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You can generate images, videos, and PDFs from Zed only when you connect an MCP server that provides the relevant tools. Zed is the MCP client—not a universal media-generation server. Add a provider or project-specific MCP server, make sure your chosen model can use tools, then ask the agent to run the appropriate generation workflow.
The steps below cover the shared Zed setup and the documented options for images, video, and PDFs. Provider setup, credentials, billing, output handling, and file retention differ, so follow the selected server’s own instructions rather than assuming one configuration works for every service.
What “the Zed MCP server” means
Zed uses the Model Context Protocol to interact with context servers. In this workflow, Zed is the MCP client; an external server supplies tools that the agent can call. Those tools—not Zed itself—determine whether you can generate images, create videos, or produce PDFs.
Zed’s documented MCP support includes tools and prompts. It can connect to local and remote servers. Some servers run on your machine and are launched with a command; others are hosted and configured with a URL and, where needed, headers or an authentication flow. Do not assume that a server offering one media workflow also offers the others.
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Think of a request as three parts: Zed provides the editor and agent interface, the selected model decides whether it can call tools, and the connected provider or project implements the media operation. The provider’s documentation is the authority for supported inputs, output formats, account requirements, and file handling.
Choose a server for the output you need
| Server or route | Documented media workflows | Authentication and account notes | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runway hosted MCP | Image and video generation | Runway’s May 27, 2026 announcement says generations are associated with the user’s existing Runway plan. | This is the hosted generation MCP route; do not assume it has the same setup as Runway’s separate API MCP repository. |
| Runway API MCP repository | Image and video generation, video editing and upscaling, audio generation, and task tools | The repository requires a Runway Developer account, billing setup, and API key. | Its generated image links expire after 24 hours, according to the repository documentation. |
| VideoGen MCP | Script-to-video, voiceover-to-video, slideshow-to-video, storyboard-to-video, prompt-to-video clips, image generation, and other media tools | Requires an API key; calls run as the team that owns the key. | Supported workflows and plan or cost details are provider-specific; check current terms before use. |
| mcp-z | PDF creation and rendering PDF pages as images | Its README documents stdio and HTTP configuration examples and says no OAuth or API key is required. | This is project documentation, not an independent compatibility or maintenance assessment. Check the current project state and package integrity before installing. |
These descriptions are not a quality, speed, price, or reliability ranking. Those properties are not established here. Select based on the output workflow, connection type, authentication model, and how you will retrieve and preserve the result.
Configure an MCP server in Zed
- Open the AI and MCP server settings. In Zed, go to the settings area for AI and MCP servers. Add the server using the connection type it documents: a local server with its command, arguments, and environment, or a remote server with its URL and any required headers.
- Use the provider’s transport and credential instructions. A local process may require environment variables; a remote endpoint may require headers or an authorization flow. Zed says that remote MCP servers without a configured Authorization header prompt for the standard MCP OAuth flow. That does not mean every provider uses OAuth: some require a key or another provider-specific setup.
- Check that the server is connected. Inspect its status in settings and verify that the expected tools appear. A server may report changes to its tool list while running; Zed handles the MCP
notifications/tools/list_changednotification. - Check model and agent configuration. Confirm that the selected model supports tool calling, and review the active agent profile and permission settings. A tool existing on the server does not guarantee that every model can invoke it.
- Run a small, low-risk request. Ask for one simple image, short video, or small PDF operation first. Inspect the returned result, then save or download it using the provider’s documented method.
The exact settings fields depend on whether the server is local or remote and on its own setup instructions. Do not copy a command, URL, or credential format from one provider into another provider’s configuration.
Generate an image in Zed
Connect an image-capable MCP server, confirm its image tools are visible, and ask the agent to create the image you need. Runway’s hosted MCP announcement describes image generation. The separate Runway API MCP repository lists runway_generateImage, while VideoGen documents image generation among its available media tools.
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Make your request specific enough for the provider workflow: describe the subject, intended use, and any constraints the tool accepts. Before asking for a large batch or an important deliverable, check what the server returns and how the resulting asset is exposed. If the workflow returns a link rather than a local file, follow the provider’s instructions to download or preserve it. In particular, the Runway API MCP repository says generated image links last 24 hours; download needed outputs before that period ends.
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Do not assume a prompt accepted by one image tool will work identically in another. The exact parameters, supported formats, and any account or plan limits are provider-specific.
Generate a video in Zed
Use a server with a video workflow matching the kind of input you have. Runway documents image and video generation through its MCP offerings. VideoGen documents several distinct paths: script-to-video, voiceover-to-video, slideshow-to-video, storyboard-to-video, and prompt-to-video clips.
Tell the agent which workflow you want, then supply the corresponding source material—for example, a script for a script-led workflow or storyboard information for a storyboard-led one. Ask the agent to use the server’s available tool rather than implying that Zed has a built-in video renderer. Review what the tool actually returns and save the output according to that service’s instructions.
For Runway, keep the two connection routes separate. The hosted generation MCP is described in Runway’s May 27, 2026 announcement as tied to an existing Runway plan. The separate API MCP repository instead documents a Developer account, billing setup, and API key. Do not transfer one route’s authentication or billing assumptions to the other.
Create a PDF or render PDF pages as images
For PDF creation, the mcp-z project documents PDF creation tools and rendering PDF pages as images. Its README includes both stdio and HTTP configuration examples and says no OAuth or API key is required. Use the project’s current README for the actual configuration values; they are not interchangeable with the settings for Runway or VideoGen.
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After the server connects, verify that the PDF tools are listed and ask the agent to create the document or render the pages you need. Inspect the result and use the project’s documented output handling to retrieve it. The available facts establish that the project documents these capabilities, but do not establish its current maintenance level, package integrity, compatibility with every Zed release, or the precise output persistence behavior. Check those points before relying on it for important documents.
Permissions, credentials, and output safety
Media tools can create or alter remote assets, use a paid account, or operate with the authority of the credential attached to the server. Treat an MCP tool call as an action with consequences, not merely as text completion.
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- Review tool permissions. Zed supports MCP-specific permission entries using the form
mcp:<server>:<tool_name>. Grant access deliberately, particularly for tools that can create or change remote assets. - Protect secrets. Use the credential mechanism recommended by the server. Do not paste API keys into prompts or commit them to project files unless the provider’s setup explicitly calls for a protected environment configuration.
- Know which account acts. VideoGen says its calls run as the team that owns the API key. For services tied to a plan or developer account, confirm which identity and billing arrangement will be used before invoking generation.
- Save assets you need to keep. Returned URLs may have limited lifetimes. Runway’s API MCP repository specifically documents a 24-hour lifetime for generated image links; do not assume links from other services are permanent either.
- Inspect before sharing. Review the generated file and its destination before distributing it or using it in a production workflow.
Troubleshooting Zed MCP media generation
The server does not appear as connected
Check that the local command and arguments match the server’s current instructions, or that a remote URL and required headers are correct. For a remote server, follow Zed’s OAuth prompt if no Authorization header is configured and that server supports the flow. A provider that expects an API key may require a different setup.
The server connects, but the tool is missing
Verify that you added the intended server and that the service actually offers the media function you want. Check the tool list in Zed settings. If the list changed after startup, refresh your understanding of the currently exposed tools; Zed handles the MCP tool-list-changed notification, but the server still controls what it provides.
The agent does not call the tool
Confirm that the selected model supports tool calling, that the active agent profile permits tool use, and that the relevant MCP permission is not blocking the action. State the desired operation plainly and ask the agent to use the connected server’s relevant tool. Tool availability by itself does not guarantee model support.
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Authentication or billing fails
Check the route you configured and its credential requirements. For the Runway API MCP repository, the documented prerequisites are a Developer account, billing setup, and API key. Runway’s hosted generation MCP is described separately as associated with an existing Runway plan. VideoGen requires an API key and acts as the team that owns it. Do not substitute one product’s account assumptions for another’s.
The generation succeeds, but you cannot retrieve the asset later
Follow the provider’s download or persistence instructions immediately. The Runway API MCP repository says its generated image links expire after 24 hours. Retention behavior for the other routes is not established here, so save a local copy when the service permits and the asset matters.
PDF setup instructions do not match Zed
Check the current mcp-z README and select the documented stdio or HTTP configuration that corresponds to how you intend to connect. The project’s statement that no OAuth or API key is required applies to its documented setup; it does not establish that every fork, package, or deployment has identical behavior.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Performance, reliability, and cost: what to check
No measured generation speed, quality comparison, reliability rate, or common price basis is established for these options. A useful evaluation is therefore operational rather than numerical: test the workflow you intend to use, check how credentials and billing are applied, and verify how outputs are delivered and retained.
- For a hosted service, check the provider’s current plan and usage terms before large or recurring jobs.
- For a server using an API key, establish which account owns the key and what billing applies to its calls.
- For a local or project-based server, assess its current maintenance, installation source, and compatibility before making it part of a production workflow.
- For any route, perform a small test and confirm that the output can be saved in the format and location your workflow requires.
These checks matter because a working MCP connection only confirms that Zed can reach tools; it does not establish generation quality, available quotas, cost, or long-term file access.
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Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is to capture a webpage as an image or PDF—not to generate a new illustration or video—ScreenshotNeo offers a one-request website screenshot API. It is not a replacement for Runway, VideoGen, or a PDF-generation MCP server; it is an option for producing a clean capture of a URL.
For example, with an API key set in place of YOUR_API_KEY:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed; an MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots; and the free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card, while paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Zed itself generate images, videos, or PDFs?
No. Zed connects to MCP servers, and the connected server supplies the media-generation tools.
Can every Zed model use every MCP tool?
No. Tool use depends on the selected model’s support as well as the agent profile and permission settings.
Are the Runway hosted MCP and Runway API MCP repository the same setup?
No. They are distinct routes with different documented account and credential requirements.
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