YouTube MCP

Connect AI assistants to YouTube - search, transcripts, metadata, and more.

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YouTube MCP

Connect AI assistants to YouTube - search, transcripts, metadata, and more.

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What can it do?

Once connected, your AI can:

  • Extract clean, word-for-word video transcripts - no credentials required.
  • Search YouTube for videos, channels, and playlists.
  • Retrieve video stats, metadata, comments, and captions.

Getting Started

The server supports three access tiers. Pick the one that fits your use case.

Guest Mode (No Setup)

Works out of the box. The get_video_transcript tool uses yt-dlp to extract transcripts without any API credentials.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mrsknetwork/ytmcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

API Key (Recommended)

Unlocks all public data tools. Best for search, metadata, comments, and transcripts.

1. Get a Google API Key

  1. Open the Google Cloud Console.
  2. Enable YouTube Data API v3 for your project.
  3. Go to Credentials and create an API Key.

2. Add to your MCP client config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mrsknetwork/ytmcp@latest", "YOUR_GOOGLE_API_KEY"]
    }
  }
}

OAuth 2.0

Required for private subscriptions, memberships, and account activity.

1. Create an OAuth 2.0 Client

  1. Open the Google Cloud Console.
  2. Enable YouTube Data API v3 for your project.
  3. Go to Credentials > Create Credentials > OAuth 2.0 Client ID.
  4. Set Application type to Web application.
  5. Add this exact Redirect URI: http://localhost:31415/oauth2callback.
  6. Go to OAuth Consent Screen > Test Users and add your Gmail address.

2. Add to your MCP client config

Credentials are passed securely via environment variables in the MCP config. They are never stored in files.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mrsknetwork/ytmcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID": "your-client-id.apps.googleusercontent.com",
        "GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-client-secret"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. First-time login

On your first tool call, the AI will share a login link. Click it, authorize the app in your browser, then tell the AI you are done. Your session is saved - you won't need to log in again unless you revoke access.

Available Tools

ToolAuth RequiredDescription
get_video_transcriptNoneExtract a full video transcript via yt-dlp.
search_contentAPI Key / OAuthSearch for videos, channels, or playlists.
get_video_metadataAPI Key / OAuthFetch metadata and stats for specific videos.
get_channel_metadataAPI Key / OAuthFetch channel profile and subscriber info.
list_playlistsAPI Key / OAuthRetrieve playlists for a channel.
list_playlist_itemsAPI Key / OAuthList videos inside a playlist.
list_video_commentsAPI Key / OAuthGet top-level comments for a video or channel.
list_comment_repliesAPI Key / OAuthGet replies to a specific comment.
list_video_captionsAPI Key / OAuthList available caption tracks for a video.
list_video_categoriesAPI Key / OAuthList YouTube video categories by region.
list_supported_languagesAPI Key / OAuthList languages supported by YouTube.
list_supported_regionsAPI Key / OAuthList regions supported by YouTube.
list_channel_activitiesAPI Key / OAuthGet recent activity for a channel.
list_channel_sectionsAPI Key / OAuthGet the sections on a channel page.
list_subscriptionsOAuth onlyList subscriptions for a channel or your account.
list_channel_membersOAuth onlyList members of your channel.
list_membership_levelsOAuth onlyList membership tiers for your channel.

Building from Source

Instructions for running the server locally. 
git clone https://github.com/mrsknetwork/ytmcp.git
cd ytmcp
npm install
npm run build
node build/server/index.js "YOUR_API_KEY"

License

Licensed under the MIT License.

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