// MCP TOKEN COST

The Opencut Controller MCP server costs 9,389 tokens before the first call.

Connect Opencut Controller and its 161 tool definitions are loaded into the model's context on every request — 4.7% of a 200k window spent before your agent does anything.

QUICK ANSWER The Opencut Controller MCP server's tool definitions consume 9,389 tokens — 4.9× the median MCP server (1,905 tokens). A scoped grant exposing only the tools you use cuts that roughly in proportion.

MEASURED FROM SCHEMAS 161 tools · 9,389 tokens · 4.7% of 200k · 0.9% of 1M Method →

// CONTEXT WINDOW SHARE

What that buys before your agent starts working.

Tool definitions are overhead: they occupy context on every request and compete with your code, documents and conversation history for the same window.

200K WINDOW 4.7%

1M WINDOW 0.9%

Corpus context: Opencut Controller ranks #189 of 3,213 measured MCP servers by definition cost. The median is 1,905 tokens, p90 is 7,952, and the heaviest (Fusionauth) is 183,337 — 92% of a 200k window on its own.

// PER-TOOL BREAKDOWN

Where the 9,389 tokens go.

Each row is one tool definition as a tools/list entry — name, description and input schema — counted with o200k_base. Average: 58 tokens per tool.

Tool	Category	Tokens	% of server
text_create	Write	216	2.3%
api_sounds_search	Read	192	2.0%
export_project	Write	173	1.8%
audio_sound_search	Read	156	1.7%
sticker_add_to_timeline	Write	152	1.6%
project_update_settings	Write	147	1.6%
transcription_transcribe	Write	143	1.5%
transcription_generate_captions	Write	141	1.5%
keyframe_upsert	Write	136	1.4%
transcription_add_captions_to_timeline	Write	131	1.4%
text_update_style	Write	120	1.3%
timeline_element_preview	Write	119	1.3%
keyframe_effect_param_upsert	Write	117	1.2%
text_update_font	Write	115	1.2%
api_sounds_search_next_page	Read	114	1.2%
text_update_background	Write	113	1.2%
audio_sound_add_to_timeline	Write	96	1.0%
keyframe_retime	Write	93	1.0%
canvas_set_size	Write	91	1.0%
timeline_element_update_start_time	Write	91	1.0%
text_update_transform	Write	90	1.0%
timeline_element_split	Write	90	1.0%
keyframe_effect_param_remove	Destructive	89	0.9%
media_add_to_timeline	Write	89	0.9%
timeline_element_move	Write	89	0.9%
keyframe_remove	Destructive	88	0.9%
timeline_effect_update_params	Write	88	0.9%
timeline_element_duplicate	Write	87	0.9%
canvas_set_background	Write	84	0.9%
timeline_element_trim	Write	84	0.9%
timeline_element_toggle_mute	Write	83	0.9%
timeline_element_delete	Destructive	82	0.9%
keybinding_update	Write	82	0.9%
text_update_blend_mode	Write	82	0.9%
sticker_search	Read	80	0.9%
timeline_element_update	Write	80	0.9%
timeline_element_toggle_visibility	Read	79	0.8%
bookmark_update	Write	74	0.8%
timeline_effect_add	Write	74	0.8%
timeline_effect_reorder	Write	73	0.8%
timeline_track_add	Write	72	0.8%
audio_set_element_volume	Write	71	0.8%
selection_select	Write	70	0.7%
timeline_element_insert	Write	70	0.7%
auth_sign_up	Write	69	0.7%
timeline_effect_toggle	Write	69	0.7%
panel_set_size	Write	68	0.7%
panel_set_active_tab	Write	67	0.7%
playback_set_volume	Write	67	0.7%
timeline_element_update_duration	Write	67	0.7%
panel_set_media_sort	Write	66	0.7%
timeline_effect_remove	Destructive	62	0.7%
canvas_set_layout_guide	Write	62	0.7%
text_update_content	Write	61	0.6%
media_add_file	Write	60	0.6%
timeline_track_toggle_mute	Write	60	0.6%
timeline_set_zoom	Write	59	0.6%
timeline_track_toggle_visibility	Write	58	0.6%
project_duplicate	Write	57	0.6%
clipboard_paste	Write	56	0.6%
project_set_timeline_view_state	Write	55	0.6%
bookmark_toggle	Write	54	0.6%
sticker_set_category	Write	54	0.6%
timeline_element_get	Read	53	0.6%
export_set_quality	Write	53	0.6%
scene_rename	Write	53	0.6%
audio_sound_remove_saved	Destructive	52	0.6%
audio_sound_save	Write	52	0.6%
keyframe_list	Read	51	0.5%
selection_is_selected	Read	51	0.5%
sticker_browse_category	Read	51	0.5%
bookmark_move	Write	50	0.5%
panel_set_media_view_mode	Write	50	0.5%
canvas_set_fps	Write	49	0.5%
project_create	Write	49	0.5%
bookmark_toggle_overlay	Write	48	0.5%
export_set_fps	Write	48	0.5%
text_delete	Destructive	47	0.5%
canvas_toggle_layout_guide	Write	47	0.5%
auth_sign_in	Write	46	0.5%
timeline_set_scroll	Write	46	0.5%
bookmark_get_at_time	Read	45	0.5%
playback_seek	Write	44	0.5%
scene_switch	Write	44	0.5%
project_load	Read	43	0.5%
keybinding_import	Write	43	0.5%
project_delete	Destructive	42	0.4%
bookmark_is_bookmarked	Read	42	0.4%
playback_get_state	Read	42	0.4%
project_get_timeline_view_state	Read	42	0.4%
project_rename	Write	41	0.4%
scene_delete	Destructive	40	0.4%
project_get_export_state	Read	40	0.4%
transcription_get_state	Read	40	0.4%
keybinding_remove	Destructive	39	0.4%
media_remove	Destructive	39	0.4%
media_get	Read	39	0.4%
storage_list_projects	Read	39	0.4%
scene_create	Write	39	0.4%
timeline_element_preview_discard	Destructive	38	0.4%
timeline_track_remove	Destructive	38	0.4%
timeline_track_get	Read	38	0.4%
bookmark_remove	Destructive	37	0.4%
audio_sound_toggle_commercial_filter	Read	36	0.4%
canvas_get_settings	Read	36	0.4%
project_get_total_duration	Read	36	0.4%
api_health_check	Read	35	0.4%
storage_get_is_dirty	Read	35	0.4%
timeline_element_preview_commit	Write	35	0.4%
timeline_toggle_ripple_editing	Write	35	0.4%
audio_sound_list_saved	Read	34	0.4%
auth_check_logged_in	Read	34	0.4%
storage_get_migration_state	Read	34	0.4%
project_close	Write	34	0.4%
audio_sound_clear_saved	Destructive	33	0.4%
keybinding_reset_defaults	Destructive	33	0.4%
playback_stop	Execute	33	0.4%
panel_get_active_tab	Read	33	0.4%
canvas_clear_layout_guide	Destructive	32	0.3%
media_clear_all	Destructive	32	0.3%
project_clear_export_state	Destructive	32	0.3%
playback_play	Execute	32	0.3%
media_is_loading	Read	32	0.3%
media_list	Read	32	0.3%
project_get_active	Read	32	0.3%
timeline_track_list	Read	32	0.3%
export_get_progress	Write	32	0.3%
timeline_toggle_snapping	Write	32	0.3%
sticker_clear_recent	Destructive	31	0.3%
bookmark_list	Read	31	0.3%
keybinding_get_all	Read	31	0.3%
scene_list	Read	31	0.3%
text_list	Read	31	0.3%
auth_sign_out	Write	31	0.3%
clipboard_copy	Write	31	0.3%
export_clear_state	Write	31	0.3%
history_can_redo	Write	31	0.3%
history_can_undo	Write	31	0.3%
keybinding_export	Write	31	0.3%
panel_reset	Destructive	30	0.3%
project_cancel_export	Destructive	30	0.3%
transcription_cancel	Destructive	30	0.3%
auth_get_profile	Read	30	0.3%
auth_get_session	Read	30	0.3%
panel_get_sizes	Read	30	0.3%
project_list	Read	30	0.3%
scene_get_current	Read	30	0.3%
sticker_list_recent	Read	30	0.3%
history_redo	Write	30	0.3%
playback_toggle	Write	30	0.3%
playback_toggle_mute	Write	30	0.3%
selection_deselect_all	Write	30	0.3%
export_cancel	Write	29	0.3%
history_undo	Write	29	0.3%
playback_unmute	Write	29	0.3%
project_save	Write	29	0.3%
selection_get	Read	28	0.3%
keybinding_disable	Write	28	0.3%
keybinding_enable	Write	28	0.3%
playback_mute	Write	28	0.3%
playback_pause	Write	27	0.3%

// SCOPED GRANT

Most agents use a handful of these tools. They pay for all 161.

A PolicyLayer grant exposes only the tools you allow — ungranted definitions are filtered out of the tool list, so they never enter the context window. Estimates below assume typical-weight tools (58 tokens each).

Grant scope	Definition cost	Reduction
All 161 tools (no gateway)	9,389 tokens	—
3 granted tools	~175 tokens	−98%
5 granted tools	~292 tokens	−97%
10 granted tools	~583 tokens	−94%

Model your own stack in the token-cost calculator, or see the Opencut Controller policy for what a sensible grant looks like.

//FAQ

Opencut Controller token-cost questions.

How many tokens does the Opencut Controller MCP server use?+

Its 161 tool definitions total 9,389 tokens — 4.7% of a 200k context window — measured with tiktoken o200k_base over the serialised tools/list payload. Exact counts vary slightly by client and model.

Why does Opencut Controller consume tokens before I send a message?+

MCP clients load every connected server's tool definitions — name, description, and input schema — into the model's context so it knows what it can call. That payload is charged against your context window on every request, whether or not a tool is used.

How do I reduce Opencut Controller's token usage?+

Expose fewer tools. A PolicyLayer grant scopes Opencut Controller to only the tools you allow — ungranted definitions are filtered out of the tool list, so they never enter the context window. A grant of 3 typical tools costs roughly 175 tokens, a 98% reduction.

Does deferred tool loading fix this?+

Partially, in some clients. Claude Code defers MCP tool schemas behind a tool-search step by default, and VS Code has experimental grouping — but you still pay tokens per search and reload, and Cursor, Windsurf and Gemini CLI load definitions upfront. Reducing the exposed tool set cuts the cost in every client.

// METHOD & REVIEW

How these numbers were measured.

01

Serialisation

Each tool is serialised as a tools/list entry — name, description, input schema — from the schemas in the PolicyLayer scan database. Clients differ slightly in framing, so treat counts as close estimates.

02

Tokeniser

tiktoken o200k_base (GPT-4o/o-series). Anthropic's current tokeniser isn't published, so Claude's exact counts will differ; for English text and JSON schemas the totals are close enough to treat these as estimates.

03

Deferred loading

Some clients now defer schema loading (Claude Code's tool search; VS Code experimental grouping). You still pay per search and reload — and Cursor, Windsurf and Gemini CLI load everything upfront.

Computed 07-06-2026 from the PolicyLayer scan database over all 161 catalogued Opencut Controller tools. Counts refresh with every site build.