youtube-mcp

<!-- mcp-name: com.transcriptapi/youtube-transcript-and-youtube-search --> <p align="center"> <a href="https://transcriptapi.com"> <img src="public/brand/logo-512.png" width="160" height="160" alt="TranscriptAPI" /> </a> </p> <h1 align="center">YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP for AI Agents</h1> <p align="center"> <b>The fastest YouTube transcript + YouTube search MCP for AI agents. Try for free.</b><br/> Six tools — transcripts, video search, channel browsing, in-channel search, playlist extraction, and new-upload polling — for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code, and 20+ clients. </p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://cursor.com/en/install-mcp?name=transcript-api&config=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3RyYW5zY3JpcHRhcGkuY29tL21jcCJ9"><img alt="Install in Cursor" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Cursor-Install_MCP-000000?style=for-the-badge&logo=cursor&logoColor=white"/></a> <a href="https://insiders.vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode%3Amcp%2Finstall%3F%7B%22name%22%3A%22transcript-api%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Ftranscriptapi.com%2Fmcp%22%7D"><img alt="Install in VS Code" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/VS_Code-Install_MCP-0098FF?style=for-the-badge&logo=visualstudiocode&logoColor=white"/></a> </p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://transcriptapi.com"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Website-transcriptapi.com-FF3B00?style=for-the-badge" alt="Website"/></a> <a href="https://transcriptapi.com/docs"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Docs-API_Reference-06B6D4?style=for-the-badge&logo=readthedocs&logoColor=white" alt="Docs"/></a> <a href="https://transcriptapi.com/swagger"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Swagger-Try_API-85EA2D?style=for-the-badge&logo=swagger&logoColor=white" alt="Swagger"/></a> <a href="./LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-4CAF50?style=for-the-badge" alt="MIT License"/></a> </p>

Powering 15M+ transcripts every month · 500K+ transcripts processed daily · 49ms median response time Trusted in production by youtubetotranscript.com (~11M/mo) and recapio.com (~2.8M/mo).

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Why TranscriptAPI MCP

Most YouTube MCP servers do one thing — pull a single transcript. TranscriptAPI MCP is a full toolkit: transcripts, video search, channel search, channel browsing, playlist extraction, and free RSS-based upload tracking — all from one remote endpoint, all designed for AI agents.

| | TranscriptAPI MCP | Typical YouTube MCP | | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------- | ------------------- | | Hosting | ✅ Remote (no local install) | ❌ Local stdio install | | Tools | ✅ 6 tools | ❌ 1 (transcript only) | | YouTube search | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | | Channel & playlist extraction | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | | Latest-uploads monitoring (free) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | | OAuth 2.1 + API key auth | ✅ Both | ❌ Usually neither | | Production scale (15M+ req/mo) | ✅ Yes | ❌ Hobbyist scrapers | | Works on mobile Claude & web Claude | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | | Agent-friendly error messages | ✅ Yes | ❌ Bare HTTP codes |

Quick taste:

Find Andrew Huberman's three most-viewed videos about sleep,
get the transcript of each, and write a 5-bullet comparison.

That single prompt uses 3 of our 6 tools — search_youtube, search_channel_videos, get_youtube_transcript — without you writing a line of code.

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🧩 Install as an Agent Plugin _{· easiest}

This repository root is a conformant Agent Plugins 1.0.0 package — the portable format published 2026-08-06 and supported by ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Kiro and VS Code. One install gets you the MCP server and a bundled youtube skill that teaches your agent when to use each tool and how not to waste credits.

plugin.json                    # Agent Plugins 1.0.0 manifest
mcp.json                       # hosted MCP server, streamable-http, OAuth (no keys)
skills/youtube/SKILL.md        # when + how to use the 6 tools
.cursor-plugin/plugin.json     # Cursor plugin manifest, same MCP + skill (+ marketplace.json)

VS Code — Command Palette → Chat: Install Plugin From Source, then paste:

https://github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-mcp

Or register a local clone in settings.json:

"chat.pluginLocations": { "/absolute/path/to/youtube-mcp": true }

Cursor — Customize in the sidebar → find the plugin → Install. For a local clone:

git clone https://github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-mcp ~/.cursor/plugins/local/transcriptapi

Then Developer: Reload Window.

Add to Cursor — MCP server only, no clone. Paste this deeplink into your browser:

cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=transcriptapi&config=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3RyYW5zY3JpcHRhcGkuY29tL21jcCJ9

ChatGPT, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Kiro, any other client — point your client's plugin mechanism at this repository, or at a local clone. Agent Plugins 1.0.0 standardizes the package format, not installation, so each client owns its own install flow.

30-second example

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

The agent calls get_youtube_transcript, gets the full timestamped transcript and summarizes it. No API key to configure — the first call opens an OAuth sign-in (free account, 100 credits, no card). Then try:

What has @TED posted in the last month?     → get_channel_latest_videos (free)
Find talks on protein folding, summarize the best three.
                                             → search_youtube, then transcripts

There are no credentials in this package — Agent Plugins 1.0.0 forbids embedded secrets, and authorization is client-managed. Verify the package 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

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🛠️ Quick Install

Requirements:

• A TranscriptAPI account (sign up free — first 100 credits free)
• An API key from your dashboard OR use OAuth (Claude, ChatGPT)

Recommended: Add a Rule to Auto-Invoke TranscriptAPI

Add this rule to your AI client so you don't need to explicitly ask for transcripts:

When I share a YouTube URL, automatically use the TranscriptAPI MCP tool
to fetch the transcript before responding. This applies to any video analysis,
summarization, or question about YouTube content.

<details> <summary><b>Install in Cursor (One-Click / Manual)</b></summary>

One-Click Install:

Manual Configuration:

Go to: Settings → Features → MCP → Add New MCP Server

• Name: transcript-api
• Type: SSE (Remote)
• URL: https://transcriptapi.com/mcp

Or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

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

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in Claude (Desktop & Web) — Recommended</b></summary>

Claude supports adding MCP servers directly via the "Custom Connector" UI.

Quick Setup:

1. Open Claude Settings (click your profile icon → Settings)
2. Go to Connectors → Add custom connector
3. Enter the following details:
   • Name: TranscriptAPI
   • URL: https://transcriptapi.com/mcp
4. Click Add, then click Connect to authorize via your browser.
5. (Optional) In the connector settings, change permissions to "Allow unsupervised" for seamless usage.

Full Guide: Claude Integration Guide →

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in Claude Code (CLI)</b></summary>

claude mcp add --transport http transcript-api https://transcriptapi.com/mcp

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in ChatGPT</b></summary>

ChatGPT supports OAuth for secure authentication. Enable Developer Mode in ChatGPT settings first.

Quick Setup:

1. In ChatGPT, go to Settings → Connected Apps → Add
2. Enter the MCP Server URL: https://transcriptapi.com/mcp
3. Client ID & Secret are optional:
   • Leave them blank to use Dynamic Client Registration (recommended/simpler).
   • (Advanced) Or enter Client ID & Secret from your dashboard for static registration.
4. Click Add and authorize via the browser popup.

Full Guide: ChatGPT Integration Guide →

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in VS Code</b></summary>

<img alt="Install in VS Code" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/VS_Code-Install_TranscriptAPI_MCP-0098FF?style=for-the-badge&logo=visualstudiocode&logoColor=white">

Or add this to VS Code user settings (settings.json):

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

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in OpenAI Agent Builder</b></summary>

OpenAI Agent Builder currently requires API Key authentication (OAuth not yet supported).

1. Create a new Agent
2. Under "Actions" or "Tools", add a new MCP Server
3. URL: https://transcriptapi.com/mcp
4. Auth Type: API Key
5. Paste your API Key from the dashboard

Step-by-Step Guide →

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in Windsurf</b></summary>

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

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

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in Cline</b></summary>

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

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in Zed</b></summary>

In Zed settings.json:

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

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in Roo Code</b></summary>

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

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in Amp</b></summary>

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

</details> <details> <summary><b>Install in Augment Code</b></summary>

In settings.json under augment.advanced:

"augment.advanced": {