Allows fetching transcripts for YouTube videos, enabling users to programmatically retrieve video text content for summarization and analysis.
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@ytt-mcp fetch the transcript for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
MCP Server to fetch transcripts for YouTube videos.
The most convenient way to install and run is to use uv and then invoke the package using uvx
Related MCP server: youtube-mcp
uv run fastmcp dev ytt_mcp.pyThis will generate a localhost URL that can be used to examine and test out the server.
Go to Settings → Developer, and then click on Edit Config. This will open the claude-desktop-config.json file in your default editor. Make the following addition
{
"mcpServers": {
…<rest of the config>…
"ytt-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["ytt-mcp"]
}
}
}Relaunch Claude config and try out the server as shown in the screenshot below
If you are using Raycast, you can install the MCP server by invoking the Install Server command from the MCP extension.
After that you can refer to the MCP server as @youtube-transcript and interact with it. You can also use it in a Raycast AI Command with a prompt. For example, here is a prompt I use to extract and summarize a YouTube URL in the clipboard
@youtube-transcript fetch the Youtube transcript of the video: {clipboard | raw}
Comprehensively summarize the transcript with the following format:
"""
### Key Takeaways
- <EXACTLY three bullet points with the key takeaways, keep the bullet points as short as possible>
"""
### Theme Wise Breakdown
<divide the transcript into thematic sections and summarize each section comprehensively. reuse any existing section delimiters the article already has. If not add your own. keep the content of the breakdown in the same order as it appears in the webpage text.>
Some rules to follow precisely:
- ALWAYS capture the perspective and POV of the author
- NEVER come up with additional informationSee video demo below
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e6530768-3483-4cb9-988a-7ec7a999d505
Get the transcript of a YouTube video
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | Yes | YouTube URL or video ID | |
| lang | No | Language code for transcript (e.g., 'en', 'fr', 'de', 'es') | en |
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | Yes |
Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?
With no annotations, the description must disclose behaviors. It only states the basic function, omitting potential failures like missing transcripts, authentication needs, or rate limits.
Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.
Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?
The description is a single clear sentence with no superfluous words, but lacks structure or elaboration.
Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.
Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?
Given the tool's simplicity and the presence of an output schema, the description is minimally adequate, but does not cover edge cases or prerequisites.
Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.
Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?
Schema coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents parameters. The description adds no extra meaning beyond what is in the schema, resulting in a baseline score of 3.
Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.
Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?
Description clearly states the action 'Get' and the resource 'transcript of a YouTube video', making the purpose unambiguous.
Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.
Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?
No guidance on when to use this tool or alternatives. No context about prerequisites or conditions.
Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
v0.1.0get_youtube_transcriptScored across 1 tool
With only one tool, there is no possibility of ambiguity or overlap between tools, as there are no other tools to compare it to. The tool's purpose is clearly distinct by default.
Since there is only one tool, naming consistency is inherently perfect; there are no other tools to create inconsistency or mixed conventions. The tool name follows a clear verb_noun pattern.
A single tool is too few for most practical server purposes, as it severely limits functionality and scope. This feels thin and incomplete for a YouTube-related server, which might typically include operations like search, list, or metadata retrieval.
The tool surface is severely incomplete for a YouTube domain; it only provides transcript retrieval with no support for other common operations like video search, channel information, or playlist management. This will cause significant agent failures in broader tasks.
An MCP server that gives any LLM or agent clean YouTube transcripts on demand: a single video, a whole channel, or a playlist, plus AI cleanup of auto-generated captions. API-key auth, credit-based, same backend as the public v1 API. Get a free API key with 25 free credits at youtubetranscriptdownload.com/account.
MCP server for RiverScript, an AI transcription platform - fetches transcripts shared via a link.
YouTube transcripts, search, channel browsing, and playlists for AI agents via MCP.
An MCP server that provides tools to discover and retrieve podcast episodes transcripts.
