OMDb API MCP Server for Claude Desktop 12 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
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.
ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER
Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install OMDb API and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
{
"mcpServers": {
"omdb-api": {
// Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}
* 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 OMDb API MCP Server
Connect the OMDb API (Open Movie Database) to any AI agent and access comprehensive movie and TV show data including IMDb ratings, Rotten Tomatoes scores, full cast & crew, plot summaries, box office figures, and awards through natural conversation.
Claude Desktop is the definitive way to connect OMDb API to your AI workflow. Add Vinkius Edge URL to your config, restart the app, and Claude immediately exposes all 12 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
- Search Movies & Series — Find any movie or TV show by title keyword with results showing IMDb ID, type, year, and poster references
- Get by IMDb ID — Retrieve complete details for any title using its unique IMDb ID (most accurate method, no title ambiguity)
- Get by Title — Look up any movie or series by its exact title with optional filters for type and release year
- Full Plot Synopses — Access both short and full-length plot summaries for deep understanding of any film or series
- Multi-Source Ratings — Get ratings from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic all in one call to compare critical consensus
- Search by Type — Filter searches specifically for movies, TV series, or episodes to narrow results precisely
- Episode Details — Get information about specific TV episodes including air date, synopsis, director, and writer
- Batch Lookup — Retrieve details for multiple titles at once using comma-separated IMDb IDs — perfect for franchise comparisons
- Box Office Data — Access theatrical box office gross figures for movies
- Production & Awards — Get studio information, award details, and content ratings (PG, PG-13, R, etc.)
The OMDb API MCP Server exposes 12 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 OMDb API to Claude Desktop via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the OMDb API 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 OMDb API
Look for the 🔌 icon in the chat. your 12 tools are now available
Why Use Claude Desktop with the OMDb API MCP Server
Claude Desktop by Anthropic provides unique advantages when paired with OMDb API 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
OMDb API + Claude Desktop Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Claude Desktop combined with the OMDb API 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
OMDb API MCP Tools for Claude Desktop (12)
These 12 tools become available when you connect OMDb API to Claude Desktop via MCP:
get_by_imdb_id
g., "tt0468569" for The Dark Knight). Returns: Title, Year, Rated (content rating), Released (date), Runtime, Genre, Director, Writer, Actors, Plot, Language, Country, Awards, Ratings (IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic), Metascore, imdbRating, imdbVotes, imdbID, Type (movie/series/episode), DVD release date, BoxOffice gross, Production studio, and Website. Use this when you have an IMDb ID and need complete movie/series information. This is the most accurate method — IMDb IDs are unique and unambiguous. Optional plot parameter: "short" (brief synopsis) or "full" (complete plot summary). Get complete details for a movie or TV series using its IMDb ID
get_by_title
Returns the same fields as get_by_imdb_id: Title, Year, Rated, Runtime, Genre, Director, Writer, Actors, Plot, Ratings (IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic), BoxOffice, Production studio, etc. Use this when you know the title but not the IMDb ID. IMPORTANT: If multiple items share the same title, the API may return the first match or an error. To narrow results, use the optional type filter (movie/series/episode) and year filter. For more precise matching, prefer get_by_imdb_id when available. Get details for a movie or TV series by its exact title
get_episode
Returns: Title (episode name), Year (air year), Released (air date), Runtime, Genre, Director, Writer, Actors, Plot (episode synopsis), Language, Country, Ratings, imdbRating, imdbVotes, imdbID, and Type (episode). Use this after finding an episode via search_episodes to get its full details. The IMDb ID is required — get it from search results or from a TV series season/episode listing. Get details for a specific TV episode using its IMDb ID
get_full_by_imdb_id
This is the same as get_by_imdb_id but always uses plot="full" for the most comprehensive synopsis. Returns: Title, Year, Rated, Released, Runtime, Genre, Director, Writer, Actors, full Plot, Language, Country, Awards, Ratings (IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic), Metascore, imdbRating, imdbVotes, imdbID, Type, DVD release date, BoxOffice gross, Production studio, and Website. Using IMDb ID is the most accurate method — IDs are unique and unambiguous unlike titles which can have duplicates. The full plot provides deeper synopsis detail compared to the short version. Get the most detailed information for a movie or series using its IMDb ID
get_full_by_title
This is the same as get_by_title but always uses plot="full" for the most comprehensive synopsis. Returns: Title, Year, Rated, Released, Runtime, Genre, Director, Writer, Actors, full Plot, Language, Country, Awards, Ratings (IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic), Metascore, imdbRating, imdbVotes, imdbID, Type, DVD release date, BoxOffice gross, Production studio, and Website. Use this when users want the complete plot summary and all metadata for a specific title. The full plot can be significantly longer than the short version, providing deeper synopsis detail. Get the most detailed information for a movie or series by title
get_multiple_by_id
Each ID is fetched individually and results are combined into one response. If any ID fails, it will be returned with an error message while others still succeed. Use this when comparing multiple films, getting info for a franchise, or batch-processing a list of IMDb IDs. Format: comma-separated IMDb IDs without spaces (e.g., "tt0468569,tt1375666,tt0816692"). Each result includes: Title, Year, Rated, Runtime, Genre, Director, Actors, Plot (short), Ratings, imdbRating, imdbVotes, Type, BoxOffice, Production, and more. Get details for multiple movies/series at once using their IMDb IDs
get_ratings
Also returns: Title, Year, Type, imdbRating, imdbVotes, and Metascore as individual fields. Use this when users ask "what is the rating of...", "how is X rated?", or want to compare scores across platforms. You can search by title (first parameter) or by IMDb ID (set use_imdb_id=true for the second parameter). Note: Not all titles have ratings from all three sources — some may be missing. Get all available ratings (IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic) for a movie or series
get_short_plot
The short plot provides a concise synopsis — ideal for quick identification or brief descriptions. Returns: Title, Year, Rated, Runtime, Genre, Director, Actors, short Plot, Ratings, and other metadata. Use this when users want a quick summary without the lengthy full plot. For the complete synopsis, use get_full_by_title or get_full_by_imdb_id instead. Get a brief plot summary for a movie or series by title
search
Returns a paginated list of matching titles. Each result includes: Title, Year, IMDb ID, Type (movie/series/episode), and Poster URL. Results are paginated (10 per page); use the page parameter to get more results (pages 1-100). Use this when users ask to "find movies about..." or "search for..." a topic. Optional filters: type (movie/series/episode) and year (YYYY format). Note: Search results are brief — use get_by_imdb_id or get_by_title with the returned IMDb ID for full details. Search for movies, TV series, or episodes by title keyword
search_episodes
Returns a paginated list of matching episode titles. Each result includes: Title, Year, IMDb ID, Type (always "episode"), and Poster URL. Use this when users want to find specific TV episodes by title or keyword. Episode titles often include the series name followed by the episode name. Results are paginated (10 per page); use the page parameter to navigate results. Search for TV episodes only (excludes movies and full series)
search_movies
Returns a paginated list of matching movie titles. Each result includes: Title, Year, IMDb ID, Type (always "movie"), and Poster URL. Use this when users specifically want to find movies (not TV shows) by keyword. Results are paginated (10 per page); use the page parameter to navigate results. Optional year filter narrows results to a specific release year. Search for movies only (excludes TV series and episodes)
search_series
Returns a paginated list of matching series titles. Each result includes: Title, Year (or year range like "2008-2013"), IMDb ID, Type (always "series"), and Poster URL. Use this when users specifically want to find TV shows (not movies) by keyword. Results are paginated (10 per page); use the page parameter to navigate results. Optional year filter narrows results to series that started in a specific year. Search for TV series only (excludes movies and episodes)
Example Prompts for OMDb API in Claude Desktop
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Desktop agent to start working with OMDb API immediately.
"What are the ratings for The Dark Knight?"
"Search for movies directed by Christopher Nolan with Interstellar in the title."
"Compare the Lord of the Rings trilogy movies: tt0120737, tt0167261, tt0167260"
Troubleshooting OMDb API MCP Server with Claude Desktop
Common issues when connecting OMDb API to Claude Desktop through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Server not appearing after restart
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\\Claude\\ (Windows).Authentication error
Tools not showing in chat
OMDb API + Claude Desktop FAQ
Common questions about integrating OMDb API MCP Server with Claude Desktop.
How does Claude Desktop discover MCP tools?
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?
Can I connect multiple MCP servers simultaneously?
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?
Does Claude Desktop support Streamable HTTP transport?
Connect OMDb API with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
Anthropic's native desktop app for Claude with built-in MCP support.
AI-first code editor with integrated LLM-powered coding assistance.
GitHub Copilot in VS Code with Agent mode and MCP support.
Purpose-built IDE for agentic AI coding workflows.
Autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code.
Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development.
Python SDK for building production-grade OpenAI agent workflows.
Google's framework for building production AI agents.
Type-safe agent development for Python with first-class MCP support.
TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect OMDb API to Claude Desktop
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 12 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.