YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP for AI Agents

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.

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"
      }
    }
  }
}

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 →

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

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 →

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"
    }
  }
}

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 →

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

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

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

In Zed settings.json:

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

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

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

In settings.json under augment.advanced:

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

In .kilocode/mcp.json:

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

In Settings → Tools → AI Assistant → MCP:

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

In ~/.gemini/settings.json:

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

In ~/.qwen/settings.json:

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

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

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

In mcp.json:

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

In Plugins → JSON Config:

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

In Settings → AI → MCP:

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

In Settings → Connectors → Advanced:

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

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🔐 Authentication

API Key

Simple and universal. Works with every MCP client.

1. Get your API key from your dashboard
2. Keys start with sk_ prefix
3. Add to config as a Bearer token:

"headers": {
  "Authorization": "Bearer sk_your_api_key_here"
}

Security: Store keys in environment variables where possible and never commit them to version control.

OAuth 2.1

Automatic, secure authentication without manual key management.

Dynamic Client Registration (DCR):

• Supported by: Claude Desktop, Claude Web, ChatGPT
• Just add the MCP URL — client auto-registers
• No credentials needed
• You'll authorize once via browser redirect

Static Client Registration:

• Supported by: ChatGPT (optional)
• Get Client ID + Secret from the MCP Integration Dashboard
• More control over client identity

Full reference: Authentication docs →

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🧰 Available Tools

All six tools are exposed automatically once you connect. 1 credit = 1 successful (HTTP 200) request. Failed/rate-limited calls do not consume credits.

1. get_youtube_transcript

Fetch the transcript for any YouTube video — as markdown (with metadata) or structured JSON. Drop the output straight into summarizers, search indexes, or AI pipelines.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
video_url	string	required	YouTube URL (full or short) or 11-char video ID
send_metadata	boolean	true	Include video title, author, thumbnail
format	string	"text"	"text" (markdown) or "json"
include_timestamp	boolean	true	Add timestamps to each segment

Cost: 1 credit per successful request.

Example output (markdown):

# Metadata

## Title: Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
## Author: RickAstleyVEVO

# Transcript

[0.0s] Never gonna give you up
[4.12s] Never gonna let you down

Example output (JSON):

{
  "transcript": [
    { "text": "Never gonna give you up", "start": 0.0, "duration": 4.12 },
    { "text": "Never gonna let you down", "start": 4.12, "duration": 3.85 }
  ],
  "metadata": { "title": "Rick Astley...", "author_name": "RickAstleyVEVO" }
}

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2. search_youtube

Search YouTube for videos or channels. Filter by type and paginate with a continuation token — perfect for discovery, research, and building content pipelines.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
query	string	required	Search query
search_type	string	"video"	"video" or "channel"
continuation	string	null	Token from a prior call for next page

Cost: 1 credit per page (~20 results per page).

Example prompt:

Search YouTube for "transformer architecture explained" and pick the
top 3 results by relevance.

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3. get_channel_latest_videos · FREE

Get the ~15 most recent uploads from any channel via RSS — no credits required. Perfect for monitoring, daily recaps, or triggering downstream pipelines.

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

Cost: Free.

Example prompt:

Every morning, list new uploads from @lexfridman and @hubermanlab.

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4. search_channel_videos

Search inside one specific channel for videos matching a query. Great for researching a creator's content or finding niche topics in large channels.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
channel	string	required	@handle, channel URL, or UC… ID
query	string	required	Query to search within the channel
continuation	string	null	Pagination token

Cost: 1 credit per page (~30 results per page).

Example prompt:

On Andrew Huberman's channel, find every video about sleep.

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5. list_channel_videos

List every video on a channel, ~100 per page. Ideal for building databases, bulk transcript extraction, or auditing a channel's full content library.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
channel	string	required	@handle, channel URL, or UC… ID
continuation	string	null	Pagination token

Cost: 1 credit per page (~100 results per page).

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6. list_playlist_videos

Get every video in a YouTube playlist (PL/UU/LL/FL/OL IDs supported). Process entire courses, lecture series, or curated collections in a single call.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
playlist	string	required	Playlist URL or playlist ID
continuation	string	null	Pagination token

Cost: 1 credit per page (~100 results per page).

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💡 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]"
⚖️ Compare perspectives	"Compare arguments in these two videos: [URL1] [URL2]"
🌐 Translate	"Translate this video's transcript to Spanish: [URL]"
✍️ Repurpose content	"Turn this video into a 1,500-word blog post: [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."
🎯 Competitor analysis	"Search inside @MKBHD for any video about [competitor product] and summarize the takeaways."

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💳 Pricing & Rate Limits

Plan	Price	Credits	Rate Limit
Free	$0 (one-time)	100	60 req/min
Starter Monthly	$5/month	1,000/month	200 req/min
Starter Annual	$54/year ($4.50/mo)	1,000/month	300 req/min

• 1 Credit = 1 successful request (HTTP 200)
• Failed and rate-limited requests do not consume credits.
• get_channel_latest_videos is free (no credits charged).
• View pricing · Manage credits

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🚨 Troubleshooting

• Verify your API key starts with sk_
• Check for extra spaces when copying
• Ensure the key is active in your dashboard
• If using OAuth, try re-authorizing

• Check your credit balance at the dashboard
• Purchase more credits or upgrade your plan

• The video might not have captions/subtitles enabled
• The video might be private or age-restricted
• The video might be region-locked

• Respect the Retry-After header
• Implement exponential backoff in your client
• Upgrade to a paid plan for higher limits

• Clear browser cookies and try again
• For ChatGPT, try switching between Dynamic and Static registration
• Ensure popup blockers aren't preventing the auth window

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🔗 Also available as a REST API

Building an app instead of an agent? The same backend ships as a JSON REST API.