Before you connect
You need an enabled Video Armed account, access to at least one site or camera, MCP access enabled for your account, and an assistant that supports remote Streamable HTTP MCP servers. Your assistant provider may require a particular plan or workspace administrator approval for custom integrations.
The assistant receives only information your Video Armed account is permitted to read. Connecting does not grant additional sites, cameras or operator privileges.
Server and sign-in
Choose a remote HTTP server and use this URL:
https://api.videoarmed.com/mcp- Add the server in your assistant's integration settings.
- Choose OAuth sign-in if your client asks for an authentication method.
- Sign in on the Video Armed portal and review the named client and requested read access.
- Approve the connection, return to your assistant, and ask which sites you can access.
OAuth uses mcp:read. Clients requesting offline_access can renew an approved connection automatically until you revoke it or it expires. Do not paste your Video Armed password into a chat.
For clients that require a bearer credential, create a separate read-only personal token at Connected agents. Set an appropriate expiry and store it in the client's credential settings or environment. Treat it as a password; keep it out of prompts, URLs, screenshots and shared configuration files.
Download server discovery metadata. This describes the remote endpoint; adding it does not grant account access or establish a directory listing.
Client setup
Availability and client interface labels depend on your provider and workspace. Codex CLI, Claude Code and our tested Hermes Agent installation have passed read-only assistant queries, automatic OAuth refresh, revocation and reconnection against our production server.
Hosted ChatGPT has completed OAuth sign-in and real read-only assistant queries using both CIMD and dynamic client registration. Its dynamic-registration connection also passed automatic refresh after natural token expiry, access refusal after revocation, and reconnection with fresh consent. The CIMD-specific refresh and reconnection lifecycle has not been separately tested. Claude and Codex desktop interfaces, the Claude browser interface and Grok Bot acceptance testing remain pending. These setup instructions do not establish approval in a provider directory.
ChatGPT and Codex
In ChatGPT, enable Developer mode in the settings permitted by your account or workspace, then create a custom plugin or app using the server URL above. In its advanced OAuth settings:
- Select Client ID Metadata Document (CIMD), using ChatGPT's default published client metadata.
- Keep
mcp:readas the default scope and addoffline_accessto the base scopes for automatic renewal. - Leave OpenID Connect disabled. This monitoring integration authorizes MCP reads; it does not supply ChatGPT's enterprise user identity or UserInfo integration.
- Create the app, choose Sign in, and approve read access on the Video Armed portal.
- Refresh its tool catalogue, start a new chat, and select the Video Armed app before asking a question.
Dynamic client registration is also supported, but CIMD uses ChatGPT's stable published identity. Interface labels may vary. For Codex CLI:
codex mcp add videoarmed --url https://api.videoarmed.com/mcp
codex mcp login videoarmed --scopes mcp:read,offline_accessOpenAI's current custom MCP instructions
Claude
In Claude, open Connectors, add a custom connector with the server URL and complete sign-in. For Claude Code, add the server, then open /mcp in Claude Code to authenticate:
claude mcp add --transport http videoarmed https://api.videoarmed.com/mcpGrok
On Grok's Connectors page, choose New Connector → Custom, enter the server URL above and complete authentication. In Business and Enterprise workspaces, a team administrator must provision the connector before members can use it.
Grok Build CLI also supports HTTP MCP servers and OAuth. Follow your installed version's sign-in prompts after adding the server:
grok mcp add --transport http videoarmed https://api.videoarmed.com/mcpGrok Bot uses Settings → Plugins to add supported connectors. We have not verified a custom-server installation route or completed model acceptance in Grok Bot. Grok website and Grok Build CLI tests do not establish Grok Bot compatibility.
Grok custom connector instructions · Grok Build MCP instructions · Grok Bot Plugins instructions
Hermes
In Hermes Agent, add a named entry under mcp_servers with the server url and auth: oauth. Complete the browser sign-in when prompted. Keep any resulting token cache private.
Our tested Hermes installation includes a compatibility fix for read-only tools with MCP SDK 2. If Hermes incorrectly blocks these tools as writes, contact info@videoarmed.com for help with the tested fix. Use trust: untrusted with read-only Video Armed authorization to preserve the approval gate.
mcp_servers:
videoarmed:
url: https://api.videoarmed.com/mcp
auth: oauth
trust: untrustedHermes MCP configuration reference
Available cloud tools
The initial cloud catalogue contains 13 read tools. It returns account-authorized metadata and text. Cloud snapshots, recording search, timelines, video exports, incident edits, arming changes and emergency response actions are not offered by this integration.
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
whoami | Check your identity and available access. |
list_locations | Find the sites you can access. |
get_location | Read details for one accessible site. |
get_location_armed_status | Read the current arming status for a site. |
list_cameras | Find cameras available to your account. |
get_camera | Read details for one accessible camera. |
list_nvrs | List accessible video recorders. |
list_events | List accessible incidents with filters and paging. |
get_event | Read one accessible incident and its existing notes. |
list_alarm_signals | Read recent accessible alarm signals. |
get_statistics | Summarize accessible incident activity. |
search | Search accessible sites, cameras and incidents. |
fetch | Read a result selected from search. |
Start with a list or search, then select a returned identifier for a detail query. Large lists use bounded pages; an assistant should follow the returned cursor rather than assume the first page is complete.
Example questions
- Which Video Armed sites can I access?
- List the cameras at my site.
- What incidents are currently open at my site?
- Summarize incident activity over the last seven days.
- Show the current arming status for my site.
When you have several sites, specify the site by name or select it from the assistant's accessible-site list. Arming status is a read of current monitoring state; the assistant cannot change it.
Data sharing with your assistant
When your assistant calls a tool, the returned site and camera names, incident timestamps, notes, alarm details and activity summaries are sent to that assistant provider. Such information may describe people, locations or security activity. Connect only an assistant approved for that data by your organization.
Your chosen provider's terms and privacy controls govern its handling of information after receipt, including retention and any model training settings. Revocation stops future access; it does not erase results already held in conversations or provider storage. Review the Video Armed privacy disclosure and integration terms before connecting.
Disconnect and revoke access
- Open Connected agents in the Video Armed portal.
- Revoke the relevant assistant grant, or revoke its personal token if you used one.
- Remove or disconnect the server in your assistant. Removing local configuration alone may leave a Video Armed grant active.
After revocation, new calls and refresh requests using that authorization are refused. Reconnecting requires a new sign-in and approval, or a new personal token.
Troubleshooting and support
- Access unavailable: confirm that your account is enabled and that it has the required site or camera permissions.
- Sign-in required: authenticate again if your grant or token has expired or been revoked.
- Permission denied or result missing: check the same site or camera in the portal. Existing account permissions still apply.
- Rate limit: allow the client's indicated retry interval before trying again.
- Tools changed: refresh the server catalogue in your client and start a new conversation.
Contact info@videoarmed.com or +1-780-705-6227. Include the assistant name, approximate time, and a redacted error message. Do not send passwords, tokens or sensitive incident content.