Thumbnails (MCP)
Quick generate → retrieve
vidseeds_get_seed_balance(free).vidseeds_generate_thumbnail→jobId,expectedCostSeeds; pollvidseeds_get_thumbnail_jobevery ~3s (~70–100s typical). Price per image uses model-specific seeds (Gemini 7, OpenAI 11, Grok 3); see get_seed_balance.vidseeds_get_thumbnailorvidseeds_list_thumbnailsfor URLs/ids.- Optional:
vidseeds_download_thumbnail_bundlefor a packaged download.
Edit pricing (2026-06 correct): vidseeds_edit_thumbnail (and restyle) charges model-specific seeds; edits that reference an input image cost more than pure generation (input + output). Check vidseeds_get_seed_balance for current per-model rates before calling. Always confirm with user.
Edit or restyle an existing thumbnail
vidseeds_edit_thumbnail- chat-style edit (async job; poll per tool response).vidseeds_restyle_thumbnail- style transfer on an existing asset.
Attach to a project
vidseeds_apply_thumbnail_to_projectwithprojectIdand the generated thumbnail id.
Publish thumbnail to YouTube
vidseeds_publish_thumbnail_to_youtubewhen the video is on a connected channel (seevidseeds-publishingfor connections).- Bulk YouTube limit: YouTube rate-limits custom-thumbnail uploads separately from VidSeeds.ai seeds/MCP quota. For bulk replacements, plan no more than about 100 thumbnail uploads per connected YouTube channel/account per rolling 24 hours. If YouTube returns
uploadRateLimitExceeded/ "too many thumbnails recently", stop the batch, persist the next video id, and resume later.
Thumbnail Studio (research → brief → generate)
Use when you want data-informed creative direction:
| Step | Tool |
|---|---|
| Trends in niche | vidseeds_get_thumbnail_trends |
| Niche detection | vidseeds_detect_thumbnail_niche |
| Frame analysis (from video refs) | vidseeds_analyze_thumbnail_frames, vidseeds_select_best_thumbnail_frame |
| Creative brief | vidseeds_build_thumbnail_brief |
| Subject ideas | vidseeds_suggest_thumbnail_subjects |
| Overlay copy options | vidseeds_generate_thumbnail_overlay_texts |
| Style profiles | vidseeds_get_thumbnail_style_profiles, vidseeds_save_thumbnail_style_profile |
| Visual audit / CTR sim | vidseeds_audit_thumbnail_visual, vidseeds_simulate_ctr |
| Custom upload | vidseeds_upload_custom_thumbnail |
Then run vidseeds_generate_thumbnail (or from-video flow below) with prompts/refs from the brief.
Local source video (file on disk only)
The hosted server cannot read the user's filesystem.
- Configure vidseeds-local stdio MCP (see plugin README; env
VIDSEEDS_API_KEYor PAT). vidseeds_generate_thumbnail_from_videoon the local server - probes/transcribes/extracts frames locally, then calls the hosted pipeline.
Alternatively, extract frames locally with vidseeds_extract_video_frames (see vidseeds-local-video) and pass base64 frames into vidseeds_generate_thumbnail.
From an existing YouTube video (hosted)
vidseeds_generate_thumbnail_from_video(hosted) when the video is addressable via allowed CDN URLs / account-owned assets - check tooldescriptionfor inputs.
Learning / preferences
vidseeds_record_thumbnail_preference,vidseeds_get_thumbnail_learning_status- optional feedback loop for repeat creators.