rip_transcript
Retrieve YouTube video transcripts and save them as Markdown or timestamped JSON files for AI agents, RAG pipelines, and LLM workflows.
Instructions
Extract the full transcript from a YouTube video. By default, saves the transcript as a Markdown file to disk and returns a resource_link + metadata (title, channel, language, duration, word count, saved path, preview). The full transcript text is NOT returned by default — this keeps context lean and gives the user a persistent file they can reuse. After calling, always tell the user where the file was saved. If you need the transcript text later (summarize, search, extract quotes), read the returned resource rather than re-ripping. Pass return_text: true only for short clips or when the user explicitly asks for the transcript inline. Pass format: 'segments' to save timestamped JSON instead of Markdown.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | Yes | YouTube video URL. Supports any YouTube URL format (watch, youtu.be, embed, shorts, or bare 11-char ID). | |
| format | No | Saved file format. 'text' writes a Markdown file with YAML frontmatter and a continuous transcript block (best for RAG/LLM). 'segments' writes a JSON file with timestamped segments (best for chapter markers, precise citations). Default: text. | |
| save_path | No | Optional override for where to save the transcript. Can be an absolute path, a ~/-relative path, a directory (file is named automatically), or a full file path. When you save outside the default directory, the returned resource_link still points to the saved file so it can be read later. Default: ~/rippr/transcripts/<slug>_<videoId>.<ext> | |
| return_text | No | If true, include the full transcript text in the tool response alongside the resource_link. Default: false. Use true only for short clips or when the user explicitly wants the transcript inline. |