MCP Server

The Screenly CLI includes a built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, enabling AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and others to interact with your Screenly digital signage network.

Starting the MCP Server

Start the MCP server

$ screenly mcp

The server communicates over stdio and exposes the full Screenly API as tools.

Available Tools

Category	Tools
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`

Configuration

Cursor

Add to your Cursor MCP configuration

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

Add the configuration to your Cursor MCP settings file.

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration

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

Add the configuration to your Claude Desktop MCP configuration file.

Authentication

The MCP server uses the same authentication as the CLI:

Set the API_TOKEN environment variable in the MCP configuration, or
Run screenly login to store credentials in ~/.screenly

Requirements

The MCP server requires the Screenly CLI to be installed. See the CLI documentation for installation instructions.