Youtube
About
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for YouTube video transcripts and search.
Details
- Author
- cactusaurelius
- Downloads
- 412
- Categories
- Media
Jump to
- Get video transcripts with timestamps
- Search YouTube videos by query
- Search YouTube channels by query
- Get video lists from a specific channel
- Chunking support for large transcripts
Setting up with Highlight
This MCP is not yet compatible with Highlight’s one-click setup. However, you can still use it with Highlight by following these steps:
- Download and install Highlight from highlightai.com/download
- Navigate to the plugins tab and select "Add Custom Plugin"
-
Configure the plugin with the settings below
Plugin Name
YoutubeCommand (node, npx, python, etc.)Please refer to the README for specific instructions on how to obtain API keys or other required environment variables.
- Enable "Start Automatically" if you want the plugin to start when Highlight launches
From the repository
Install globally via npm: npm install -g @inlustris/youtube-mcp. Then add the server to your MCP client configuration (e.g., in .cursor/mcp.json) using the command npx -y @inlustris/youtube-mcp@latest. The server exposes tools that can be called from any MCP-compatible client.
get_transcript
Retrieves the full transcript of a specified YouTube video. This tool is useful for understanding video content without watching it, or for extracting textual information from videos. FORMATTING GUIDANCE (optional - user instructions override): When creating summaries, consider using: **Key Points with Timestamps:** Use [MM:SS] or [HH:MM:SS] inline references. **Structure:** Break into logical sections. **Context:** Include video title and channel. Example: 'The speaker explains TypeScript generics [05:30] and shows practical examples [08:15].' This formatting is optional - always follow any specific user instructions instead.
search_videos
Searches YouTube for videos matching the specified query. Returns a list of video results with title, video ID, and channel information. Results are sorted by rating by default for better quality content.
search_channels
Searches YouTube for channels matching the specified query. You can specify a sort order for the results (default: rating).
get_channel_videos
Retrieves a list of videos from a specified YouTube channel. This tool is useful for getting all videos uploaded by a specific channel.
get_video_frame
Captures a screenshot from a YouTube video at a specified timestamp. Requires yt-dlp for full-quality captures; falls back to lower-resolution YouTube storyboards (320x180 max) if yt-dlp is not installed.
Claude Desktop / Cursor
Paste into your MCP client config file to install this server.
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"youtube": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@inlustris/youtube-mcp@latest"
]
}
}
}
}McpServers
{
"youtube": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@inlustris/youtube-mcp@latest"
]
}
}@inlustris/youtube-mcp
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for YouTube video transcripts and search.
Features
- Get YouTube video transcripts with timestamps
- Search YouTube videos and channels
- Get channel video lists
- Chunking support for large transcripts
Installation
npm install -g @inlustris/youtube-mcp
Configuration
Add to your MCP client config (e.g., .cursor/mcp.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@inlustris/youtube-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}
Available Tools
get_transcript
Get video transcript from YouTube URL.
Parameters:
- videoUrl (required): YouTube video URL
- chunkSize (optional): Max characters per chunk
- chunkBySilence (optional): Split by silence breaks
- silenceThreshold (optional): Silence duration in ms
search_videos
Search YouTube videos.
Parameters:
- query (required): Search terms
- sortBy (optional): relevance, date, rating, viewCount, title
search_channels
Search YouTube channels.
Parameters:
- query (required): Search terms
- sortBy (optional): relevance, date, rating, viewCount, title, videoCount
get_channel_videos
Get videos from a channel.
Parameters:
- channelId (required): YouTube channel ID
- maxResults (optional): Number of videos (max 200)
Development
npm install
npm run dev # Development server
npm run start:http # HTTP server for testing
License
MIT
Keywords
YouTube transcript, MCP server, Model Context Protocol, YouTube API, video transcript extraction, AI tools, TypeScript, FastMCP, YouTube search, channel analysis, video content analysis, transcript chunking, Claude Desktop, Cursor IDE, AI development tools, YouTube data extraction, video processing, content analysis, automated transcription
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