YouTube
A local MCP server for extracting YouTube video transcripts, metadata, and performing visual analysis using Gemini Vision or local Whisper models. It enables users to process video content through various tools for subtitle retrieval and frame analys
What is YouTube?
YouTube is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to local mcp server for extracting youtube video transcripts, metadata, and performing visual analysis using gemini vision or local whisper models. it enables users to process video content through vario...
A local MCP server for extracting YouTube video transcripts, metadata, and performing visual analysis using Gemini Vision or local Whisper models. It enables users to process video content through various tools for subtitle retrieval and frame analys
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A local MCP server for extracting YouTube video transcripts,
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y @miller-joe/youtube-mcpManual Installation
npx -y @miller-joe/youtube-mcpConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use YouTube
youtube-mcp is a local MCP server that gives AI assistants full read and write access to YouTube content — extracting video transcripts and metadata, querying channel analytics, managing comments, creating and populating playlists, editing video titles, descriptions, tags, and privacy settings, and generating AI-powered thumbnails via an optional ComfyUI integration. Unlike read-only YouTube tools, it also exposes write operations through the official YouTube Data and Analytics APIs authenticated with OAuth2. Content creators, marketers, and developers use it to automate channel management and conduct deep video analysis through natural language prompts.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later (for npx execution)
- A Google account with YouTube channel access
- A Google Cloud project with YouTube Data API v3 and YouTube Analytics API enabled
- OAuth 2.0 client credentials downloaded as client_secret.json from Google Cloud Console
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop; optional: ComfyUI running locally for AI thumbnail generation
Enable YouTube APIs in Google Cloud
Go to console.cloud.google.com, create or select a project, and enable both the YouTube Data API v3 and YouTube Analytics API. Then create OAuth 2.0 credentials (Desktop app type) and download the client_secret.json file.
Run the initial OAuth authentication flow
Execute the auth command, pointing it at your downloaded credentials file. This opens a browser for Google OAuth consent and saves a refresh token locally for future use.
npx @miller-joe/youtube-mcp --auth --client-secret-file ./client_secret.jsonConfigure Claude Desktop
Add the server to claude_desktop_config.json. Set YOUTUBE_CLIENT_ID and YOUTUBE_CLIENT_SECRET from your Google Cloud credentials. YOUTUBE_TOKEN_FILE should point to where the token was saved in step 2.
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@miller-joe/youtube-mcp", "--stdio"],
"env": {
"YOUTUBE_CLIENT_ID": "your-client-id.apps.googleusercontent.com",
"YOUTUBE_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-client-secret",
"YOUTUBE_TOKEN_FILE": "/Users/yourname/.config/youtube-mcp/token.json"
}
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Save the configuration file and fully restart Claude Desktop. The youtube-mcp tools for transcripts, analytics, playlists, and video management will be available in your next conversation.
Optional: enable AI thumbnail generation with ComfyUI
If you have ComfyUI running locally, add the COMFYUI_URL environment variable to enable AI-powered thumbnail generation features.
"COMFYUI_URL": "http://localhost:8188"YouTube Examples
Client configuration (Claude Desktop)
Full claude_desktop_config.json entry for youtube-mcp with OAuth credentials and token file path.
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@miller-joe/youtube-mcp", "--stdio"],
"env": {
"YOUTUBE_CLIENT_ID": "your-client-id.apps.googleusercontent.com",
"YOUTUBE_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-client-secret",
"YOUTUBE_TOKEN_FILE": "/Users/yourname/.config/youtube-mcp/token.json"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts that exercise transcript extraction, analytics, and channel management capabilities.
- "Get the full transcript of YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
- "Show me the top 10 videos on my channel by view count this month."
- "Update the description of video ID abc123 to include a link to our newsletter."
- "Create a new playlist called 'Best of 2025' and add videos abc123 and def456 to it."
- "Reply to the top comment on video xyz789 with a thank-you message."Troubleshooting YouTube
OAuth authentication fails with 'redirect_uri_mismatch' error
In Google Cloud Console, go to your OAuth 2.0 client credentials and add 'urn:ietf:wg:oauth:2.0:oob' or 'http://localhost' to the authorized redirect URIs. Re-download the updated client_secret.json and re-run the --auth command.
API quota exceeded errors when querying analytics
YouTube Data API v3 has a daily quota of 10,000 units for most free projects. Batch multiple metadata requests into a single call and avoid polling. Request a quota increase in Google Cloud Console if needed for production use.
Token file not found error on server startup
The token file is created during the --auth flow. If it is missing, re-run 'npx @miller-joe/youtube-mcp --auth --client-secret-file ./client_secret.json' to regenerate it. Ensure YOUTUBE_TOKEN_FILE in your config points to the exact path where the token was saved.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube
What is YouTube?
YouTube is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that local mcp server for extracting youtube video transcripts, metadata, and performing visual analysis using gemini vision or local whisper models. it enables users to process video content through various tools for subtitle retrieval and frame analys It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install YouTube?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y @miller-joe/youtube-mcp. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with YouTube?
YouTube works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is YouTube free to use?
Yes, YouTube is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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