YouTube Transcript
Enables users to extract, search, and analyze YouTube video transcripts directly within MCP-compatible clients. It supports advanced features like time-chunked summaries, keyword searching with surrounding context, and batch processing for multiple v
What is YouTube Transcript?
YouTube Transcript is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables users to extract, search, and analyze youtube video transcripts directly within mcp-compatible clients. it supports advanced features like time-chunked summaries, keyword searching with surrou...
Enables users to extract, search, and analyze YouTube video transcripts directly within MCP-compatible clients. It supports advanced features like time-chunked summaries, keyword searching with surrounding context, and batch processing for multiple v
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Enables users to extract, search, and analyze YouTube video
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx youtube-transcript-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use YouTube Transcript
The YouTube Transcript MCP server, built with Python by Junya Kawamoto, gives AI clients direct access to YouTube video transcripts through four dedicated tools: plain transcript retrieval, timestamped transcripts, video metadata, and available-language listing. It supports language selection, configurable response size limits to stay within context windows, and optional residential proxy credentials for regions where the YouTube transcript API is restricted — making it ideal for summarising talks, researching video content, or batch-processing entire channels.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or later with the uv package manager installed (https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop
- Internet access to reach the YouTube transcript API
- Optional: Webshare residential proxy credentials (WEBSHARE_PROXY_USERNAME / WEBSHARE_PROXY_PASSWORD) if YouTube is blocked in your region
Verify uv is installed
The server is distributed as a Python package and launched via uvx, so uv must be available. Install it with the official script if needed.
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
uv --versionTest the server manually
Run the server once from the command line to confirm it starts without errors. Press Ctrl+C to stop it afterwards.
uvx --from git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-youtube-transcript mcp-youtube-transcriptConfigure Claude Desktop
Add the server to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows). The --response-limit flag keeps individual responses under the client's context limit.
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube-transcript": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"--from",
"git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-youtube-transcript",
"mcp-youtube-transcript",
"--response-limit",
"15000"
]
}
}
}Add proxy credentials (optional)
If YouTube is blocked in your region, add Webshare residential proxy credentials as environment variables in the MCP config entry.
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube-transcript": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"--from",
"git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-youtube-transcript",
"mcp-youtube-transcript"
],
"env": {
"WEBSHARE_PROXY_USERNAME": "your_proxy_user",
"WEBSHARE_PROXY_PASSWORD": "your_proxy_pass"
}
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Quit and reopen Claude Desktop to load the new MCP server. The hammer icon in the toolbar confirms a successful connection.
YouTube Transcript Examples
Client configuration
Minimal Claude Desktop config for the YouTube Transcript server with a 15 000-character response limit.
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube-transcript": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"--from",
"git+https://github.com/jkawamoto/mcp-youtube-transcript",
"mcp-youtube-transcript",
"--response-limit",
"15000"
]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Sample prompts that exercise all four transcript tools.
- "Get the full transcript of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
- "Fetch the timestamped transcript of this video so I can find specific moments: https://youtu.be/abc123"
- "What languages are available for the transcript of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyz789?"
- "Summarise the key points from this YouTube talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example"
- "Get the video metadata (title, description, duration) for https://youtu.be/test456"Troubleshooting YouTube Transcript
TranscriptsDisabled or NoTranscriptFound error when fetching a video
Not all YouTube videos have transcripts enabled. Try the get_available_languages tool first to confirm transcripts exist. If none are listed, the video owner has disabled them and there is no workaround.
Rate-limiting or 429 errors from the YouTube transcript API
Add residential proxy credentials via the WEBSHARE_PROXY_USERNAME and WEBSHARE_PROXY_PASSWORD environment variables in your MCP config. You can also lower the --response-limit value to reduce the number of API calls per session.
uvx reports the package is not found or fails to install
Ensure you are using the full --from git+https://... syntax rather than a package name, because the package is not on PyPI. Also confirm that git is on your PATH and that uv is at version 0.4 or later.
Frequently Asked Questions about YouTube Transcript
What is YouTube Transcript?
YouTube Transcript is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables users to extract, search, and analyze youtube video transcripts directly within mcp-compatible clients. it supports advanced features like time-chunked summaries, keyword searching with surrounding context, and batch processing for multiple v It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install YouTube Transcript?
Follow the installation instructions on the YouTube Transcript GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with YouTube Transcript?
YouTube Transcript works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is YouTube Transcript free to use?
Yes, YouTube Transcript 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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Set Up YouTube Transcript in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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