand: : ids), and optionally one of your imported brands (brand) to plan in its house style. Returns, per reference, the plates that carry its timing and look (form

  • storyboard

    Before anything is built, storyboard the film the way an editor does. Send the storyboard you drafted from plan_video: 1 direction for a fixed brief, 2–4 when it's open. Each direction: logline, references (REF id + the one job each does), palette, type, sound, 2–3 style frames a

  • check_render

    After rendering a video from a reference, check it against that film's measured timeline and get concrete fixes: cut timing to the frame, pace, brightness curve, motion per shot, loudness for the platform, and format. First measure your render: run `node scripts/measure.mjs ` fro

  • ugc_scan

    Paste a product page and Refs finds the UGC ads (creator-style vertical video ads on Meta and TikTok) that are working for its competitors, then takes them apart. Two steps. (1) ugc_scan(url) reads the page and returns a draft: the product (name, category, price, audience) and 5–

  • get_ugc_scan

    One of your competitor UGC scans (from ugc_scan): its status and progress while the worker runs (queued → finding competitors → fetching ads → measuring → writing → summary → done), then the board: each competitor's winning UGC ads ranked by signal (days running, variants, reach,

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 14, 2026

  • ! Caution

    Maker matches the repo

    The registry lists no source repo, so we cannot match the publisher (refs.video) to the code

  • … Not checked yet

    Still maintained

    We have not read this repo from GitHub yet

  • … Not checked yet

    Has a licence

    We have not read this repo from GitHub yet

  • ✓ Pass

    Endpoint responds

    Responded in 395 ms (HTTP 200)

  • – Not applicable

    Sign-in with OAuth

    No sign-in needed

  • ✓ Pass

    No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

    Read 14 tool descriptions and found no hidden instructions to the AI

Discussion

Ask, share a tip or report that it does not work. Sorted by what people marked helpful.

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Posts here are written by users, not the PopNx team.

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User reviews

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Compared with others in Design, images & audioi

  • More stars than 0% of the other 3052 servers in this category
  • Published to the registry more recently than 83% of the other 3052 servers in this category
  • Basic checks equal to or better than 50% of the other 3052 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is Refs safe?

It passed 2 of 3 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

The registry does not list a required key, though some servers ask you to sign in on first use.

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs in the maker’s cloud. Connect over the internet with nothing to install, but what you send passes through the maker’s servers.

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (0.17.0) reached the registry 6 days ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. It connects by URL, so apps that accept remote MCP servers work too, such as ChatGPT on the web (full MCP on Business and above; Pro read-only).

What can I use instead?

In the same category: Figma Context MCP, AutoClip, Next AI Draw.io

Others in the same category

Servers in the same category from other makers, sorted by stars.

Reading a card:↓ Downloads per weeki★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi

Figma Context MCP

Give your coding agent access to your Figma data. Implement designs in any framework in one-shot.

by GLipsWidely used↓ 152.1K/wk★ 16.2KUpdated 5 months ago

Runs on your computer

AutoClip

Clip long videos into short clips with covers and captions. Local CLI and MCP.

by zhouxiaokaWidely used↓ 205/wk★ 10.4KUpdated 17 days ago

Runs on your computer

Next AI Draw.io

draw.io diagrams your AI agent draws on a live browser canvas that you can also edit by hand

by DayuanJiangWidely used↓ 21.7K/wk★ 36.9K Stars for the whole repoUpdated today

Runs on your computer

README from the maker

No README found in the repo