Edit videos with Codex (ChatGPT)

PandaStudio from writepanda.ai. ChatGPT desktop from openai.com/chatgpt/download. Sign in with a paid ChatGPT account (Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise) — Codex tool use requires a paid plan.

node --version

Need 18+. Get it from nodejs.org — ChatGPT's Codex runtime spawns the PandaStudio MCP server via npx, which needs Node on your PATH.

PandaStudio's automation server is localhost-only and gated by a bearer token. To find your token:

1. Open PandaStudio on your machine.
2. Go to Settings → Automation.
3. Toggle Enable automation server on. A bearer token will appear — copy it.

The token is a random 32-byte secret stored in your OS keychain. It never leaves your machine — agents only need it because the local HTTP server requires it on every request.

In ChatGPT desktop, open Settings → Connectors → Custom MCP and click Edit config. ChatGPT writes the config to a JSON file:

~/Library/Application Support/ChatGPT/mcp-config.json

%APPDATA%\ChatGPT\mcp-config.json

If the menu wording differs in your build, search the ChatGPT settings page for "MCP" — the desktop app's Codex tool registry sits behind that label across every recent version.

The Skill teaches ChatGPT PandaStudio's full command surface (transcript editing, captions, motion graphics, exports). Run once in your terminal:

npx skills add kamskans/pandastudio-skills

The installer detects the ChatGPT desktop app and copies the Skill into its knowledge directory.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pandastudio": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@writepanda/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "PANDASTUDIO_TOKEN": "paste-your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace paste-your-token-here with the token from Step 3. Save the file and restart ChatGPT — the next time you open a chat, the PandaStudio tools appear in the Codex tool picker (the wrench icon next to the input).

Open a new ChatGPT conversation, click the tool picker, enable PandaStudio, and try:

• "Open my latest recording, transcribe it, remove filler words and silences, then export an MP4."
• "Create a new 9:16 project, import the file at ~/Recordings/launch.mov, add bold captions, and preview it."
• "List all my projects from this week and tell me which one is longest."

ChatGPT will ask permission for each tool call the first time. Approve "always" for read-only verbs (system_status, project_list, transcript_get) to keep the flow snappy. Keep destructive verbs (project_delete, export_publish_youtube) on per-call approval.