# Codex MCP Server for Image, PDF and Video Generation

> Connect Codex to Orshot's MCP server and generate images, PDFs and videos from your own templates by asking in plain language, then publish or schedule them to 15 social platforms. Free plan: 100 credits every month.

[Full Codex guide](https://orshot.com/agents/codex) | [All agents](https://orshot.com/agents.md) | [Start free](https://orshot.com/signup)

## At a glance

- **MCP server:** `https://mcp.orshot.com/mcp`, the same URL for every client, with OAuth sign-in and no API key to paste.
- **Tools:** 97 tools for Codex, discovered on connection and scoped to one Orshot workspace.
- **Speed:** a typical image renders in 0.8s (median over the last day).
- **Time to first render:** Half of new users who render do it within 13 minutes of signing up, and a quarter within 5 minutes.
- **In production:** 31% of customer renders in the last 30 days came from AI agents over MCP.
- **Agents in use:** 85% of workspaces that rendered in the last 30 days used an AI agent at least once.
- **Agent apps:** 12 apps called Orshot in the last 30 days. Share of agent tool calls: Claude 75%, ChatGPT 15%, Codex 8%, other MCP clients 2%.
- **Agent tool calls:** more than 65,000 in the last 30 days.
- **What agent users did** (share of agent users): designed templates 49%, pulled in brand kits and stock photos 48%, rendered images or PDFs 31%, posted or scheduled to social 29%, made AI videos 11%, set up workflows 5%.
- **Agent speed** (median per call): `orshot_render_template` 1s, `orshot_create_template_design` 3.2s.
- **Cost:** no charge for connecting. Renders use your plan's credits ([pricing](https://orshot.com/pricing.md)).

## Connect Codex

- Install in Codex: https://chatgpt.com/plugins/plugin_asdk_app_6a79affedd808191b69f2e62014b8235?open_in_app
- Codex CLI: `codex mcp add orshot --url https://mcp.orshot.com/mcp`

1. Or install the Orshot app: run /plugins in Codex to open the plugin browser.
2. Search for Orshot, open it, and select Install plugin.
3. Start a new chat, then ask Codex to render from your templates.

The CLI command adds Orshot to ~/.codex/config.json. Authenticate over OAuth or pass an Orshot API key as a bearer token.

## Try this first

> Use Orshot to render an OG image for this blog post and save the URL to the frontmatter.

## What Codex can do with Orshot

### Social media automation

- **Automate social media posts end to end:** social media automation that generates each post from a template, then publishes it or lets you schedule social media posts to Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok and 11 more platforms from the same API call or workflow (social publishing is a paid add-on). ([more](https://orshot.com/features/social-publishing.md))
- **Bulk create social media posts** from a spreadsheet: an Instagram post generator, Instagram carousel generator and LinkedIn carousel generator in one, making one post, carousel or story per row of Google Sheets or Airtable instead of designing each one by hand. ([more](https://orshot.com/integrations/no-code.md))
- **Instagram automation with n8n, Make or Zapier:** auto post to Instagram, automate LinkedIn posts and run n8n social media automation on a schedule, with a fresh image or video rendered for each post. ([more](https://orshot.com/integrations/automation.md))
- **Recurring posts from your data:** real estate social media posts for every new listing, a quote image generator for weekly quote cards, product launches, event announcements and results graphics. ([more](https://orshot.com/templates.md))

### Image generation

- **Image generation API for templates:** an image API where you send the template ID and the values that change (text, photos, colors) and get back a PNG, JPG or WebP. For bulk image generation, render one image per row from a spreadsheet, a workflow, the CLI or an AI agent. ([more](https://orshot.com/solutions/image-generation-api.md))
- **OG image generator** for every blog post, docs page or product: render the Open Graph image automatically from your CMS, including Framer, Webflow and WordPress. ([more](https://orshot.com/integrations/automation.md))
- **Banner generator, YouTube thumbnail generator and ad creatives in every size:** design once and Smart Resize re-lays out the same design for each format, so ad creative automation does not mean redrawing each size. ([more](https://orshot.com/solutions/banner-generation-api.md))
- **Ecommerce product images and personalized images:** promo banners for every product in your Shopify catalog, or a personalized image per contact for email and CRM campaigns. ([more](https://orshot.com/integrations/e-commerce.md))

### PDF generation

- **PDF generation API:** automate PDF generation for invoices, reports, proposals and one-pagers from a template, multi-page. It works as an invoice generator API without maintaining an HTML to PDF API and its print CSS. ([more](https://orshot.com/solutions/pdf-generation-api.md))
- **Bulk certificate generator and Google Sheets to PDF:** one certificate, badge or ticket per attendee row, from Google Sheets or Airtable. ([more](https://orshot.com/integrations/no-code.md))

### Video generation

- **Video generation API and automated video creation:** video automation for listing videos, faceless videos, personalized video and short social clips, rendered from a template with your data as MP4 (paid plans). ([more](https://orshot.com/solutions/video-generation-api.md))

## Example prompts

### Generate & render

- "Make an Instagram carousel from the promo template with these three headlines."
- "Turn my product template into a short MP4 with the hero video swapped in."

### Create & edit templates

- "List my studio templates and tell me which ones have a video layer."
- "Add a discount-badge parameter to my sale-banner template."

### Automate with workflows

- "Run my weekly-report workflow and show me the last run's outputs."
- "Schedule a workflow to generate a daily quote graphic from a Google Sheet."

### Publish & deliver

- "Render the announcement and save it as a draft to all my connected accounts."
- "Render the certificate and email me a signed URL to download it."

## FAQ

### Where does the Codex CLI store the Orshot config?

Running `codex mcp add orshot --url …` writes it to ~/.codex/config.json. You can also edit that file directly.

### Can I use Orshot with Codex headlessly?

Yes. Authenticate over OAuth interactively, or pass an Orshot workspace API key as a bearer token for CI and scripts.

### Does the Orshot MCP work in both the Codex CLI and IDE extension?

Yes. Both connect to the same hosted server. The CLI stores the config in ~/.codex/config.json.

### Can Codex render more than images?

Yes. Ask for PDFs and MP4 or GIF video from the same templates, not just PNGs.

### What can Codex do with Orshot once connected?

You can ask Codex in plain language to render images, PDFs and video from your Orshot templates, resize one design to every social format, and publish the result to social. No image infrastructure to build.

### Is the Orshot MCP server free to use?

Connecting is free. Renders draw from your Orshot plan, and every account starts with 100 free credits a month and no credit card.

### What data can the Orshot MCP server access?

Only the Orshot workspaces of the account that authorized it, over OAuth 2.0 with PKCE. The server receives tool calls and their inputs, never your conversation or files, and every call goes to Orshot's own API. Disconnect from your client at any time to end access.

### How are risky actions like delete or publish handled?

Every tool declares whether it reads or writes, and destructive actions carry an explicit annotation, so MCP clients ask for confirmation before running them. Read-only tools like listing templates can run without a prompt.

### Can Codex post to my social accounts?

Yes, once you connect that account in your Orshot dashboard. After it is connected, Codex can draft, schedule or publish to it. Rendering and everything else works without connecting any social account.

## Links

- [Orshot for AI agents](https://orshot.com/agents.md)
- [MCP server docs](https://orshot.com/docs/integrations/mcp-server.md)
- [Pricing](https://orshot.com/pricing.md)
- [All pages for agents](https://orshot.com/llms.txt)