LABSCO SUMMARY

Turns the media stack into one conversation: the question about what to watch and the request to go get it end up in the same place.

Plex alone would give you a library browser; adding Sonarr, Radarr and Trakt means "I want the next season" becomes an actual queue entry, and your watch history can live in both Plex and Trakt without exporting anything. Everything but the Plex token is optional, so it degrades cleanly if you only run some of the stack.

What it is

One server across four systems: Plex for the library and playback data, Sonarr and Radarr for acquiring what is missing, and Trakt for syncing history.

What you get

The library browsable and searchable — libraries, their items, media details, editable fields, and a full export
The shelves you actually use: recently added, on deck, watchlist, recently watched and full watch history
Analytics of the Tautulli kind: watch statistics, per-user stats, library stats, fully watched items, popular content and who is streaming right now
Recommendations drawn from your own watch history, genres and directors
Playlists created, added to, trimmed, cleared and deleted, and watchlist entries added and removed
Metadata updated field by field or from a JSON payload
Sonarr and Radarr from the same conversation: search, add a series or film, see what is missing, read the queue and the calendar, check quality profiles and trigger a search
Trakt integration end to end — authenticate, sync history in either direction, start scrobbling, read sync status and user stats, and search Trakt itself

Requirements

A Plex token in PLEX_TOKEN with PLEX_URL pointing at the server — that is the only required credential. SONARR_URL with SONARR_API_KEY, RADARR_URL with RADARR_API_KEY, and TRAKT_CLIENT_ID with TRAKT_CLIENT_SECRET are each optional; tools for a service you have not configured return an explanation rather than failing the server. Published on npm as plex-mcp-server and run over stdio. Write operations add to the tool count when enabled.

Setup effort

One command plus a key — npx plex-mcp-server, then supply credentials

See installation options

USE CASES

01

Deciding what to watch tonight

Read what is on deck and recently added, then ask for recommendations based on your history.

get_on_deckget_recently_addedget_recommendations

02

Seeing how the server is being used

Pull watch statistics, per-user activity and the most popular content, and check who is streaming now.

get_watch_statsget_user_statsget_popular_contentget_active_sessions

03

Getting hold of something you do not have

Search for the show or film, add it with the right quality profile, and trigger the search.

sonarr_searchsonarr_add_seriesradarr_add_moviesonarr_trigger_search

04

Finding out why a download has not arrived

Read the queue and what is still missing, and check the calendar for when it is due.

sonarr_get_queuesonarr_get_missingradarr_get_queuesonarr_get_calendar

05

Building a playlist from a theme

Search the library for what fits, create the playlist and add the items to it.

search_mediacreate_playlistadd_to_playlist

06

Keeping Plex and Trakt in step

Authenticate once, then sync history in the direction you need and check the sync status.

trakt_authenticatetrakt_sync_to_trakttrakt_sync_from_trakttrakt_get_sync_status

07

Fixing metadata that came in wrong

Check which fields are editable for the item, then update them individually or from a JSON payload.

get_editable_fieldsupdate_metadataupdate_metadata_from_json

55 tools

Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.

`add_to_playlist`

Add a media item to a playlist (requires PLEX_ENABLE_MUTATIVE_OPS=true)

BEFORE YOU INSTALL

What to know first

Tools you get

55 tools when we connected; the project documents 58. The 55 we saw already included nine write tools, so that build did not hold them back. The current README counts 46 out of the box and 58 with PLEX_ENABLE_MUTATIVE_OPS=true; rate_media, mark_watched and mark_unwatched did not appear. Sonarr, Radarr and Trakt tools need their own credentials.

Requires

npx on PATH
Node.js 20+
PLEX_TOKEN in your environment

Where it runs

The documented client runs the server on your machine.

INSTALLATION

Connect your client

Server setup

Build from source

TERMINAL

git clone https://github.com/niavasha/plex-mcp-server.git
cd plex-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

npx

TERMINAL

npx plex-mcp-server

MCP Clients

Claude Desktop

CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "plex": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "<YOUR_PATH_TO_PLEX_MCP_SERVER>/build/plex-mcp-server.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PLEX_URL": "http://localhost:32400",
        "PLEX_TOKEN": "<YOUR_PLEX_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

This block runs your own build: <YOUR_PATH_TO_PLEX_MCP_SERVER> is the folder the clone step created (build/plex-mcp-server.js exists after npm run build). Put your Plex token in PLEX_TOKEN and your server's address in PLEX_URL. http://localhost:32400 is right only if Plex runs on this machine.

Plex

Turns the media stack into one conversation: the question about what to watch and the request to go get it end up in the same place.

What it is

What you get

Requirements

Setup effort

Deciding what to watch tonight

Seeing how the server is being used

Getting hold of something you do not have

Finding out why a download has not arrived

Building a playlist from a theme

Keeping Plex and Trakt in step

Fixing metadata that came in wrong

55 tools

add_to_playlist

add_to_watchlist

arr_get_status

clear_playlist

create_playlist

delete_playlist

export_library

get_active_sessions

get_editable_fields

get_fully_watched

get_libraries

get_library_items

get_library_stats

get_media_details

get_on_deck

get_playlist_items

get_playlists

get_popular_content

get_recently_added

get_recently_watched

get_recommendations

get_user_stats

get_watch_history

get_watch_stats

get_watchlist

radarr_add_movie

radarr_get_calendar

radarr_get_missing

radarr_get_movies

radarr_get_profiles

radarr_get_queue

radarr_search

radarr_trigger_search

remove_from_playlist

remove_from_watchlist

search_media

sonarr_add_series

sonarr_get_calendar

sonarr_get_missing

sonarr_get_profiles

sonarr_get_queue

sonarr_get_series

sonarr_search

sonarr_trigger_search

trakt_authenticate

trakt_complete_auth

trakt_get_auth_status

trakt_get_sync_status

trakt_get_user_stats

trakt_search

trakt_start_scrobbling

trakt_sync_from_trakt

trakt_sync_to_trakt

update_metadata

update_metadata_from_json

What to know first

Tools you get

Requires

Where it runs

Connect your client

Server setup

Build from source

npx

MCP Clients

Claude Desktop

Same category

`add_to_playlist`

`add_to_watchlist`

`arr_get_status`

`clear_playlist`

`create_playlist`

`delete_playlist`

`export_library`

`get_active_sessions`

`get_editable_fields`

`get_fully_watched`

`get_libraries`

`get_library_items`

`get_library_stats`

`get_media_details`

`get_on_deck`

`get_playlist_items`

`get_playlists`

`get_popular_content`

`get_recently_added`

`get_recently_watched`

`get_recommendations`

`get_user_stats`

`get_watch_history`

`get_watch_stats`

`get_watchlist`

`radarr_add_movie`

`radarr_get_calendar`

`radarr_get_missing`

`radarr_get_movies`

`radarr_get_profiles`

`radarr_get_queue`

`radarr_search`

`radarr_trigger_search`

`remove_from_playlist`

`remove_from_watchlist`

`search_media`

`sonarr_add_series`

`sonarr_get_calendar`

`sonarr_get_missing`

`sonarr_get_profiles`

`sonarr_get_queue`

`sonarr_get_series`

`sonarr_search`

`sonarr_trigger_search`

`trakt_authenticate`

`trakt_complete_auth`

`trakt_get_auth_status`

`trakt_get_sync_status`

`trakt_get_user_stats`

`trakt_search`

`trakt_start_scrobbling`

`trakt_sync_from_trakt`

`trakt_sync_to_trakt`

`update_metadata`

`update_metadata_from_json`