# YouTube Transcript MCP Tool - Implementation Plan
## Status: ✅ COMPLETED
## Overview
Build an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that retrieves transcripts from YouTube videos given a URL.
## Core Functionality
- Accept YouTube video URLs as input
- Extract video ID from various YouTube URL formats (youtube.com, youtu.be, etc.)
- Fetch and return the video transcript
- Handle errors gracefully (no transcript available, invalid URL, private videos, etc.)
## Technical Components
### 1. YouTube URL Parsing
- Support multiple URL formats:
- `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID`
- `https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID`
- `https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID`
- URLs with additional parameters (timestamps, playlists, etc.)
### 2. Transcript Fetching
- Use custom YouTube transcript library
- Handle multiple languages if available
- Return formatted transcript text
### 3. MCP Server Implementation
- Define MCP tool schema
- Implement tool handler for transcript fetching
- Add proper error handling and validation
- Include helpful error messages
## Technology Stack Options
### Option 1: Python
- **Pros**: Good libraries available
- **Library**: Custom implementation
- **MCP SDK**: Official Python MCP SDK
### Option 2: TypeScript/Node.js
- **Pros**: Good TypeScript support, modern async/await
- **Library**: Custom implementation
- **MCP SDK**: Official TypeScript MCP SDK
## Implementation Steps
1. Initialize project with chosen language
2. Install dependencies (MCP SDK + YouTube transcript library)
3. Create MCP server configuration
4. Implement URL parsing logic
5. Implement transcript fetching logic
6. Define MCP tool schema
7. Wire up tool handler
8. Add error handling
9. Test with various YouTube URLs
10. Document usage and installation
## Error Handling
- Invalid URL format
- Video not found
- Transcripts disabled for video
- Network errors
- Rate limiting
## Future Enhancements
- Support for multiple language selection
- Timestamp formatting options
- Batch processing of multiple URLs
- Caching for frequently requested transcripts
