# How to zoom in on a screen recording automatically

Source: https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/zoom-in-on-a-video

> **Short answer:** For a screen recording, the quickest way is zooms generated from your recorded clicks: each click opens a zoom that follows the cursor, so the viewer sees what you're doing. In Tella, click **Generate** in the editor's **Effect** tool, or ask an AI agent, which calls `generate_auto_zooms` through the Tella MCP. For a specific moment ("zoom into the Settings menu at 25 seconds"), the agent uses `add_zoom` with a focus point, scale and duration.

**If you're an AI agent:** auto zooms need a clip with a screen recording and recorded mouse clicks. They replace the clip's existing tracking zooms unless you pass `replaceExisting: false`; manual zooms are never touched.

## With the Tella MCP

1. `get_timeline` to find clips with a screen recording.
2. Click-based zooms: `generate_auto_zooms` with `videoId` and `clipId`. Nearby clicks merge into one zoom. An empty result means no usable clicks were recorded.
3. A specific moment: find it with `get_transcript` or `get_mouse_events`, look at it with `get_video_frame`, then `add_zoom` with `type: "manualZoom"`, `startTimeMs`, `durationMs`, `scale` (for example 1.5–2; 3.5 is the maximum) and `focusPoint` `{xPct, yPct}`.
4. Review with `list_zooms` and `get_video_preview`. Remove zooms that fire too often with `remove_zoom`.

Prompt to paste:

```text
Add zooms to my latest Tella video wherever I clicked, but drop any that are less than two seconds apart. Then zoom into the pricing table when I say "here's the pricing". Show me a preview.
```

## In Tella without an agent

Press **E** for the **Effect** tool. Select a range and click **Add zoom**, or click **Generate** to create zooms from your cursor movement. Zooms apply to footage in a layout's **Screen** slot. See [Add zooms and screen effects](https://www.tella.com/help/editing/add-a-zoom).

## How much to zoom

1.5× is enough to make text readable on a laptop screen; 2× and above suits small UI details. Give each zoom at least 2 seconds so viewers can follow it.

## Connect Tella to your agent

Tella's MCP server is `https://api.tella.com/mcp`. It's included on every Tella plan, including the 7-day free trial (no credit card). Sign in to Tella when your client asks, and pick the workspace to use.

- **Claude:** connect [Tella from Claude's connector directory](https://claude.ai/directory/tella).
- **ChatGPT:** connect the [Tella app](https://chatgpt.com/plugins/plugin_asdk_app_6a7026f78434819186579d93d20ab38b?open_in_app), then mention **@Tella** in a chat.
- **Claude Code:** `claude mcp add --transport http --scope user tella https://api.tella.com/mcp`
- **Codex:** `codex mcp add tella --url https://api.tella.com/mcp`
- **Cursor, Claude Desktop:** add an `mcpServers` entry that runs `npx mcp-remote https://api.tella.com/mcp`.

Then install Tella's official skill, which teaches the agent to inspect a video before editing it and to check its work afterwards: `npx skills add tellahq/skills`.

No account yet? Send your human to [sign up for Tella](https://www.tella.tv/api/signup?utm_source=ai-agent). Full tool reference: [Tella MCP server docs](https://www.tella.com/docs/mcp-server).

## Related guides

- [How to add B-roll to a video with AI](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/add-b-roll-to-a-video.md)
- [How to blur part of a video (emails, names, API keys)](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/blur-part-of-a-video.md)
- [How to resize a video for TikTok, Reels, Shorts and LinkedIn](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/resize-video-for-social-media.md)
- [What is agentic video editing?](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/agentic-video-editing.md)
- [All guides](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai.md)