Agent skill

CLI Anything Shotcut

by HKUDS in HKUDS/CLI-Anything

Command-line interface for Shotcut - A stateful command-line interface for video editing, built on the MLT XML format.

Apache-2.0Auto-check passedMedia & Creative

Install CLI Anything Shotcut

skills CLI
$ npx skills add HKUDS/CLI-Anything --skill cli-anything-shotcut -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install HKUDS/CLI-Anything cli-anything-shotcut --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/CLI-Anything.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/cli-anything-shotcut .claude/skills/cli-anything-shotcut && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
cli-anything-shotcut
GitHub stars
52k
Token cost
~2.8k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,150 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
78
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Apache-2.0

At a glance

Command-line interface for Shotcut - A stateful command-line interface for video editing, built on the MLT XML format.

  • Works in 11 steps: Always use --json flag for parseable… → Check return codes - 0 for success,… → Parse stderr for error messages on failure → …
  • Tasks that involve Video production
  • SKILL.md covers Installation, Usage, Command Groups and Examples, plus 4 more sections
  • Calls pip

What it does

CLI Anything Shotcut is an agent skill from HKUDS/CLI-Anything. Command-line interface for Shotcut - A stateful command-line interface for video editing, built on the MLT XML format. Designed for AI ag...

Its SKILL.md is about 2.8k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Media & Creative, covering Video production. The repository describes itself as: "CLI-Anything: Making ALL Software Agent-Native" -- CLI-Hub: https://clianything.cc/. The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

  • Tasks that involve Video production

Example prompts

  • “/cli-anything-shotcut”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

11 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Always use --json flag for parseable output
  2. Check return codes - 0 for success, non-zero for errors
  3. Parse stderr for error messages on failure
  4. Use absolute paths for all file operations
  5. Verify outputs exist after export operations
  6. Prefer timeline add-clip --at when recreating a known edit
  7. Review final renders after keyframed volume or ducking changes
  8. Use preview capture or preview live ... to validate pacing, cuts, and filter effects visually
  9. Read returned artifact paths such as hero.png and preview.mp4; JSON payloads reference files on disk
  10. Use preview live status --json before reading the full trajectory.json
  11. Use cli-hub previews ... only to inspect/open existing bundles or live sessions

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 34f5195. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • pip

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use pip, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

CLI Anything Shotcut loads about 2.8k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 40 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,150 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~40
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.8k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from HKUDS/CLI-Anything at commit 34f5195, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© HKUDS). 1,150 words, ~2,822 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/cli-anything-shotcut/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
cli-anything-shotcut
description
Command-line interface for Shotcut - A stateful command-line interface for video editing, built on the MLT XML format. Designed for AI ag...

cli-anything-shotcut

A stateful command-line interface for video editing, built on the MLT XML format. Designed for AI agents and power users who need to create and edit Shotcut projects without a GUI.

Installation

This CLI is installed as part of the cli-anything-shotcut package:

bash
pip install cli-anything-shotcut

Prerequisites:

  • Python 3.10+
  • melt (MLT CLI) — required for rendering and playback
  • ffmpeg / ffprobe — required for media probing
  • shotcut must be installed on your system

Usage

Basic Commands
bash
# Show help
cli-anything-shotcut --help

# Start interactive REPL mode
cli-anything-shotcut

# Create a new project
cli-anything-shotcut project new -o project.json

# Run with JSON output (for agent consumption)
cli-anything-shotcut --json project info -p project.json
REPL Mode

When invoked without a subcommand, the CLI enters an interactive REPL session with undo/redo support:

bash
cli-anything-shotcut
# or with a project:
cli-anything-shotcut --project my_project.mlt
REPL Commands

Workflow: Always media import first to get a clip_id, then use add-clip to place it on the timeline.

Project & Session:

  • new [profile] — Create new project (default: hd1080p30)
  • open <path> — Open .mlt file
  • save [path] — Save project
  • info — Show project info
  • xml — Print raw MLT XML
  • status — Show session status
  • undo / redo — Navigate operation history

Media (two-step model):

  • media import <file> [--caption name] — Import file into project bin, returns clip_id (e.g., clip0)
  • media — List all imported media
  • probe <file> — Analyze a media file

Timeline:

  • add-track <video|audio> [name] — Add a track
  • tracks — List all tracks
  • show — Visual timeline overview
  • add-clip <clip_id> <track> [in] [out] [--at time] — Place imported clip on track
  • clips <track> — List clips on a track
  • remove-clip <track> <clip> — Remove a clip
  • trim <track> <clip> [--in tc] [--out tc] — Trim clip
  • split <track> <clip> <at> — Split clip at timecode

Filters:

  • list-filters [video|audio] — Browse available filters
  • filter-info <name> — Show filter details
  • add-filter <name> [--track n] [--clip n] [key=val ...] — Add filter to clip, track, or global
  • filters [--track n] [--clip n] — List active filters
  • remove-filter <idx> [--track n] [--clip n] — Remove filter by index
  • set-filter <idx> <param> <value> [--track n] [--clip n] — Set filter parameter
  • volume-envelope [--track n] [--clip n] TIME=LEVEL ... — Keyframed volume (e.g., 00:00:00.000=1.0 00:00:03.000=0.35)
  • duck [--track n] [--clip n] START..END ... — Ducking envelope (e.g., 00:00:06.000..00:00:09.000)

Export:

  • presets — List export presets
  • render <output> [--preset name] — Render to video file

Command Groups

Project

Project management: new, open, save, info.

CommandDescription
newCreate a new blank project
openOpen an existing .mlt project file
saveSave the current project
infoShow detailed project information
profilesList available video profiles
xmlPrint the raw MLT XML of the current project
Timeline

Timeline operations: tracks, clips, trimming.

CommandDescription
showShow the timeline overview
tracksList all tracks
add-trackAdd a new track to the timeline
remove-trackRemove a track by index
add-clipAdd an imported clip to a track by clip_id; supports --at for absolute placement
remove-clipRemove a clip from a track
move-clipMove a clip between tracks or positions
trimTrim a clip's in/out points
splitSplit a clip into two at the given timecode
clipsList all clips on a track
add-blankAdd a blank gap to a track
set-nameSet a track's display name
muteMute or unmute a track
hideHide or unhide a video track
Filter Group

Filter operations: add, remove, configure effects.

CommandDescription
list-availableList all available filters
infoShow detailed info about a filter and its parameters
addAdd a filter to a clip, track, or globally
removeRemove a filter by index
setSet a parameter on a filter
listList active filters on a target
volume-envelopeCreate or replace a keyframed volume envelope on a track or clip
duckBuild a practical ducking envelope over one or more time windows
Media

Media operations: probe, list, check files.

CommandDescription
importImport a media file into the project bin
probeAnalyze a media file's properties
listList all media clips in the current project
checkCheck all media files for existence
thumbnailGenerate a thumbnail from a video file
Export

Export/render operations.

CommandDescription
presetsList available export presets
preset-infoShow details of an export preset
renderRender the project to a video file
Transition Group

Transition operations: dissolve, wipe, and other transitions.

CommandDescription
list-availableList all available transition types
infoShow detailed info about a transition type
addAdd a transition between two tracks
removeRemove a transition by index
setSet a parameter on a transition
listList all transitions on the timeline
Show full SKILL.md (469 more words)Show less
Composite Group

Compositing: blend modes, PIP, opacity.

CommandDescription
blend-modesList all available blend modes
set-blendSet the blend mode for a track
get-blendGet the current blend mode for a track
set-opacitySet the opacity of a track (0.0-1.0)
pipSet picture-in-picture position for a clip
Session

Session management: status, undo, redo.

CommandDescription
statusShow current session status
undoUndo the last operation
redoRedo the last undone operation
saveSave session state to disk
listList all saved sessions
Preview

Preview bundles and live preview sessions for iterative editing review.

CommandDescription
preview recipesList preview recipes
preview captureRender a low-res preview bundle
preview latestReturn the latest existing bundle
preview live startStart a live preview session and publish the first bundle
preview live pushPublish a new bundle into the live session
preview live statusQuery current live-session state without rendering
preview live stopStop the live session without deleting artifacts

Typical quick bundle contents:

  • preview.mp4
  • several sampled frames
  • midpoint hero.png
  • summary.json with project facts

Poll mode is supported:

bash
cli-anything-shotcut --json --project edit.mlt preview live start --recipe quick --mode poll --source-poll-ms 500

preview live status --json includes session refs and a compact trajectory_summary so agents can cheaply understand the latest few publishes.

Viewer commands:

bash
cli-hub previews inspect /path/to/bundle-or-session
cli-hub previews html /path/to/bundle-or-session -o page.html
cli-hub previews watch /path/to/session --open
cli-hub previews open /path/to/bundle-or-session

Examples

Create a New Project

Create a new shotcut project file.

bash
cli-anything-shotcut project new -o myproject.json
# Or with JSON output for programmatic use
cli-anything-shotcut --json project new -o myproject.json
Interactive REPL Session

Start an interactive session with undo/redo support.

bash
cli-anything-shotcut
# Enter commands interactively
# Use 'help' to see available commands
# Use 'undo' and 'redo' for history navigation
Export Project

Export the project to a final output format.

bash
cli-anything-shotcut --project myproject.json export render output.mp4 --overwrite
Deterministic Timeline Reconstruction

For rebuilds, prefer absolute placement over append-only clip insertion:

bash
cli-anything-shotcut --project myproject.mlt media import intro.mp4
cli-anything-shotcut --project myproject.mlt timeline add-clip clip0 \
  --track 1 --in 00:00:00.000 --out 00:00:04.000 --at 00:00:00.000

cli-anything-shotcut --project myproject.mlt media import broll.mp4
cli-anything-shotcut --project myproject.mlt timeline add-clip clip1 \
  --track 1 --in 00:00:10.000 --out 00:00:16.000 --at 00:00:08.000
  • --at inserts blanks automatically when the target time lands in empty space.
  • The CLI rejects overlap with an existing clip.
  • Prefer explicit --in and --out values so later absolute placement remains unambiguous.
Audio Automation
bash
cli-anything-shotcut --project myproject.mlt filter volume-envelope \
  --track 2 \
  --point 00:00:00.000=1.0 \
  --point 00:00:03.000=0.35 \
  --point 00:00:05.000=1.0

cli-anything-shotcut --project myproject.mlt filter duck \
  --track 2 \
  --window 00:00:06.000..00:00:09.000 \
  --window 00:00:15.000..00:00:18.000 \
  --normal 1.0 --duck 0.25

The CLI maintains session state with:

  • Undo/Redo: Up to 50 levels of history
  • Project persistence: Save/load project state as JSON
  • Session tracking: Track modifications and changes

Output Formats

All commands support dual output modes:

  • Human-readable (default): Tables, colors, formatted text
  • Machine-readable (--json flag): Structured JSON for agent consumption
bash
# Human output
cli-anything-shotcut project info -p project.json

# JSON output for agents
cli-anything-shotcut --json project info -p project.json

For AI Agents

When using this CLI programmatically:

  1. Always use --json flag for parseable output
  2. Check return codes - 0 for success, non-zero for errors
  3. Parse stderr for error messages on failure
  4. Use absolute paths for all file operations
  5. Verify outputs exist after export operations
  6. Prefer timeline add-clip --at when recreating a known edit
  7. Review final renders after keyframed volume or ducking changes
  8. Use preview capture or preview live ... to validate pacing, cuts, and filter effects visually
  9. Read returned artifact paths such as hero.png and preview.mp4; JSON payloads reference files on disk
  10. Use preview live status --json before reading the full trajectory.json
  11. Use cli-hub previews ... only to inspect/open existing bundles or live sessions

More Information

  • Full documentation: See README.md in the package
  • Test coverage: See TEST.md in the package
  • Methodology: See HARNESS.md in the cli-anything-plugin

Version

1.0.0

© HKUDS, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/cli-anything-shotcut of HKUDS/CLI-Anything.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 34f5195

Compare with similar skills

CLI Anything Shotcut next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

CLI Anything Shotcut compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
CLI Anything Shotcut this skillHKUDS/CLI-Anything52k—~2.8kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
HyperFrames Animationheygen-com/hyperframes59k3 repos~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Stitch to Remotion Walkthrough Videosgoogle-labs-code/stitch-skills8.4k6 repos~3.2kAutomated safety check: NotesApache-2.0
Faceless Explainer Videoheygen-com/hyperframes59k3 repos~7.7kAutomated safety check: NotesApache-2.0
Video Understandcalesthio/OpenMontage65k—~841Automated safety check: PassAGPL-3.0
Video ShotcraftVincentwei1021/video-shotcraft11k—~2.6kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0

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Questions about CLI Anything Shotcut

What does CLI Anything Shotcut do?

Command-line interface for Shotcut - A stateful command-line interface for video editing, built on the MLT XML format. CLI Anything Shotcut is an agent skill from HKUDS/CLI-Anything. Command-line interface for Shotcut - A stateful command-line interface for video editing, built on the MLT XML format.

When should I use CLI Anything Shotcut?

CLI Anything Shotcut fits situations like: tasks that involve Video production.

How do I install CLI Anything Shotcut in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add HKUDS/CLI-Anything --skill cli-anything-shotcut -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/cli-anything-shotcut in HKUDS/CLI-Anything) into .claude/skills/cli-anything-shotcut in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install CLI Anything Shotcut in Codex?

Run `npx skills add HKUDS/CLI-Anything --skill cli-anything-shotcut -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/cli-anything-shotcut in HKUDS/CLI-Anything) into .agents/skills/cli-anything-shotcut in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use CLI Anything Shotcut in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add HKUDS/CLI-Anything --skill cli-anything-shotcut -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/cli-anything-shotcut, .gemini/skills/cli-anything-shotcut, .github/skills/cli-anything-shotcut and .opencode/skills/cli-anything-shotcut in your project.

What does CLI Anything Shotcut need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, CLI Anything Shotcut needs the command-line tools its instructions call (pip). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does CLI Anything Shotcut access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use pip, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is CLI Anything Shotcut safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does CLI Anything Shotcut use?

CLI Anything Shotcut is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does CLI Anything Shotcut use?

About 2.8k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 11k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to CLI Anything Shotcut?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with CLI Anything Shotcut: HyperFrames Animation (heygen-com/hyperframes, 59k stars), Stitch to Remotion Walkthrough Videos (google-labs-code/stitch-skills, 8.4k stars), Faceless Explainer Video (heygen-com/hyperframes, 59k stars) and Video Understand (calesthio/OpenMontage, 65k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains CLI Anything Shotcut?

HKUDS (a GitHub organization) maintains it in HKUDS/CLI-Anything, which has 51,696 GitHub stars. The repository holds 78 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on September 22, 2026.

Source: HKUDS/CLI-Anything on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.