README.md
Search videos, get transcripts, and browse channels without API keys.
YouTube MCP Server
A zero-config MCP server for YouTube. Search videos, get transcripts, browse channels, and search across a creator's entire content. No API keys needed.
Quick Start
uvx yt-mcp-server
Or install with pip:
pip install yt-mcp-server
Setup
Claude Desktop
Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["--from", "yt-mcp-server", "youtube-mcp-server"]
}
}
}
Claude Code
claude mcp add youtube -- uvx yt-mcp-server
Cursor
Add to your Cursor MCP settings:
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["--from", "yt-mcp-server", "youtube-mcp-server"]
}
}
}
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
search_channel_transcripts |
Search across ALL videos of a channel — find what any creator said about any topic |
search_transcript |
Search within a single video's transcript |
get_transcript |
Get full transcript with timestamps |
search_videos |
Search YouTube for videos |
get_video_info |
Get video details — title, description, stats, chapters |
get_channel_info |
Get channel info — subscribers, description, video count |
get_channel_videos |
List videos from a channel, sorted by date or popularity |
get_comments |
Get video comments sorted by relevance |
Example Prompts
"Find me the best videos on how to scale a B2B SaaS from 0 to $1M ARR"
→ search_videos
"Show me everything @AlexHormozi posted this month"
→ get_channel_videos
"Summarize this interview with Sam Altman: https://youtube.com/watch?v=..."
→ get_transcript
"What exactly did @AlexHormozi say about making offers? Give me the timestamps"
→ search_channel_transcripts — searches all videos, returns exact passages with links
"Compare how @ycombinator and @AlexHormozi think about product-market fit"
→ search_channel_transcripts on both channels
HTTP Transport
Run as a standalone HTTP server:
yt-mcp-server --transport streamable-http --port 8000
Requirements
- Python 3.10+
- yt-dlp (installed automatically)
- No API keys or authentication required
Note
Transcript features (get_transcript, search_transcript, search_channel_transcripts) use YouTube's internal API, which may rate-limit after many requests in a short period. Normal usage (a few queries per session) works fine.
Acknowledgments
Built with the assistance of Claude by Anthropic.
License
MIT
Tools (8)
search_channel_transcriptsSearch across all videos of a channel to find what a creator said about a topic.search_transcriptSearch within a single video's transcript.get_transcriptGet full transcript with timestamps.search_videosSearch YouTube for videos.get_video_infoGet video details including title, description, stats, and chapters.get_channel_infoGet channel info including subscribers, description, and video count.get_channel_videosList videos from a channel, sorted by date or popularity.get_commentsGet video comments sorted by relevance.Configuration
claude_desktop_config.json
{"mcpServers": {"youtube": {"command": "uvx", "args": ["--from", "yt-mcp-server", "youtube-mcp-server"]}}}Try it
→Find me the best videos on how to scale a B2B SaaS from 0 to $1M ARR
→Show me everything @AlexHormozi posted this month
→Summarize this interview with Sam Altman: https://youtube.com/watch?v=...
→What exactly did @AlexHormozi say about making offers? Give me the timestamps
→Compare how @ycombinator and @AlexHormozi think about product-market fit