What Arlo devices are supported by this API?

The Arlo Smart API supports all Arlo devices including: Arlo Basestations (VMB4500, VMB5000), Arlo Cameras (Pro, Ultra, Essential, Go), Video Doorbells, Floodlight Cameras, and Arlo Lights. Use `list_arlo_devices` to see all devices in your account with their types and connection status.

How do I get an Arlo authentication token?

Authenticate with the Arlo API by sending your email and password to the Arlo auth endpoint (ocapi-app.arlo.com/api/auth). The API returns an authentication token that you can use for all subsequent requests. The token should be refreshed periodically as it expires after a set duration.

What's the difference between arming and disarming an Arlo device?

**Arming** (mode1) enables motion detection and automatic recording on the device. When armed, the camera will detect motion, record video clips, and send alerts to your phone. **Disarming** (mode0) disables motion detection and recording. The camera remains powered on but won't trigger recordings. Use arming when you're away and want security monitoring, and disarming when you're home to avoid false alerts.

How do I download recordings from Arlo?

Use `get_arlo_recordings` with a date range to retrieve recordings. The response includes `presignedContentUrl` for each recording — these are temporary download links that expire after a set time. You can directly download the MP4 video files using these URLs. For thumbnail images, use `presignedThumbnailUrl`. Use `get_recent_arlo_recordings` for a quick way to get today's recordings.

Arlo Smart MCP Server for Claude Desktop 11 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Arlo Smart
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user

Built by Vinkius GDPR 11 Tools IDE

Claude Desktop is Anthropic's native application for interacting with Claude AI models on macOS and Windows. It was the first consumer application to ship with built-in MCP support, making it the reference implementation for the Model Context Protocol standard.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

RecommendedModern Approach — Zero Configuration

Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Arlo Smart and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

Download Free Open SourceNo signup required

Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arlo-smart": {
      // Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Fully ManagedVinkius Servers

60%Token savings

High SecurityEnterprise-grade

IAMAccess control

EU AI ActCompliant

DLPData protection

V8 IsolateSandboxed

Ed25519Audit chain

<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Arlo Smart MCP Server

Connect to Arlo Smart API and control your Arlo security cameras, review recordings, and manage security modes from any AI agent. Arm and disarm cameras, browse recorded videos, and monitor your home security through natural language commands.

Claude Desktop is the definitive way to connect Arlo Smart to your AI workflow. Add Vinkius Edge URL to your config, restart the app, and Claude immediately exposes all 11 tools in the chat interface. ask a question, Claude calls the right tool, and you see the answer. Zero code, zero context switching.

What you can do

Device Discovery — List all Arlo devices including basestations, cameras, doorbells, and floodlights
Recording Access — Browse and download recorded videos from any camera with presigned URLs
Recent Activity — Quickly check today's recordings across all cameras
Security Modes — View and change automation modes (armed, disarmed, custom modes)
Arm/Disarm — Enable or disable security monitoring on individual devices or basestations
Recording Management — Delete old recordings to free up cloud storage space
Metadata Access — Get detailed recording metadata including duration, timestamps, and download links

The Arlo Smart MCP Server exposes 11 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Claude Desktop in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Arlo Smart to Claude Desktop via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Arlo Smart MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

Open Claude Desktop Settings

Go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config to open claude_desktop_config.json

Add the MCP Server

Paste the configuration above into the mcpServers section

Restart Claude Desktop

Close and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new server

Start using Arlo Smart

Look for the 🔌 icon in the chat. your 11 tools are now available

Why Use Claude Desktop with the Arlo Smart MCP Server

Claude Desktop by Anthropic provides unique advantages when paired with Arlo Smart through the Model Context Protocol.

Claude Desktop is the reference MCP client. it was designed alongside the protocol itself, ensuring the most complete and stable MCP implementation available

Zero-code configuration: add a server URL to a JSON file and Claude instantly discovers and exposes all available tools in the chat interface

Claude's extended thinking capability lets it reason through multi-step tool usage, chaining multiple API calls to answer complex questions

Enterprise-grade security with local config storage. your tokens never leave your machine, and connections go directly to Vinkius Edge network

Arlo Smart + Claude Desktop Use Cases

Practical scenarios where Claude Desktop combined with the Arlo Smart MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Interactive data exploration: ask Claude to query DNS records, look up WHOIS data, and cross-reference results in a single conversation

Ad-hoc security audits: type a domain name and let Claude enumerate subdomains, check DNS history, and flag configuration anomalies. all through natural language

Executive briefings: generate comprehensive domain intelligence reports by asking Claude to compile findings into a formatted summary

Learning and training: new team members can explore API capabilities conversationally without needing to read documentation

Arlo Smart MCP Tools for Claude Desktop (11)

These 11 tools become available when you connect Arlo Smart to Claude Desktop via MCP:

arm_arlo_device

This enables motion detection and recording for the device. USE WHEN: - User wants to enable security monitoring - User asks to "arm the cameras" or "turn on security" - User wants to enable motion detection and recording - User is leaving home and wants security enabled PARAMETERS: - deviceId (REQUIRED): Arlo device ID to arm EXAMPLES: - "Arm the front door camera" → call with deviceId="FRONT_DOOR_ID" - "Enable security on the backyard camera" → call with deviceId="BACKYARD_ID" - "Arm the basestation" → call with deviceId="BASESTATION_ID" Arm an Arlo device (enable security monitoring)

delete_arlo_recordings

This action is permanent and cannot be undone. USE WHEN: - User wants to free up cloud storage space - User wants to remove old or unwanted recordings - User asks to "delete recordings from [date]" - User is managing their Arlo cloud storage PARAMETERS: - recordings (REQUIRED): JSON array of recording objects to delete (from get_arlo_recordings response) EXAMPLES: - "Delete these recordings" → call with recordings=[{...}] Delete Arlo recordings from the library

disarm_arlo_device

This disables motion detection and recording for the device. USE WHEN: - User wants to disable security monitoring - User asks to "disarm the cameras" or "turn off security" - User wants to disable motion detection temporarily - User is home and wants to disable security PARAMETERS: - deviceId (REQUIRED): Arlo device ID to disarm EXAMPLES: - "Disarm the front door camera" → call with deviceId="FRONT_DOOR_ID" - "Disable security on the backyard camera" → call with deviceId="BACKYARD_ID" - "Disarm the basestation" → call with deviceId="BASESTATION_ID" Disarm an Arlo device (disable security monitoring)

get_arlo_device_modes

Shows whether the device is armed, disarmed, or in a custom mode. Get the current automation modes for an Arlo device

get_arlo_recording_metadata

Get detailed metadata for an Arlo recording

get_arlo_recordings

Returns presigned URLs for downloading video files along with metadata like duration, device ID, and creation date. USE WHEN: - User wants to download or view Arlo recordings - User needs to check what was recorded on specific dates - User is reviewing security footage - User asks "show me recordings from [date range]" PARAMETERS: - dateFrom (REQUIRED): Start date in YYYYMMDD format (e.g. 20260407) - dateTo (REQUIRED): End date in YYYYMMDD format - deviceId (OPTIONAL): Filter by specific device ID EXAMPLES: - "Get recordings from April 7 2026" → call with dateFrom="20260407", dateTo="20260407" - "Show recordings from last week" → call with dateFrom="20260331", dateTo="20260406" - "Get recordings for camera XYZ on April 5" → call with dateFrom="20260405", dateTo="20260405", deviceId="XYZ" Get Arlo camera recordings for a date range

get_recent_arlo_recordings

Useful for quickly checking recent security activity. Get recent Arlo recordings from the last 24 hours

list_arlo_basestations

Basestations are the central hubs that connect wireless Arlo cameras to your network. List Arlo basestation/hub devices only

list_arlo_cameras

List Arlo camera devices only

list_arlo_devices

Each device includes deviceId, deviceName, deviceType, state, and connection status. USE WHEN: - User wants to see all their Arlo security devices - User needs to find device IDs for other commands - User is exploring their Arlo security setup - User asks "what Arlo devices do I have" EXAMPLES: - "List all my Arlo devices" → call with no params - "Show my Arlo security devices" → call with no params - "What Arlo cameras and basestations do I have?" → call with no params List all Arlo devices (basestations and cameras)

set_arlo_device_mode

Common modes: mode0 (disarmed), mode1 (armed), mode2 (armed with all motion). You can also use custom mode IDs created in the Arlo app. USE WHEN: - User wants to arm or disarm their Arlo security system - User wants to switch between different security modes - User asks to "arm the cameras" or "disarm the system" - User wants to enable/disable motion detection PARAMETERS: - deviceId (REQUIRED): Arlo device ID - mode (REQUIRED): Mode identifier (mode0=disarmed, mode1=armed, mode2=armed all motion, or custom mode ID) EXAMPLES: - "Arm the front door camera" → call with deviceId="FRONT_DOOR_ID", mode="mode1" - "Disarm all cameras" → call with deviceId="BASESTATION_ID", mode="mode0" - "Set to home mode" → call with deviceId, mode="mode_custom_home" Set the automation mode for an Arlo device

Example Prompts for Arlo Smart in Claude Desktop

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Desktop agent to start working with Arlo Smart immediately.

"List all my Arlo devices and show me which cameras I have."

"Show me today's recordings from all my Arlo cameras."

"Arm all my Arlo cameras for when I leave the house."

Troubleshooting Arlo Smart MCP Server with Claude Desktop

Common issues when connecting Arlo Smart to Claude Desktop through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

Server not appearing after restart

Ensure the JSON is valid (no trailing commas). Check the file path: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\\Claude\\ (Windows).

Authentication error

Verify your Vinkius token is correct. Go to cloud.vinkius.com to regenerate it if needed.

Tools not showing in chat

Click the 🔌 icon at the bottom of the chat input. If it shows 0 tools, the server may still be connecting. wait a few seconds.

Arlo Smart + Claude Desktop FAQ

Common questions about integrating Arlo Smart MCP Server with Claude Desktop.

How does Claude Desktop discover MCP tools?

When Claude Desktop starts, it reads the claude_desktop_config.json file and connects to each configured MCP server. It calls the tools/list endpoint to fetch the schema for every available tool, then surfaces them as clickable options in the chat interface via the 🔌 icon.

What happens if the MCP server is temporarily unavailable?

Claude Desktop handles disconnections gracefully. if the server is unreachable at startup, the tools simply won't appear. Once the server becomes available again, restarting Claude Desktop will re-establish the connection. There is no timeout penalty or error loop.

Can I connect multiple MCP servers simultaneously?

Yes. You can add as many servers as you need in the mcpServers section of the config file. Each server appears as a separate tool provider, and Claude can use tools from multiple servers in a single conversation turn.

Is there a limit on the number of tools per server?

Claude Desktop can handle hundreds of tools per server. However, for optimal LLM performance, Vinkius servers are designed to expose focused, well-documented tool sets rather than overwhelming the model with too many options.

Does Claude Desktop support Streamable HTTP transport?

Yes. Claude Desktop supports both SSE (Server-Sent Events) and the newer Streamable HTTP transport that Vinkius uses. Simply provide the server URL. Claude auto-negotiates the transport protocol.