The tool from the reel: Sandcastles
A search engine for short-form content that pulls real data from Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, and plugs into Claude as a Plugin with 15 "/" commands — the best known being /analyze. Open an account, install the Plugin, and start asking.
1
What /analyze actually gives you
You type /analyze, paste the link to any reel, TikTok or Short, and it comes back with a full report:
| Section | What's in it |
|---|---|
| Numbers | Views, likes, comments, engagement rate, publish date, and the Outlier score (how far above the account's average the video landed) |
| Full transcript | A transcript of everything said in the video |
| Hook breakdown | The first few seconds: the on-screen text + the opening line + the Hook type and why it stops the scroll |
| Formats | The video type (talking head, text on screen, app demo…) and the visual technique |
| Narrative structure | Scene order, pacing, and the key takeaways |
The real power isn't in one reel — once you've analyzed 5–10 winning reels in your niche, the /hooks-watchlist, /formats-watchlist and /topic commands surface the hidden patterns: which Hook type keeps recurring, which Format pulls the views, and which topics "explode" above average. All the commands are in step 4.
2
Requirements
- A Sandcastles account on the Pro plan or higher — the MCP isn't available on Starter (you start with a trial and upgrade from Settings → Subscription)
- The Claude Desktop app — the Plugin has to be installed from the app, not the browser. Download it from claude.com/download
- A paid Claude account (Pro / Max / Team)
3
Installing the Plugin in Claude (the official steps)
a) Download the Plugin from Sandcastles:
- From the left-hand menu: Settings → Connectors
- You'll see an API section and an MCP section — go to MCP and click Download Plugin vX.X.X (a zip file)
b) Install it in Claude Desktop:
- Open Claude Desktop → Customize → Plugins (bottom of the left-hand menu) → Add (top right) → Upload Plugin
- Drag the zip file in and click Upload
- Once it's uploaded, click Connectors (in the middle of the page, inside the Plugins list) → Install
- An "Add custom connector" window pops up already filled in: the name sandcastles and the URL https://mcp.sandcastles.ai/ — don't change anything, just click Add
c) Sign in:
- Click Connectors at the bottom of the left-hand menu → you'll find "Sandcastles (Custom)" → click Connect
- A browser tab opens so you can sign in with your Sandcastles account — just once. When you see "Connected", close the tab and go back to the app
- A ✓ in the Status column = it's working
d) Permissions: click the connector and set every tool to Always allow so it doesn't ask you every single time.
Clicked Add and nothing happened? That's normal — the add happens in the background. If you try adding it again it'll tell you it already exists. And no sign-in tab showed up? Usually a pop-up blocker or a locked-down company account.
Alternative for Claude Code users (the data tools without the "/" commands — you just ask in plain language):
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user sandcastles https://mcp.sandcastles.ai/
Then inside claude: /mcp → sandcastles → Authenticate.
4
The 15 commands — what each one does
They all run from the Cowork tab in Claude Desktop (New task → type the command → type your request after it). Grouped by job:
Video analysis
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| /analyze | Deep analysis of any video from its link: the numbers, full transcript, hook breakdown, format, narrative structure. The command from the reel. |
| /videos-watchlist | The top videos from your watchlist over a given period, sorted by views, with filters (e.g. engagement above 2% to weed out paid promotion) and direct links |
| /video-global | Search the entire Sandcastles database for videos on a specific topic or keyword, sorted by views and Outlier score |
| /video-suggest | Ranked suggestions for your next video based on what's winning in your niche and on your watchlist — "what should I make today?" |
Hooks, Formats and topics
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| /hooks-watchlist | The best Hooks from the last two weeks on your watchlist: recurring Hook patterns, a per-video analysis, and the visual/text elements of each Hook |
| /hooks-global | Same thing, but across the whole database — the best Hook formulas globally in your niche, not just on your watchlist |
| /formats-watchlist | The spread of the best-performing Formats on your watchlist over the last X days, with a visual report, links, and "sub-flavors" of each Format |
| /formats-global | The most successful Formats for any topic across the whole database (e.g. /formats-global ai tools) with the top videos for each Format and why they worked |
| /topic | Trending topics in your niche over the last 30 days, grouped as "idea seeds" rather than broad categories, with the videos for each topic and a "fits you or not" analysis |
Channels and competitors
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| /channels-add | Add any Instagram/TikTok/YouTube channel to your watchlist from its link — or the channels mentioned in the conversation |
| /channels-recap | A performance recap of a specific channel from its link: what's been working for it lately, its best topics and angles, and which videos haven't been analyzed yet |
| /channels-search | Search for channels by precise criteria: topic, follower count, posting frequency, or "similar to channel X" — great for brands hunting for Creators |
| /channels-suggest | Suggest new channels similar to your current watchlist (same audience or strategy), with followers, views, and a description of each one's style |
Automation and your account
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| /rules | Show your automation rules (e.g. auto-analyze every video above 25K views and Outlier 5+, capped at 3 a day) — the results land in the Ideas tab |
| Personal analytics | Pulls an analytics report for your verified channels (last 50 videos): your best and worst topics, Formats and Hooks — ask: "get my latest personal analytics insights report" |
5
Ready-made prompts — copy and tweak
In Claude Desktop → Cowork → New task. The examples come from the official Sandcastles docs, lightly adapted:
1) Analyze one reel — the one from the reel:
/analyze https://www.instagram.com/reel/XXXXXXXXX/
Give me the full details: the transcript, the format analysis, the hook breakdown, and the narrative structure — and at the end, 3 moves I can reuse in my niche [your niche].
2) The best reels on my watchlist (after adding 10–20 channels with /channels-add):
/videos-watchlist Give me the top videos from my watchlist over the last 28 days sorted by views, but exclude any video with engagement under 2% (probably paid). Include each video's link and the creator's name, and tell me which of them haven't been analyzed yet so we can analyze them.
3) Hook patterns — this is where the secrets come out:
/hooks-watchlist What are the best Hooks from the last two weeks across all the analyzed videos on my watchlist? If there are videos above 2× outlier that haven't been analyzed yet, tell me so we can analyze them and redo the full breakdown. I want to understand the formulas, the link to each video, and the visual and text elements of each Hook.
4) Competitor recap:
/channels-recap https://www.instagram.com/[account_name]/
What's been working for them lately? Go back 30 days and give me a summary of their best topics and angles. And if they have videos we haven't analyzed yet, tell me.
5) The topics working right now:
/topic What are the top-performing topics in my niche over the last 30 days? Sort them by views and link each video to its topic. I don't mean broad categories — I mean the "idea seed": videos around the same idea from different angles, separated clearly enough that I can decide whether or not to make it.
6) What should I make today?
/video-suggest My niche is [your niche] and my audience is [quick description]. Suggest 5 ideas for my next video ranked by expected performance, with the evidence from the data for each suggestion.
A chain that works well: /channels-search to find 10 channels in your niche → /channels-add → a day later /videos-watchlist → /analyze on the top 5 → /hooks-watchlist for the patterns → /video-suggest for your next idea. And copy the Formats and the technique, not the words.
6
Troubleshooting + FAQ
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| I can't find the MCP section in Connectors | You're on Starter — the MCP is Pro and up. Upgrade from Settings → Subscription |
| No sign-in tab showed up | A pop-up blocker in the browser, or a locked-down company Claude account. Allow pop-ups and hit Connect again |
| The "/" commands aren't showing | Make sure you're in the Cowork tab (not Chat), and that the Plugin shows as Installed under Customize → Plugins |
| A new Plugin version came out | Customize → Connectors → the Sandcastles row → the three dots → Refresh Tool List, or download the new zip and re-upload it |
| /videos-watchlist is empty | Your watchlist is empty — add channels with /channels-add or from the Channels tab on the site, and wait for the analysis to run |
How much does it cost?
Pro is $49/month ($39 on the annual plan) with 100 credits, 3 verified channels and 150 watched channels. Visionary is $99 (250 credits), Titan is $499. There's a trial to get started, and the MCP is available from Pro up. Plus your Claude subscription on top.
Does it work with ChatGPT?
Yes, there's an official page for setting it up with ChatGPT too. But the "/" commands and the full experience are on Claude Desktop.
Does it analyze reels in other languages?
Yes — it supports Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts in any language, and the analysis comes back in whatever language you ask in.
What's the difference between watchlist and global?
watchlist = the channels you've added yourself (more precise for your niche). global = the entire Sandcastles database (wider, for exploring). Start with global to find channels, add them, then work from the watchlist.
Why do I need to build a channel list?
Because most of the commands (hooks, formats, topics, suggestions) analyze your watchlist. 10–20 channels in your niche is enough to start.
Will the commands stay the same?
All of them come from the official Sandcastles help center (help.sandcastles.ai) as of 2026-08-23. The permanent reference: sandcastles.ai.