Getting started
Configuration
All available environment variables and configuration options for the AE MCP.
Environment variables
The MCP is configured entirely via environment variables in your MCP client config file. No config files on disk — just set the vars and restart.
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
AE_MCP_LICENSE | Yes | Your XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX license key |
AE_AFTERFX_PATH | No | Custom path to AfterFX.exe / After Effects.app if auto-detect fails |
AE_AERENDER_PATH | No | Custom path to aerender for headless rendering |
AE_MCP_TIMEOUT | No | Script execution timeout in ms (default: 30000) |
AE_MCP_LOG_LEVEL | No | Log verbosity: error, warn, info, debug (default: warn) |
Full config example
claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"after-effects": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@synthetic-ai/ae-mcp"],
"env": {
"AE_MCP_LICENSE": "XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX",
"AE_MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "warn"
}
}
}
}Custom After Effects path
The MCP auto-detects After Effects from standard installation paths (CS6 through 2026). If you installed AE in a custom location, set AE_AFTERFX_PATH:
Windows example
"AE_AFTERFX_PATH": "D:\\Adobe\\After Effects 2025\\AfterFX.exe"
macOS example
"AE_AFTERFX_PATH": "/Applications/Adobe After Effects 2025/Adobe After Effects 2025.app"
Multiple MCP clients
You can use the same license key in multiple clients (Claude Desktop + Cursor, for example) as long as you're within your plan's device limit — 1 device on Monthly, 2 devices on Annual.
A "device" is the machine where the MCP process runs, not the number of clients. Running Claude Desktop and Cursor on the same computer counts as 1 device.