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๐Ÿ’ฏ YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP For AI Agents

  • 7 repo stars
  • Updated May 20, 2026
  • ZeroPointRepo/youtube-mcp

YouTube Transcript + Search MCP is an MCP server that lets agents fetch YouTube transcripts and search videos quickly over streamable HTTP.

About

YouTube Transcript + Search MCP is a hosted Model Context Protocol server for developers who treat YouTube as a research library. Instead of watching hours of video or fighting unofficial transcript scrapers, you register transcriptapi.com/mcp and let your agent fetch transcripts and search results while you validate ideas, study competitors, or draft content outlines. Skillselion places it at Idea โ†’ Research because the strongest fit is early-cycle learning and evidence gathering, though the same tools support Grow content workflows once you ship. It suits agent-driven research and content products more than native mobile apps. Check transcriptapi.com for rate limits and API keys on paid use; the listing emphasizes speed and a free trial entry point for agent experimentation.

  • Streamable-http MCP at https://transcriptapi.com/mcp
  • Combined YouTube transcript retrieval and YouTube search in one server
  • Positioned as fast transcript access for AI agent workflows
  • Free tier messaging: try for free on transcriptapi.com
  • Open-source lineage: ZeroPointRepo/youtube-mcp on GitHub

๐Ÿ’ฏ YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP For AI Agents by the numbers

  • Data as of Jul 11, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
terminal
claude mcp add --transport http youtube-transcript-and-youtube-search https://transcriptapi.com/mcp

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Last updatedMay 20, 2026
RepositoryZeroPointRepo/youtube-mcp โ†—

What it does

Pull YouTube transcripts and run video search from your agent for competitor teardowns, tutorial mining, and content research without manual copy-paste.

Who is it for?

Best when you're doing market research, tutorial synthesis, podcast-style video mining, or SEO content planning with Claude Code or Cursor.

Skip if: Skip if you need official YouTube Data API quota management only, offline media archives, or platforms beyond YouTube.

What you get

After registration, your agent can search YouTube and return transcripts inside prompts for faster niche and competitor research.

  • Agent-callable YouTube transcript fetches
  • YouTube search results usable in research and content prompts
  • Repeatable video-to-text pipeline without manual transcription

By the numbers

  • Server version 1.0.0
  • Remote endpoint: https://transcriptapi.com/mcp
  • GitHub repository: github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-mcp
README.md

TranscriptAPI

YouTube Transcript + YouTube Search MCP for AI Agents

The fastest YouTube transcript + YouTube search MCP for AI agents. Try for free.
Six tools โ€” transcripts, video search, channel browsing, in-channel search, playlist extraction, and new-upload polling โ€” for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code, and 20+ clients.

Install in Cursor Install in VS Code

Website Docs Swagger MIT License

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


Why TranscriptAPI MCP

Most YouTube MCP servers do one thing โ€” 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 โ€” all from one remote endpoint, all designed for AI agents.

TranscriptAPI MCP Typical YouTube MCP
Hosting โœ… Remote (no local install) โŒ Local stdio install
Tools โœ… 6 tools โŒ 1 (transcript only)
YouTube search โœ… Yes โŒ No
Channel & playlist extraction โœ… Yes โŒ No
Latest-uploads monitoring (free) โœ… Yes โŒ No
OAuth 2.1 + API key auth โœ… Both โŒ Usually neither
Production scale (15M+ req/mo) โœ… Yes โŒ Hobbyist scrapers
Works on mobile Claude & web Claude โœ… Yes โŒ No
Agent-friendly error messages โœ… Yes โŒ 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 โ€” search_youtube, search_channel_videos, get_youtube_transcript โ€” without you writing a line of code.


๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Quick Install

Requirements:

  • A TranscriptAPI account (sign up free โ€” 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.
Install in Cursor (One-Click / Manual)

One-Click Install:

Install MCP Server

Manual Configuration:

Go to: Settings โ†’ Features โ†’ MCP โ†’ 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"
      }
    }
  }
}
Install in Claude (Desktop & Web) โ€” Recommended

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

Quick Setup:

  1. Open Claude Settings (click your profile icon โ†’ Settings)
  2. Go to Connectors โ†’ 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 โ†’

Install in Claude Code (CLI)
claude mcp add --transport http transcript-api https://transcriptapi.com/mcp
Install in ChatGPT

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

Quick Setup:

  1. In ChatGPT, go to Settings โ†’ Connected Apps โ†’ 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 โ†’

Install in VS Code

Install in VS Code

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"
    }
  }
}
Install in OpenAI Agent Builder

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 โ†’

Install in Windsurf

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

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

In Zed settings.json:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "source": "remote",
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
Install in Roo Code
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
Install in Amp
amp mcp add transcript-api https://transcriptapi.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
Install in Augment Code

In settings.json under augment.advanced:

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

In .kilocode/mcp.json:

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

In Settings โ†’ Tools โ†’ AI Assistant โ†’ MCP:

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

In ~/.gemini/settings.json:

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

In ~/.qwen/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "httpUrl": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
Install in Google Antigravity
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "serverUrl": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
Install in Trae
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
Install in LM Studio

In mcp.json:

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

In Plugins โ†’ JSON Config:

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

In Settings โ†’ AI โ†’ MCP:

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

In Settings โ†’ Connectors โ†’ Advanced:

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

๐Ÿ” 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 โ€” 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 โ†’


๐Ÿงฐ 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 โ€” 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" }
}

2. search_youtube

Search YouTube for videos or channels. Filter by type and paginate with a continuation token โ€” 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.

3. get_channel_latest_videos ยท FREE

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

Parameter Type Default Description
channel string required @handle, channel URL, or UCโ€ฆ channel ID

Cost: Free.

Example prompt:

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

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 UCโ€ฆ 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.

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 UCโ€ฆ ID
continuation string null Pagination token

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


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).


๐Ÿ’ก Use Cases & Prompts

Use Case Example Prompt
๐Ÿ“ Summarize a video "Summarize the key points from this video: [URL]"
๐Ÿ” Research a topic "Search YouTube for the 5 most-watched videos on neural radiance fields; summarize each."
๐Ÿง  Study notes "Create study notes from this MIT lecture series playlist: [PLAYLIST URL]"
โš–๏ธ Compare perspectives "Compare arguments in these two videos: [URL1] [URL2]"
๐ŸŒ Translate "Translate this video's transcript to Spanish: [URL]"
โœ๏ธ Repurpose content "Turn this video into a 1,500-word blog post: [URL]"
๐Ÿ“ก Monitor a creator "Each morning, list new uploads from @hubermanlab and tell me which to watch."
๐Ÿ›๏ธ Build a content database "Pull every video from @veritasium and store title + transcript."
๐ŸŽฏ Competitor analysis "Search inside @MKBHD for any video about [competitor product] and summarize the takeaways."

๐Ÿ’ณ 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 ยท Manage credits

๐Ÿšจ Troubleshooting

Authentication errors (401)
  • 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
No credits (402)
  • Check your credit balance at the dashboard
  • Purchase more credits or upgrade your plan
Video not available (404)
  • The video might not have captions/subtitles enabled
  • The video might be private or age-restricted
  • The video might be region-locked
Rate limiting (429)
  • Respect the Retry-After header
  • Implement exponential backoff in your client
  • Upgrade to a paid plan for higher limits
OAuth issues
  • Clear browser cookies and try again
  • For ChatGPT, try switching between Dynamic and Static registration
  • Ensure popup blockers aren't preventing the auth window

๐Ÿ”— Also available as a REST API

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

MCP REST API
Best for AI assistants & agents Apps & backend services
Setup Add a URL Code integration
Get started This README API docs โ†’ ยท Swagger โ†’

Base URL: https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2


๐Ÿค Connect


๐Ÿ“‹ MCP Registry

This server is published to the official Model Context Protocol Registry under the name:

com.transcriptapi/youtube-transcript-and-youtube-search

ยฉ 2026 Zero Point Studio d.o.o. ยท Released under the MIT License

Recommended MCP Servers

How it compares

YouTube-focused transcript MCP, not a general web scraper skill or video editor plugin.

FAQ

Who is YouTube Transcript + Search MCP for?

It is for developers and content-focused agents that need fast YouTube transcripts and search without building scrapers.

When should I use YouTube Transcript + Search MCP?

Use it during idea research, competitor reviews, or content planning when video sources must become quotable text inside agent workflows.

How do I add YouTube Transcript + Search MCP to my agent?

Add com.transcriptapi/youtube-transcript-and-youtube-search with remote https://transcriptapi.com/mcp and sign up at transcriptapi.com for API access as needed.

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