• INDEXING
  • SEARCH
  • MANAGEMENT
  • HUMAN

How to search video footage with your AI

Connect Twelve Labs to your AI client to turn your video library into a searchable database. You can find any scene just by describing it.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I find specific scenes in my videos using AI?

You describe the action, object, or setting in plain English, and your AI identifies the exact timestamps where those things happen. This turns hours of manual scrubbing into a simple text query. You'll get specific visual matches across your entire library.

Where your results land

The outcomes of your search

The AI handles the heavy lifting of visual recognition and indexing.

INDEXING

Organized video data

The AI processes your video files to understand the content. It builds a searchable map of every movement and object it sees.

SEARCH

Precise visual matches

You type a description of a scene, and the AI returns the exact clips that match. It understands context, not just keywords.

MANAGEMENT

Multiple library access

The AI can see and manage different video collections. You can switch between different sets of footage easily.

HUMAN

Manual clip review

The AI finds the clips, but you decide which ones are actually useful. You maintain full control over the final selection.

The workflow

What your AI does when you ask for a clip.

The AI moves from scanning your files to finding your specific request.

  1. Catalog your videos

    The AI looks at your available video collections to see what's ready to be searched.

    list_indexes

  2. Prepare the data

    The AI ensures your video files are processed and mapped so the search engine understands the visual content.

    get_index

  3. Execute the search

    The AI compares your text description against the visual data to find the best matches.

    search

  4. Deliver the results

    The AI presents the specific timestamps and clips that match your description.

    search

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to begin searching your footage.

Starting points

These are opening lines. Swap out the bracketed text for your actual video names or descriptions.

Twelve Labs Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_Vgl5VVTXIogBXlRhR1Xxpl2YsHWFIR0xQ7beKVtS/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Twelve Labs capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "twelve-labs-video-understanding-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_Vgl5VVTXIogBXlRhR1Xxpl2YsHWFIR0xQ7beKVtS/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Find the moment in the 'security_cam_01' index where a person in a red jacket walks past the gate.

  • Search my 'sports_highlights' index for any clips showing a basketball player dunking.

  • In the 'wedding_video' index, find all scenes where people are laughing or cheering.

  • Show me every clip in 'drone_footage' that features a sunset over the ocean.

  • Claude
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  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Twelve Labs once, then ask.

Just click the link to connect your account. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can immediately start asking your AI about your videos.

Connect Twelve Labs to your AI

FAQ

How the video search behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI edit or cut my videos?

    No. The AI only finds and identifies moments within your existing footage. You have to perform any actual video editing yourself.

  • 02

    Does the AI delete any of my files?

    No. The tools only allow the AI to list, get, and search through your indexes. It has no capability to delete or modify your original video files.

  • 03

    How does it know what is in my videos?

    The AI uses the indexing process to analyze the visual content, creating a searchable map of actions and objects.

  • 04

    Can I search across all my video folders at once?

    You can search any index that has been processed. You can ask the AI to look through specific indexes or list them all to see what is available.

  • 05

    Do I need to tag my videos manually?

    No. The AI performs the visual understanding automatically, so you can use natural language instead of manual tags.

  • More questions about Twelve Labs? See everything the Twelve Labs Connector can do

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