YouTube MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for interacting with YouTube videos. This server provides tools for extracting video metadata, captions, and converting them to markdown format with various templates.
Features
- Video Metadata: Fetch comprehensive video information
- Caption Extraction: Support for auto-generated and manual captions
- Multiple Languages: Built-in support for English and French
- Template System: Three built-in markdown templates:
- Basic: Simple transcript format
- Detailed: Full metadata with timestamps
- Search: Results highlighting with context
- Search Functionality: Search within video captions
- Flexible Authentication: Supports both API key and OAuth2 authentication
Prerequisites
- Node.js (v16 or higher)
- npm or yarn
- A YouTube Data API key and/or OAuth2 credentials
Installation
- Clone the repository:
git clone [repository-url]
cd youtube-mcp
- Install dependencies:
- Build the project:
Configuration
Create a .env file in the root directory with your YouTube credentials:
YOUTUBE_API_KEY=your_api_key
YOUTUBE_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
YOUTUBE_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret
YOUTUBE_REFRESH_TOKEN=your_refresh_token # Optional, for OAuth2
MCP Configuration
Add the server to your MCP settings file (usually at ~/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/rooveterinaryinc.roo-cline/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["path/to/youtube-mcp/build/index.js"],
"env": {
"YOUTUBE_API_KEY": "your_api_key",
"YOUTUBE_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id",
"YOUTUBE_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret"
},
"disabled": false,
"alwaysAllow": []
}
}
}
Usage
The server provides the following tools:
1. Get Video Info
use_mcp_tool youtube get_video_info {
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
}
2. Get Captions
use_mcp_tool youtube get_captions {
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID",
"language": "en" // Optional, defaults to "en"
}
3. Convert to Markdown
use_mcp_tool youtube convert_to_markdown {
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID",
"template_name": "detailed", // Optional, "basic", "detailed", or "search"
"language": "en", // Optional
"options": { // Optional
"include_chapters": true,
"search_term": "keyword" // Only for search template
}
}
4. List Templates
use_mcp_tool youtube list_templates
Dependencies
{
"dependencies": {
"@modelcontextprotocol/sdk": "latest",
"googleapis": "^146.0.0",
"google-auth-library": "^9.0.0",
"youtube-captions-scraper": "^2.0.0",
"express": "^4.18.2",
"open": "^9.1.0"
},
"devDependencies": {
"@types/node": "^20.0.0",
"typescript": "^5.0.0",
"tsx": "^4.0.0"
}
}
OAuth2 Setup
For OAuth2 authentication (required for private video access):
- Create a project in the Google Cloud Console
- Enable the YouTube Data API v3
- Create OAuth2 credentials (Web application type)
- Run the authentication script:
- Follow the browser prompts to authorize the application
- Copy the refresh token to your configuration
Customizing Templates
You can add custom templates by modifying the DEFAULT_TEMPLATES array in src/index.ts. Templates follow this structure:
interface MarkdownTemplate {
name: string;
description: string;
format: {
header?: string;
chapter_format?: string;
caption_block: string;
timestamp_format?: string;
search_result_format?: string;
}
}
License
MIT
Contributing
- Fork the repository
- Create your feature branch (
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature) - Commit your changes (
git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature') - Push to the branch (
git push origin feature/amazing-feature) - Open a Pull Request