Install

The ad production kit for AI agents

Turn your AI agent into your ad team.

Argus plugs into Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and other AI agents and gives your agent the skills of an e-commerce creative team. It studies ads that are working in your category, then writes, generates, edits and checks your version. You lead the team and your agent does the work.

Install with your agent

The guide your agent follows

01Paste this prompt into Claude CodeTerminal, VS Code or JetBrains

Install Argus for me from https://runargusapp.com. I trust this source and I know it needs network access and writes to my home folder. Follow https://runargusapp.com/install.md and run it in the foreground.

Claude Code reads the install guide and runs the installer while you watch. Approve the command when it asks. If you turned on its sandbox, approve running this one command outside it.

02Then

Restart Claude Code: type /exit, then run claude --continue. In VS Code or JetBrains, open a new Claude Code chat. Then type /adengine-setup.

More ways in Claude Code

Run it yourself inside Claude Code

! curl -fsSL https://runargusapp.com/install.sh | sh

The ! at the start runs the line in bash mode as your own command, and Claude sees the output.

Or add the plugin (Claude Code 2.1.224 or later)

/plugin marketplace add https://runargusapp.com/claude/marketplace.json
/plugin install adengine@argus

Run claude update in a terminal first. An older Claude Code adds the marketplace, then refuses the plugin install with a message to update Claude Code. Restart Claude Code and ask it to install Argus, and the plugin gives it the command. After one more restart, the setup prompt is /adengine:adengine-setup.

Prefer the terminal?

curl -fsSL https://runargusapp.com/install.sh | sh

Then restart your agent and run /adengine-setup ($adengine-setup in Codex). Other ways to install

Runs on your machineUses your own API keysWatch a run

Illustrative run

From an ad that works to your finished ad

Step 1 · InstallOne command adds Argus to your agent.

Step 2 · RunAn ad that is working goes in and your product's version comes out.

[01] How it works

How it works

Your agent does the work. Argus gives it the ad know-how, the tools and a place to keep what it learns, and all of it runs on your machine.

  1. Install Argus.

    Paste one prompt into your agent, or one line into a terminal. It installs the local MCP server and the Argus skills, finds or adds ffmpeg and registers everything with your agent.

  2. Restart, then run /adengine-setup.

    Your agent loads Argus when it restarts. Then run the setup skill ($adengine-setup in Codex). It walks you through your provider keys and the editor you want your ads to finish in.

  3. Hand your agent an ad.

    Share an ad that is working, from TrendTrack, the Meta Ad Library, Instagram, TikTok, any other link or a file on your computer, and tell your agent which product it is for.

  4. Review your finished ad.

    You get a 9:16 ad with captions, a clean mix and a QA report, plus the project in your editor if you want to change anything before you upload.

What runs where

  • Your subscription

    Your agent

    Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI or another agent that supports MCP. You describe the ad in plain words and your agent runs the job.

  • Local

    Argus

    Playbooks for breakdowns, angles, hooks, scripts, storyboards and edits, plus a local MCP server that does the heavy lifting.

  • Your API keys

    Your providers

    Product scenes, B-roll, voiceover and presenters come from the generators you already pay for, on your own keys.

  • Local

    Your editor

    The built-in renderer, DaVinci Resolve Studio, CapCut, Premiere Pro, or a project file for Final Cut Pro.

  • Out

    Ready to test

    A finished 9:16 ad with captions, a clean mix and a QA report, plus project files for your own tweaks.

Inside every run

  1. 01Break down the reference
  2. 02Adapt the angle
  3. 03Storyboard
  4. 04Generate
  5. 05Edit
  6. 06QA

[02] What it does

The work of a small ad team, inside your agent

Argus gives your agent a skill for each part of the job. You can run the whole chain from one request or ask for one part at a time.

[A] Study

Study the ads that are working

Your agent pulls an ad from TrendTrack, the Meta Ad Library, Instagram, TikTok or any link, then breaks it down shot by shot. It maps the hook, the angle, the pacing, the captions and the sound, and it learns the editing language of that format so your version keeps what made it work.

  • TrendTrack
  • Meta Ad Library
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Any link
  • Local files

[B] Write

Write for your product

Your agent adapts the angle to your product, then drafts hooks, scripts and a storyboard in your brand voice, using the claims you give it.

  • Angles
  • Hooks
  • Scripts
  • Storyboards

[C] Generate

Generate the scenes

Product scenes, B-roll, voiceover and presenters come from the image, video, voice and presenter providers you choose, billed to your own accounts.

  • Images
  • Video
  • Voice
  • Presenters

[D] Edit

Edit in your editor

Your agent assembles the cut in the built-in renderer, DaVinci Resolve Studio, CapCut or Premiere Pro, and hands Final Cut Pro a project file. Dead space, pace, captions and the mix are handled the way a good ad editor would handle them.

  • Built-in
  • Resolve Studio
  • CapCut
  • Premiere
  • Final Cut

[E] Check

Check it before launch

Before you upload to Meta or TikTok, Argus checks the finished export, including its cuts, captions and audio, and writes a QA report. When a check fails, your agent can repair the edit in your editor and record the fix.

  • QA report
  • Cut map
  • Archived master

[03] Editors

Keep the editor you use

Argus drives your editor for you. Pick where the cut should land and your agent builds it there, with the project ready for your own tweaks.

  • Default · No GPU needed

    Built-in

    No editor installed? Argus renders the finished ad itself, on any laptop.

    Included

  • Studio · Fully automated

    DaVinci Resolve

    Your agent builds the project, the timeline and the render inside DaVinci Resolve Studio.

    Optional

  • Real drafts

    CapCut

    Your agent writes a real CapCut draft that opens with every cut and caption in place.

    Optional

  • Live panel · Project files

    Premiere / Final Cut

    Your agent builds the cut live in Premiere Pro through a local panel, and hands Final Cut Pro a project file.

    Optional

[04] Editing

Edits that follow ad craft

These are the moves a strong e-commerce editor makes on every spoken ad. Your agent makes them in your editor and saves a record, so you can see exactly what changed and why.

  1. 01Tighten

    Dead space, gone

    Pauses and dead air come out of the voiceover so the opening seconds hold attention, and every cut is written to a saved cut map.

  2. 02Pace

    Faster, same voice

    A little extra pace keeps the pitch where it was, so a quicker read still sounds like the same person.

  3. 03Present

    Lip-synced presenter

    A presenter or creator-style talking head synced to your voiceover, generated through the provider you bring.

  4. 04Caption

    Captions on every word

    Phrase captions timed to every spoken word for people scrolling with the sound off, plus a hook card for the opening seconds.

  5. 05Key

    Green-screen keying

    Your agent pulls the presenter off a green screen and places them over product shots, product page screenshots or lifestyle footage.

  6. 06Deliver

    Mixed and archived

    Loudness is matched for the feed, and every master is archived with its project so you can rebuild it into new variants later.

[05] Creative team

Your creative team, led by one person

If you are your store's whole ad department, Argus gives your agent the roles of a small creative team. You stay the creative lead who sets the direction and signs off.

Creative lead

You

You pick the ads worth studying, approve the direction and decide which ads go live.

  • Researcher

    Your agent

    Finds and studies the ads that are working in your category, from TrendTrack, the Meta Ad Library, Instagram, TikTok or any link you share.

  • Strategist

    Your agent

    Adapts the angle to your product and your customer, using the claims you have approved.

  • Copywriter

    Your agent

    Drafts the hooks and scripts in your brand voice and lays them out as a storyboard.

  • Producer

    Your agent

    Generates product scenes, B-roll, voiceover and presenters through the providers you connected.

  • Editor and QA

    Your agent

    Cuts the ad in your editor, then checks the export and writes a QA report before it reaches you.

Every correction you make is saved to the skill that made the call, so your next ad starts from your notes on the last one.

[06] Skills

  • Learned layer
  • Versioned
  • Rollback
  • GitHub backup

Skills that learn on the job

Every ad teaches your agent something about your brand. It writes what it learned into a private layer on top of each skill, so the next concept starts where the last one finished.

CorrectionsRecords from you

Your edits stick

  • Changes you make to a cut, caption or pace
  • Written to the skill that made the call
  • Read on the next run

FixesRecords from QA

Failures stay fixed

  • The QA check that failed
  • The fix that made it pass
  • Recorded as well as applied

PatternsRecords from new work

What worked, kept

  • Hooks, pacing and scenes that worked on a new concept
  • Available when a similar brief comes in

ControlStays in your hands

Yours to undo

  • A private learned layer
  • Every change versioned
  • Roll back to any version
  • Backed up to your own GitHub

The base skills stay untouched. The learned layer sits on top, so rolling it back returns a skill to exactly how it shipped.

[07] Other ways to install

Other ways to install

The quickest way is the prompt for your agent at the top of this page. You can also run the installer in a terminal yourself, add the Claude Code plugin or connect any other app that supports MCP servers.

01In a terminal

curl -fsSL https://runargusapp.com/install.sh | sh

The installer needs curl or wget. On a computer without curl, run this line instead:

wget -qO- https://runargusapp.com/install.sh | sh

Then restart your agent and run /adengine-setup ($adengine-setup in Codex).

No sign-up needed. The installer runs without sudo or admin rights, and it is safe to run again.

Read install.sh Read install.ps1

02The Claude Code plugin

/plugin marketplace add https://runargusapp.com/claude/marketplace.json
/plugin install adengine@argus

For Claude Code 2.1.224 or later, so run claude update in a terminal first. After a restart, the setup prompt is /adengine:adengine-setup.

03Any other MCP app

adengine mcp-config <agent>

Run the installer first. Then this prints the entry to add for Qwen Code, Kiro, Amp, OpenCode, Warp, Cline, Goose, Zed, JetBrains AI Assistant and other agents. adengine mcp-config --list shows them all.

04Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop chats do not run shell commands on their own, so run the installer in a terminal. It finds Claude Desktop and adds Argus to its config file. Then quit Claude Desktop fully, reopen it and pick the adengine-setup prompt from the adengine server.

05The agent install guide

Every prompt points your agent at the same guide: the permission each agent needs, the network hosts, the exact commands and the exit codes.

Agent install guideinstall.mdllms.txt

[08] Requirements

Requirements

A normal computer and the agent you already use. No GPU needed.

What Argus needs to run
ItemDetailsStatus
SystemmacOS, Linux or Windows (Windows support is new). On macOS and Linux the installer needs curl or wget. Where curl is missing, use the wget line under Other ways to install.Required
AgentClaude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Claude Desktop or another app that supports MCP serversRequired
ProvidersYour own API keys for the image, video, voice and presenter providers you pickRequired
Mediaffmpeg, added automatically if it is missingIncluded
RuntimePython 3.12 through uv, both added by the installer when neededIncluded
EditorDaVinci Resolve Studio, CapCut or Premiere Pro, driven live. Final Cut Pro through project files. Without one, the built-in renderer finishes the ad.Optional

[09] FAQ

FAQ

Requirements

Argus is a kit of skills and a local MCP server that turns the AI agent you already use into an ad production team for your store. Your agent studies ads that are working, writes your version, generates the scenes, edits the ad in your editor and checks it before you upload.

The installer connects Claude Code, Codex, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI and Windsurf when it finds them on your computer. Claude Desktop gets the skills as MCP prompts, and the others get them as skill folders. Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf limit how many tools an agent can load, so they get a compact set of 25 tools that can search for and run any of the 226 Argus tools.

Any other app that supports MCP servers can connect too. After the install, adengine mcp-config prints the entry to add for Qwen Code, Kiro, Amp, OpenCode, Warp, Cline, Goose, Zed, JetBrains AI Assistant and other agents.

Yes. Copy the prompt for your agent from the top of this page and paste it into the chat. Your agent reads the install guide at runargusapp.com/install.md, runs the installer once you approve it and shows you the result.

The installer needs network access and writes to your home folder, so most agents ask to run it outside their sandbox. It never uses sudo or asks for your API keys. When it finishes, restart your agent so it loads the Argus tools.

Argus is the kit your agent uses to make ads. It edits through the editor you already use, whether that is DaVinci Resolve Studio, CapCut, Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, and it has a built-in renderer for anyone who does not have one. You keep your workflow and your project files.

Share a TrendTrack ad, a Meta Ad Library link, an Instagram or TikTok post, another link or a video file on your computer. Your agent breaks it down and rebuilds it around your product, your claims and your brand voice.

Short-form video ads for e-commerce, including creator-style UGC, founder-to-camera, podcast clips, green-screen reactions, voiceover with B-roll and animated explainers. Most runs start from an ad that is already working in your category.

Argus stops at a finished, checked export and its project files. You upload the ad to Meta or TikTok yourself, the same way you do today.

A local MCP server and the full Argus skill suite, registered with the agent you already use. The server and your projects live on your machine, and your agent calls them like any other tool. If ffmpeg is missing, the installer adds a private copy for Argus.

To see every host, folder and file it would touch before anything changes, add --plan: curl -fsSL https://runargusapp.com/install.sh | sh -s -- --plan. It prints the plan and writes nothing.

When Premiere Pro 2020 or later is installed, setup also connects it with a local Premiere MCP server and a bridge panel inside Premiere. The panel is an unsigned Adobe CEP extension, so setup turns on Adobe's PlayerDebugMode setting for your user account, only for the CEP version your Premiere Pro uses. That setting lets any unsigned CEP panel load in Adobe apps on that version, including panels from other vendors. Uninstalling Argus puts the previous value back.

Your projects, edits and learned skills stay local. Generation steps call the image, video, voice and presenter providers you choose, with your own API keys, so whatever you send to a provider goes to that provider under your account.

No. The built-in renderer runs on an ordinary laptop. If you would rather finish in DaVinci Resolve Studio, CapCut, Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, your agent builds the edit there instead.

Dead-space tightening with a saved cut map, pitch-preserved speed changes, a lip-synced presenter, word-accurate phrase captions, hook cards, green-screen keying, loudness matched for the feed and archive exports, all assembled from the storyboard your agent built from the reference ad.

When you correct an edit, when a QA failure gets fixed, or when a new concept turns up a pattern worth keeping, your agent writes it to a private learned layer on top of the relevant skill. Every change is versioned, any version can be rolled back, and the layer is backed up to your own GitHub.

Yes. Windows support is new. Run the PowerShell command in PowerShell 5.1 or 7. When you update, quit your agent apps first, because Windows cannot replace a program that is running.

Argus is free to install and needs no sign-up. Your agent runs on the AI subscription you already have, and each provider bills generation directly to your own account.

The command-line tool keeps its original name for now, so the command is adengine and the local folder is called .adengine. After the install you restart your agent and type /adengine-setup, or $adengine-setup in Codex. These names are all part of Argus.