YouTube Transcript MCP Server

YouTube Transcript Remote MCP Server

The first remote Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables Claude AI to extract transcripts from YouTube videos. This server offers zero-setup access for users on any platform including mobile devices.

🌟 Features

• Zero Local Setup: No installation required - works directly from the cloud
• Universal Access: Works on desktop, mobile, and web versions of Claude
• Smart Caching: Efficient caching system using Cloudflare KV for fast responses
• Multi-language Support: Extract transcripts in different languages
• Error Handling: Robust error handling with user-friendly messages
• Analytics: Built-in request tracking and usage analytics
• URL Flexibility: Handles all YouTube URL formats (youtube.com, youtu.be, m.youtube.com, etc.)

🚀 Quick Start

Option 1: Use Our Hosted Server (Recommended)

The easiest way to get started - just add our public server to your Claude Desktop:

For Claude Desktop Users

1. Open Claude Desktop Settings

   • Click on "Claude" in the menu bar → "Settings"
   • Navigate to "Developer" tab
   • Click "Edit Config"

2. Add the MCP Server Configuration

   Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "youtube-transcript": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "mcp-remote",
           "https://youtube-transcript-mcp.ergut.workers.dev/sse"
         ]
       }
     }
   }
   

3. Restart Claude Desktop

   After saving the config file, restart Claude Desktop to load the server.

4. Verify Installation

   Look for the tools icon (🔧) in the chat interface. You should see the get_transcript tool available.

Option 2: Deploy Your Own

Want to run your own instance? Deploy to Cloudflare Workers in one click:

Or manually:

git clone https://github.com/ergut/youtube-transcript-mcp
cd youtube-transcript-mcp
npm install
npm run deploy

For Other MCP Clients

The server supports the standard MCP protocol and can be used with any compatible client:

• Public Server URL: https://youtube-transcript-mcp.ergut.workers.dev/sse
• Transport: Server-Sent Events (SSE) or HTTP
• Authentication: None required (public server)

📖 Usage Examples

Basic Transcript Extraction

Extract the transcript from this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Multi-language Support

Can you get the transcript of this video in Turkish: https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID

Extract the Spanish transcript from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

Supported URL Formats

The server automatically handles all YouTube URL formats:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
• https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
• https://www.youtube.com/live/VIDEO_ID
• https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID
• https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID
• International domains (youtube.co.uk, youtube.de, etc.)

All tracking parameters (like ?si=, &t=, etc.) are automatically removed.

🛠 Available Tools

`get_transcript`

Extracts the transcript from a YouTube video URL.

Parameters:

• url (required): YouTube video URL in any format
• language (optional): Language code for the transcript (e.g., 'en', 'es', 'fr'). Defaults to 'en'.

Example Usage:

{
  "name": "get_transcript",
  "arguments": {
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
    "language": "en"
  }
}

🔧 Advanced Configuration

Debug Logging

To enable detailed logging for troubleshooting:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://youtube-transcript-mcp.ergut.workers.dev/sse",
        "--debug"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Debug logs will be created in ~/.mcp-auth/{server_hash}_debug.log.

HTTP Transport Only

To force HTTP transport instead of SSE:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://youtube-transcript-mcp.ergut.workers.dev/mcp",
        "--transport",
        "http-only"
      ]
    }
  }
}

📊 Server Information

• Hosting: Cloudflare Workers
• Caching: Cloudflare KV with 7-day cache for successful transcripts
• Rate Limiting: Built-in retry logic with exponential backoff
• Uptime: 99.9%+ availability through Cloudflare's global network
• **Resp