How do I install YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP?

Copy the http config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP need an API key?

No required environment variable is listed on this record.

What transport does YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP use?

YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP is reached over HTTP.

When was YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP last checked?

Last checked 2026-10-23. YouTube transcripts, search, channel browsing, and playlists for AI agents via MCP.

YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP server

Power your agent

Add this server

The publisher's own URL. Not a PlugMCP endpoint.

Add to Cursor Add in Claude Add to VS Code Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server URL

https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp

The Claude button above opens Claude with the name and URL filled in. You still confirm it there.

shClaude Code

1claude mcp add --transport http com.getyoutubetranscript-youtube-transcript-and-youtube-search https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp

Run in a terminal.

jsonClaude Desktop

1{2  "mcpServers": {3    "com.getyoutubetranscript-youtube-transcript-and-youtube-search": {4      "command": "npx",5      "args": [6        "-y",7        "mcp-remote",8        "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp"9      ]10    }11  }12}

claude_desktop_config.json

Remote · HTTPPublisher installStep-by-step: add this in Claude

Remote URL or a command on your machine? How the two installs differ

Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

A new server you create. It is not this listing's official endpoint. Use the publisher install when you want their URL and their credentials.

Launch

Server facts

Remote

Transport: http
Version: 1.0.0
License

8 tools

Tools

tools/listVoice mode preview

Tool	What it does
get_youtube_transcript	Use this when the user shares a YouTube video link or ID, or asks to summarize, explain, quote, translate, take notes on, or chat about a specific YouTube video, lecture, podcast, or talk. Returns the full spoken text (captions) as one block, plus the title and channel. Set timestamps to true when t
get_transcript_languages	Use this when the user asks which caption or subtitle languages a YouTube video has, or before requesting a transcript in a non-English language when you don't know whether the video offers it. Returns each language with its code (pass it as `language` to get_youtube_transcript), whether it is creat
search_youtube	Use this when the user wants to find YouTube videos or channels on a topic, for example 'find lectures on linear algebra' or 'popular videos about the Apollo missions', before reading or comparing them. Returns each result's title, video ID, link, channel, views, length, and upload date. Pass `conti
get_channel_latest_videos	Use this when the user asks what a YouTube channel has posted recently, or wants a channel's details (name, handle, description, subscribers) with its 15 newest uploads. Accepts an @handle, channel URL, or UC... ID. For a channel's full upload history use list_channel_videos; to find a topic inside
search_channel_videos	Use this when the user wants videos from one specific YouTube channel about a topic, for example 'what has @hubermanlab said about sleep' or 'find the MIT OpenCourseWare videos on recursion'. Searches only inside that channel. Pass `continuation` from a previous response for the next page.
list_channel_videos	Use this when the user wants to browse a YouTube channel's uploads beyond its latest videos, for example to see a creator's older episodes or find a video they remember from that channel. Returns the channel's uploads (its Videos tab) one page at a time. Pass `continuation` from a previous response
list_playlist_videos	Use this when the user shares a YouTube playlist, or wants to work through a course, lecture series, or podcast playlist video by video (for example to build study notes for each lecture). Returns the videos in playlist order, one page at a time. Pass `continuation` from a previous response for the
get_credits	Use this when the user asks how many credits their getyoutubetranscript.com account has left, or after another tool reports the account has no credits remaining. Returns plan and top-up credit balances. Calling it does not use credits.

https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp

Quick taste:

Search @veritasium for videos about black holes, pull the transcript of the
two best matches, and tell me where they disagree.

The agent chains search_channel_videos and get_youtube_transcript on its own. No code on your side.

Why this MCP

	This MCP	Typical single-purpose YouTube MCP
Hosting	✅ Remote (no local install, no build step)	❌ Local stdio process to manage
Tools	✅ 7 (transcript, search, channel latest/search/videos, playlist, credits)	❌ Usually 1 (transcript only)
YouTube search (video and channel)	✅ Yes	❌ No
Full channel upload history, paginated	✅ Yes	❌ No
In-channel search	✅ Yes	❌ No
Auth	✅ API key and OAuth 2.1 (DCR + CIMD)	❌ Usually neither
Agent-friendly errors	✅ Stable error codes, human-readable messages	❌ Bare HTTP codes

Install as an Agent Plugin

This repo root is also an Agent Plugins 1.0.0 package. It bundles the MCP server with a youtube skill that tells the agent which tool to use when, what each one costs, and how to avoid wasting credits.

plugin.json                # plugin manifest
mcp.json                   # hosted MCP server (streamable-http, OAuth, no key in the file)
skills/youtube/SKILL.md    # when and how to use the 8 tools

In VS Code, run Chat: Install Plugin From Source and paste https://github.com/tubeagentkit/youtube-mcp. Other clients that support Agent Plugins can point at this repo or a local clone. For Cursor there is a separate plugin repo.

The package holds no credentials. Check the manifests against the published schemas yourself:

curl -sO https://agent-plugins.org/schemas/1.0.0/plugin.schema.json
curl -sO https://agent-plugins.org/schemas/1.0.0/mcp.schema.json
npx ajv-cli@5 validate --spec=draft2020 -s plugin.schema.json -d plugin.json
npx ajv-cli@5 validate --spec=draft2020 -s mcp.schema.json -d mcp.json

ChatGPT and Codex

The same plugin.json carries the ChatGPT/Codex plugin directory listing under extensions.com.openai (other clients ignore it). scripts/build-openai-zip.sh checks it against OpenAI's field limits and builds the upload ZIP in dist/, with only plugin.json, mcp.json, skills/ and assets/.

Quick Install

Requirements: a free getyoutubetranscript.com account (sign up — 100 credits, no card) and an API key from your dashboard — or just connect via OAuth and skip the key entirely (see Authentication below).

Tip: clients that support MCP OAuth can skip the headers block in the snippets below and sign in through the browser instead.

Tip: to stop repeating "use the transcript tool", add a standing instruction to your client's rules or custom instructions, for example: "When I share a YouTube link, fetch its transcript with the youtube-transcript MCP before answering."

claude mcp add --transport http youtube-transcript https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector
Name: YouTube Transcript · URL: https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp
Click Add, then Connect and sign in via browser — no API key needed.

Settings → Features → MCP → Add New MCP Server — Type: SSE/HTTP, URL: https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp.

Or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

"mcp.servers": {
  "youtube-transcript": {
    "type": "http",
    "url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
    "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
  }
}

Enable Developer Mode, then Settings → Connected Apps → Add → URL https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp. Leave Client ID/Secret blank for Dynamic Client Registration, or use OAuth sign-in directly.

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "serverUrl": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
      "type": "streamableHttp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

{
  "context_servers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "source": "remote",
      "url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

amp mcp add youtube-transcript https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

"augment.advanced": {
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "youtube-transcript",
      "url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  ]
}

In .kilocode/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Settings → Tools → AI Assistant → MCP:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

30-second example

Summarize this video for me: https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ

The agent calls get_youtube_transcript and summarizes the result. If you connected via OAuth, there's no key to configure at all — just approve the connection once.

Run locally (stdio)

Prefer a local process? server/ is an open-source stdio MCP server with the same 8 tools, built on the official MCP TypeScript SDK. It calls the public REST API with your API key.

git clone https://github.com/tubeagentkit/youtube-mcp
npm install --prefix youtube-mcp/server

Then point your client at it, e.g. Claude Desktop / Cursor:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/youtube-mcp/server/index.js"],
      "env": { "GYT_API_KEY": "sk_live_your_key_here" }
    }
  }
}

Live integration test (uses only free tools): GYT_API_KEY=sk_live_... npm test --prefix server

Authentication

API Key

Universal, works with every MCP client. Get one free (100 credits, no card) at the dashboard, then send it as a Bearer token:

"headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer sk_live_your_key_here" }

OAuth 2.1

No manual key management — sign in via browser, the server handles the rest.

Dynamic Client Registration (DCR): supported for clients that self-register at connect time (Claude Desktop/Web, ChatGPT, and most others).
Client ID Metadata Documents (CIMD): supported per the current MCP spec (2026-07-28) for clients that host their own metadata document — the more modern alternative to DCR, no shared secret required.
First connection opens a consent screen showing exactly what access is being granted; approve once and you're connected.

Both methods issue a token scoped and audience-bound to this specific MCP server — it can't be replayed against any other API.

Available Tools

All eight tools are exposed automatically once you connect. 1 credit = 1 successful request. Failed or rate-limited calls never consume credits.

1. `get_youtube_transcript`

Fetch the full transcript for a YouTube video, plus its title/author/thumbnail metadata.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`video_url`	string	required	YouTube URL (full or short) or an 11-character video ID
`language`	string	optional	Language code, e.g. `en`, `es`. Defaults to `en`
`send_metadata`	boolean	optional	Include title/author/thumbnail. Defaults to `true`
`timestamps`	boolean	optional	One line per caption, each starting with its `[m:ss]` start time (`[h:mm:ss]` past an hour). Defaults to `false` (one block of text)

Cost: 1 credit, with or without timestamps.

2. `get_transcript_languages`

List the caption languages a video offers, creator-uploaded or auto-generated, and which one a default request returns.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`video_url`	string	required	YouTube URL (full or short) or an 11-character video ID

An empty list means the video has captions turned off. Not needed for an ordinary transcript request: get_youtube_transcript already reports the language it returned.

Cost: 1 credit.

3. `search_youtube`

Search YouTube for videos or channels, paginated.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`query`	string	required unless `continuation` set	Search query
`search_type`	`"video"` \| `"channel"`	optional	Defaults to `"video"`
`continuation`	string	optional	Opaque token from a previous response — fetches the next page

Cost: 1 credit/page.

4. `get_channel_latest_videos`

Get a channel's metadata plus its most recent uploads.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`channel`	string	required	`@handle`, channel URL, or `UC…` channel ID

Cost: 1 credit.

5. `search_channel_videos`

Search within one specific channel's videos.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`channel`	string	required unless `continuation` set	`@handle`, channel URL, or `UC…` ID
`query`	string	required unless `continuation` set	Query to search within the channel
`continuation`	string	optional	Opaque token — fetches the next page

Cost: 1 credit/page.

6. `list_channel_videos`

List every video a channel has ever uploaded (the full /videos tab, not just recent ones).

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`channel`	string	required unless `continuation` set	`@handle`, channel URL, or `UC…` ID
`continuation`	string	optional	Opaque token — fetches the next page

Cost: 1 credit/page.

7. `list_playlist_videos`

Get every video in a YouTube playlist.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`playlist`	string	required unless `continuation` set	Playlist URL or ID
`continuation`	string	optional	Opaque token — fetches the next page

Cost: 1 credit/page.

8. `get_credits` · FREE

Check the remaining credit balance for your key/account. No parameters.

Cost: Free.

Use Cases & Prompts

Use Case	Example Prompt
📝 Summarize a video	"Summarize the key points from this video: [URL]"
🔍 Research a topic	"Search YouTube for the 5 most-watched videos on neural radiance fields; summarize each."
🧠 Study notes	"Create study notes from this MIT lecture series playlist: [PLAYLIST URL]"
📡 Monitor a creator	"Each morning, list new uploads from @hubermanlab and tell me which to watch."
🏛️ Build a content database	"Pull every video from @veritasium and store title + transcript."
🎯 Channel research	"Search inside @MKBHD for any video about [topic] and summarize the takeaways."
✍️ Repurpose content	"Turn this video into a 1,500-word blog post: [URL]"

Pricing & Rate Limits

Plan	Price	Credits	Rate Limit
Free	$0	100 credits on signup	60 req/min
Monthly	$5/month	1,000 credits/month	200 req/min
Annual	$4.50/mo ($54/yr)	1,000 credits/month	300 req/min

1 credit = 1 successful request. Failed/rate-limited requests don't consume credits.
get_credits is the only free tool.
Manage billing →

Troubleshooting

If using an API key: confirm it starts with sk_live_ and has no extra whitespace
If using OAuth: try disconnecting and reconnecting the connector
Confirm the key/connection is still active in your dashboard

Check your balance and top up or upgrade at the dashboard.

The video may not have captions enabled
It may be private, age-restricted, or region-locked
Confirm it plays in a real browser first

Back off and retry after a short delay — don't hammer it in a tight loop.

Clear cookies for getyoutubetranscript.com and retry
Ensure popup/redirect blockers aren't interfering with the consent screen
If your client supports both DCR and CIMD, try the other registration method

Verification

This repo contains the MIT-licensed source of the local stdio MCP server in server/ (tool definitions, input validation, API calls, error mapping), plus the manifests for the hosted endpoint. The hosted endpoint and the REST API behind both are run by getyoutubetranscript.com and are not open source. To check either one yourself:

Run the local server's live test — GYT_API_KEY=sk_live_... npm test --prefix server starts server/index.js over stdio, lists all 8 tools, and calls the free ones.
Run verify.js against the hosted endpoint — zero dependencies, zero auth required:
```
node verify.js
```
It performs the real MCP handshake (initialize then tools/list) against the live endpoint and prints the server's actual response, including all 8 real tool schemas. Tool discovery is public; only tool calls require an API key or OAuth token (see Authentication).
Independently verified by four third-party MCP directories, each of which connected to the live endpoint and confirmed the tools themselves (not just took our word for it):
- Official MCP Registry — com.getyoutubetranscript/youtube-transcript-and-youtube-search, published via domain-ownership-verified HTTP mcp-publisher
- Smithery — its own scanner connected and discovered all 6 tools
- Glama
- LobeHub
Live since 2026-09-12 — the OAuth 2.1 (DCR + CIMD) flow has also been exercised end-to-end by a real third-party client (Smithery) connecting via CIMD, which surfaced and got a real interop fix along the way (see commit history).

Also available as a REST API

Building an app instead of an agent? The same backend is a plain JSON REST API — see the Agent Skill repo for the full endpoint reference, or the dashboard to get a key directly.

Base URL: https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/v1

Connect

🌐 Website: getyoutubetranscript.com
🔑 Dashboard: getyoutubetranscript.com/dashboard
🧩 Agent Skill version: tubeagentkit/youtube-transcript-skills

Disclosure

getyoutubetranscript.com is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube or Google.

Related projects

Other ways to use the GetYouTubeTranscript API:

youtube-transcript-api: YouTube Transcript API docs, endpoint reference, OpenAPI spec and examples in curl, Python, JavaScript, Go and PHP
youtube-transcript-api-python: YouTube Transcript API SDK for Python
youtube-transcript-api-node: YouTube Transcript API SDK for Node.js / TypeScript
youtube-transcript-skills: YouTube transcript Agent Skill for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and OpenClaw
youtube-transcript-cursor-plugin: YouTube Transcript Cursor plugin bundling the MCP server, skills, commands and a research agent
n8n-nodes-getyoutubetranscript: YouTube transcript n8n community node, also usable as an AI Agent tool

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP

Add this server

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server facts

Tools

Questions

How do I install YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP?

Does YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP need an API key?

What transport does YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP use?

When was YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP last checked?

Documentation

Why this MCP

Install as an Agent Plugin

ChatGPT and Codex

Quick Install

30-second example

Run locally (stdio)

Authentication

API Key

OAuth 2.1

Available Tools

1. `get_youtube_transcript`

2. `get_transcript_languages`

3. `search_youtube`

4. `get_channel_latest_videos`

5. `search_channel_videos`

6. `list_channel_videos`

7. `list_playlist_videos`

8. `get_credits` · FREE

Use Cases & Prompts

Pricing & Rate Limits

Troubleshooting

Verification

Also available as a REST API

Connect

Disclosure

Related projects

License

Add this server

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

Server facts

Tools

Questions

How do I install YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP?

Does YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP need an API key?

What transport does YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP use?

When was YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP last checked?

Documentation

Why this MCP

Install as an Agent Plugin

ChatGPT and Codex

Quick Install

30-second example

Run locally (stdio)

Authentication

API Key

OAuth 2.1

Available Tools

1. get_youtube_transcript

2. get_transcript_languages

3. search_youtube

4. get_channel_latest_videos

5. search_channel_videos

6. list_channel_videos

7. list_playlist_videos

8. get_credits · FREE

Use Cases & Prompts

Pricing & Rate Limits

Troubleshooting

Verification

Also available as a REST API

Connect

Disclosure

Related projects

License

1. `get_youtube_transcript`

2. `get_transcript_languages`

3. `search_youtube`

4. `get_channel_latest_videos`

5. `search_channel_videos`

6. `list_channel_videos`

7. `list_playlist_videos`

8. `get_credits` · FREE