SkillFoxx

Shortlist MCP

Personal recommendation rows for each Plex user, with MCP access that lets an agent configure and run them

  • 111 ★ on the repository
  • Last commit
  • MIT
MCP serverOfficial

Extended access

Why this level

  • In Manage mode the agent changes rows and schedules on your Plex server and triggers paid service calls
  • The assistant gets a credential with access to settings and people's watch history
All reasons and checks

stevezau/shortlistAuthor:stevezau

Install

Manual install

[mcp_servers.shortlist]
url = "http://127.0.0.1:5959/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "SHORTLIST_MCP_CREDENTIAL"

A ~/.codex/config.toml fragment from the guide: the credential comes from an environment variable.

Access and checks

How we review

Extended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.

  • In Manage mode the agent changes rows and schedules on your Plex server and triggers paid service calls
  • The assistant gets a credential with access to settings and people's watch history

This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.

What it does

Shortlist runs in a single Docker container and gives every user on a Plex server their own recommendation rows: Picked for You, Because you watched, Watch it again and seasonal picks. For each person it reads their watch history, picks titles from your library they have not seen and explains the choice. Rows rebuild on a schedule and are visible only to their owner. Before a row appears it gets a label, other accounts' Plex sharing filters hide that label, and only then is the row promoted to Home. Shortlist takes candidates from TMDB and Trakt and can hand gaps to Radarr, Sonarr, Overseerr or Jellyseerr. An AI key is not required. Optional MCP access gives an agent a named connection with an expiry and a disconnect switch. The owner chooses View only or Manage Shortlist. The agent helps finish the setup wizard, plans changes to people, rows, themes, audiences, seasons and schedules, views recommendation previews and runs saved rows. Service keys, Plex ownership and exact approvals stay with the owner. The endpoint has the form https://host/mcp, http://127.0.0.1:5959/mcp suits local work, and clients that use stdio get the shortlist-mcp-stdio bridge.

Who it is for. Owners of home Plex servers who want to serve personal recommendations to family and friends and manage them through an assistant.

Good fit when

  • Several people use your Plex server and the stock recommendation rows are the same for everyone
  • You want an agent to review Shortlist settings, rows and schedules in View only mode
  • You want an agent to prepare seasonal rows and run them with owner approval
  • Missing movies and shows should go to Radarr, Sonarr, Overseerr or Jellyseerr

Not a fit when

  • You need to install Shortlist or claim Plex ownership: those are browser steps for the owner, and MCP does not perform them
  • You want to enter service keys through the assistant: MCP accepts no keys or passwords
  • The server is not Plex: Shortlist works only with it

Example request

Show the Shortlist setup status and the list of rows for each person without changing anything.

MCP

Transport
http, stdio
Authentication
OAuth

Environment variables

SHORTLIST_MCP_URL required
The exact address of the Shortlist MCP endpoint, for example http://127.0.0.1:5959/mcp. Set on the container and in the client.
SHORTLIST_MCP_CREDENTIAL required, secret
The assistant credential that starts with shla_ and is issued when a connection is created. Shown only once.

Limitations

MCP access is off by default and the owner turns it on. The address is set with the SHORTLIST_MCP_URL variable, plain HTTP is allowed only on loopback, and other addresses need HTTPS. Normal runs in Manage mode use the configured services and may cost money, and there is no app-wide spending cap. The owner performs installation, timezone, backups, poster uploads, test notifications and uninstall by hand.

How to disable. In Settings, AI assistants, press Disconnect on the connection: local credentials and OAuth tokens are revoked immediately. To turn MCP off entirely, remove SHORTLIST_MCP_URL from the container and restart it.

FAQ

How do I connect Shortlist to Claude Code or Codex?

Turn on MCP in Settings, AI assistants, set SHORTLIST_MCP_URL, then create a named connection and choose View only or Manage Shortlist. A local client can use the direct option at http://127.0.0.1:5959/mcp with a SHORTLIST_MCP_CREDENTIAL variable.

Can I give the agent the owner's token?

No, and the documentation forbids putting the API access token into an MCP client. The assistant gets a separate credential that starts with shla_ and works only at the MCP endpoint.

What can an agent do in View only mode?

Read settings, rows, people and activity. It cannot prepare or apply changes, start runs or dispatch requests.

Do I need an AI key?

No. The project description says no AI key is required. Shortlist takes candidates from TMDB and Trakt, and the TMDB key is entered in the browser.

Can users see each other's rows?

No. A row gets a label first, other accounts' sharing filters hide it, and only then is the row promoted to Plex Home.

Discussion

No questions or reviews yet.

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README in short

The README opens with the problem of identical Plex rows and shows the order in which rows are hidden before they appear. It then covers integrations with TMDB, Trakt, Radarr, Sonarr, Overseerr and Kometa, a quick start in one Docker container and links to documentation. The separate assistant-access guide explains MCP, roles and client connections in detail.

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