Plex

Plex MCP Server lets you search, browse, and manage your Plex media libraries through Claude. It connects your Plex library with AI-assisted capabilities such as music discovery, playlist handling, media details, and data-oriented prompts, enabling streamlined control and automation from your Claude client.

How to use

Use your MCP client to connect to Plex MCP Server and start interacting with your Plex library. Practical workflows include searching for movies, TV shows, music, and other content; browsing libraries and collections; creating and managing playlists; and getting detailed media information. You can also access library data through structured URIs and ask Claude for personalized content recommendations or descriptive playlist prompts. If you need troubleshooting, enable HTTP debug logging to surface more details about requests and responses.

How to install

Prerequisites: you need Node.js installed on your machine. You also need a Plex server URL if you plan to connect to Plex Local/Remote APIs.

Install via Smithery (recommended):

npx -y @smithery/cli install @vyb1ng/plex-mcp --client claude

Manual setup for Claude Desktop: add the MCP settings to your Claude Desktop configuration as shown below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plex": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["plex-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PLEX_URL": "http://your-plex-server:32400"
      }
    }
  }
}

Additional configuration and troubleshooting

If you want to enable verbose HTTP debugging for troubleshooting, add the MCP_HTTP_DEBUG environment variable to the Plex MCP server configuration and set it to true. This will produce structured JSON logs with request/response details, timing metrics, and correlation IDs. Sensitive headers are redacted automatically.

Example with HTTP debugging enabled:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plex": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["plex-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PLEX_URL": "http://your-plex-server:32400",
        "MCP_HTTP_DEBUG": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Notes on authentication and tokens

You can authenticate with Plex using OAuth or with a static token. If you choose OAuth, use the authenticate_plex workflow to obtain a login URL and sign in through your browser. If you prefer a static token, add the PLEX_TOKEN env var to the server configuration with your Plex token value.

API access and data formats

You can access structured data via Plex-specific URIs such as plex://libraries, plex://recent, or plex://playlists. Each endpoint returns JSON-formatted data suitable for automation, dashboards, or further analysis.

Prompts and AI assistance

Leverage Claude prompts to enhance your Plex experience, including playlist descriptions, personalized content recommendations, smart playlist rules, media analysis, and server troubleshooting tips.

Status and development notes

Current status: Search, browse, playlists, media info, library stats, watch history, collections, music discovery, resources, and prompts are working. Smart playlists are currently disabled due to an issue with filter logic, and remote server browsing is planned for a future update.

Available tools

search_browse

Perform searches across movies, TV shows, music, and more; browse libraries and collections to locate content quickly.

playlists

Create, manage, and browse playlists; add items to existing playlists and view playlist contents.

media_info

Retrieve detailed media information including codecs, bitrates, file sizes, and watch progress.

library_stats

Access library statistics and listening/viewing trends to understand your collection better.

music_discovery

Natural language music discovery and smart recommendations based on listening patterns.

resources_uri

Access structured data via Plex URIs such as plex://libraries, plex://recent, and plex://playlists for automation.

prompts

AI-assisted prompts for playlist descriptions, content recommendations, and troubleshooting guidance.