# IShort Developer API & MCP Server

Build with IShort: a remote MCP server and REST API to transcribe Instagram Reels, search your transcript library, read competitor reports, and manage your link-in-bio page.

> Source: https://ishort.pro/developers - more IShort guides: https://ishort.pro/llms.txt

## Two ways in

**MCP server** — `https://ishort.pro/mcp` (streamable HTTP, 12 tools) for AI assistants and agents.  
**REST API** — `https://ishort.pro/api/v1` for scripts and apps. Full spec: [/openapi-api.json](/openapi-api.json).

## 1\. Get an API key

1.  Sign in at [ishort.pro/dashboard](https://ishort.pro/dashboard/) (free Google sign-in).
2.  Open **Settings → API Keys**.
3.  Click **Create key** and copy it — keys look like `ishort_sk_…` and are shown once. You can hold up to 5 keys and revoke any of them at any time.

Every MCP connection and REST request authenticates with the same header: `Authorization: Bearer ishort_sk_…`

## 2\. Connect the MCP server

The IShort MCP server is remote and stateless: `https://ishort.pro/mcp` over streamable HTTP. No local install, no npm package — point your client at the URL with your key.

### Claude Code

```
claude mcp add --transport http ishort https://ishort.pro/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY"
```

### claude.ai, Cursor, and other streamable-HTTP clients

In claude.ai, add a custom connector (Settings → Connectors) with the URL `https://ishort.pro/mcp`. For Cursor and any client that takes a JSON server config:

```
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ishort": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://ishort.pro/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### ChatGPT

ChatGPT supports remote MCP servers through **developer mode connectors** (Settings → Connectors → Advanced → Developer mode). Add `https://ishort.pro/mcp` as a custom connector and supply your key. Alternatively, build a Custom GPT against the REST API by importing [/openapi-api.json](/openapi-api.json) as an Action with Bearer auth.

## 3\. The 12 MCP tools

Tool

What it does

Auth

`get_product_overview`

What IShort is: features, links, how the extension and bio pages work.

Public


Current plans and quotas: Free, Hobby $10/mo, Creator $29/mo.

Public

`find_guide`

Search IShort's Instagram growth guides by topic (`query`).

Public

`transcribe_reel`

Transcribe a public reel's audio to text (`url`, optional `languageHint`). Cached transcripts are free.

API key

`get_reel_details`

Resolve a reel URL to its metadata: caption, author, thumbnail, dimensions.

API key

`list_my_scripts`

List your transcribed reels, filterable by `account`, sortable by views, engagement, or date.

API key

`search_my_scripts`

Full-text search across your transcript library (`query`).

API key

`list_my_competitor_reports`

List competitor analysis reports you created in the Chrome extension.

API key

`get_competitor_report`

Read one report in full, by `id` or `handle` (read-only via API).

API key

`get_my_bio_page`

Read your link-in-bio page: display name, bio, links, socials, theme.

API key

`update_bio_page`

Update your bio page: `displayName`, `bio`, `links`, `socials`, `seo`, `theme`.

API key

`get_bio_analytics`

Views, clicks, and click-rate for your bio page (`days`, default 30).

API key

`get_my_usage`

Your plan, transcription quota used vs. limit, and reset date.

API key

## 4\. REST quickstart

Base URL `https://ishort.pro/api/v1`, JSON in and out, same Bearer key. The five most useful endpoints are documented in [the OpenAPI spec](/openapi-api.json); the full surface also includes `GET /reels/resolve`, `GET /bio`, `PATCH /bio`, `GET /bio/analytics`, `GET /me`, and public `GET /guides`.

Transcribe a reel

```
curl -X POST https://ishort.pro/api/v1/transcribe \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ishort_sk_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://www.instagram.com/reel/ABC123/"}'

# 200 → {"transcript": "...", "language": "en", "cached": false,
#         "usage": {"used": 3, "limit": 250}}
```

Search your scripts by topic, best performers first

```
curl "https://ishort.pro/api/v1/scripts?query=hook&sort=views&limit=5" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ishort_sk_YOUR_KEY"
```

Check your quota

```
curl https://ishort.pro/api/v1/usage \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ishort_sk_YOUR_KEY"

# 200 → {"plan": "hobby", "transcriptions": {"used": 41, "limit": 250, ...}}
```

## 5\. Rate limits & plan quotas

Rate limit (per key)

Limit

Default (all endpoints)

60 requests/hour

Transcription (`POST /transcribe`, `transcribe_reel`)

10 requests/hour

Bio writes (`PATCH /bio`, `update_bio_page`)

20 requests/hour

Plan

Price

AI transcriptions

Free

$0

10 — one-time lifetime allowance, never resets

Hobby

$10/mo

250 per billing cycle

Creator

$29/mo

1,000 per billing cycle

Re-transcribing a reel that IShort has already transcribed returns the cached transcript instantly, for free — it never burns quota. Competitor reports are read-only through the API; create them in the [Chrome extension](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ljjhbiolkeopnaglmnepmlboldpohohl). Hitting a quota returns HTTP 403 with error code `limitReached`; see [pricing](/#pricing) to upgrade.

## 6\. Reference links

-   OpenAPI 3.1 spec: [https://ishort.pro/openapi-api.json](/openapi-api.json)
-   Site overview for agents: [https://ishort.pro/llms.txt](/llms.txt)
-   Plans and pricing: [https://ishort.pro/#pricing](/#pricing)
-   Dashboard (create API keys): [https://ishort.pro/dashboard](/dashboard/)
-   Privacy policy: [https://ishort.pro/privacy-policy.html](/privacy-policy.html)
-   Support: [support@ishort.pro](mailto:support@ishort.pro)