Set it up
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Turn on Runway in your AI
Clone the official Runway MCP server, run npm install and npm run build, then add it to your AI tool with your RUNWAYML_API_SECRET. Then ask it to turn a prompt or image into a video.
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Add it to your app once
Copy the short config below into your app. It just tells your AI where to find Runway.
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Just ask
Tell it what you want in plain words — no special commands.
Need the exact config? Show it +
Add to your client
{
"mcpServers": {
"runway-api-mcp-server": {
"command": "node",
"args": [
"<absolute-path-to-cloned-repo>/build/index.js"
],
"env": {
"RUNWAYML_API_SECRET": "<your-runway-api-key>",
"MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT": "1000000"
}
}
}
}Paste into your client's MCP configuration file.
Get the skill
A ready-made skill that teaches your AI agent to use Runway well. Drops into Claude Code, Cursor and other agents.
npx skills add runwayml/skills How to get good results
Checked 2026-06-14 — live · by Ilya GindinTested prompts and honest limits — deeper than the README.
Runway is strong at single shots; the work is making several shots feel like one film. Plan the scenes first, then build each one with the same style words repeated every time so the look stays consistent.
Generate a usable scene from text
Prompt that works
“A 4-second cinematic shot: rain on a city street at night, warm neon reflections, slow handheld push-in, 16:9, photorealistic.”
Why: Concrete subject + camera move + lighting + format gives Runway something to lock onto. Vague prompts give generic, unusable takes.
Keep multiple shots consistent
Prompt that works
“Same warm neon, same 35mm look, same slow push-in — now a second shot: the character steps inside the doorway.”
Why: Runway treats each clip independently. Repeating the exact style words (lighting, lens, motion) across prompts is the only way shots feel like one film.
Animate a still you already have
Prompt that works
“Animate this image: gentle parallax and a slow zoom, keep it realistic, 4 seconds.”
Why: Image-to-video keeps your composition and just adds motion — more controllable than generating a scene from scratch.
What it can’t do
- ×Official connector, but a local build: clone runway-api-mcp-server, run npm install and npm run build, then add your RUNWAYML_API_SECRET.
- ×Renders cost credits; lock the prompt at low resolution, then re-render only the keepers.
- ×Each clip is independent — continuity of characters and style is your job via repeated prompts.
- ×Short shots, not full edits — assemble and add sound elsewhere.
What it can access
Prompts and images go to Runway’s API authenticated by your RUNWAYML_API_SECRET; the connector is a local build running on your machine.
Source: github.com · checked 2026-07-13
About
Runway is a leading AI video studio (text-to-video, image-to-video, editing). The official Runway MCP server wraps Runway's API so an assistant can generate clips and animate images from a prompt.
You clone and build it locally, then add your Runway API key — billing must be set up in the Runway developer portal first.
Workflows That Use Runway
Narrate in ElevenLabs, generate matching scenes in Runway, then cut and caption it in Descript by editing text — a social-ready explainer with no camera.
Read your script aloud in ElevenLabs, generate matching scenes in Runway, and assemble a narrated explainer — from text, with no footage.
FAQ
What does Runway do? +
Runway is a leading AI video studio (text-to-video, image-to-video, editing). The official Runway MCP server wraps Runway's API so an assistant can generate clips and animate images from a prompt.
Do I need to know how to code? +
No. Turn it on in your AI's settings and ask in plain English — no terminal, no coding.
How do I install Runway? +
In Claude Code, run: claude mcp add runway-api-mcp-server -e RUNWAYML_API_SECRET=<your-runway-api-key> -- node <absolute-path-to-cloned-repo>/build/index.js. Copy-paste configs for Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf are at the top of this page.
How do I generate a usable scene from text with Runway? +
Try this prompt: "A 4-second cinematic shot: rain on a city street at night, warm neon reflections, slow handheld push-in, 16:9, photorealistic." — Concrete subject + camera move + lighting + format gives Runway something to lock onto. Vague prompts give generic, unusable takes.
How do I keep multiple shots consistent with Runway? +
Try this prompt: "Same warm neon, same 35mm look, same slow push-in — now a second shot: the character steps inside the doorway." — Runway treats each clip independently. Repeating the exact style words (lighting, lens, motion) across prompts is the only way shots feel like one film.
How do I animate a still you already have with Runway? +
Try this prompt: "Animate this image: gentle parallax and a slow zoom, keep it realistic, 4 seconds." — Image-to-video keeps your composition and just adds motion — more controllable than generating a scene from scratch.
