YouTube Transcripts for AI Agents
An MCP server, a REST API, and a signup flow an agent can complete entirely on its own. No human has to create an account or paste a key.
Self-service signup, no human in the loop
Most transcript APIs require a person to register, open a dashboard, and copy a key before an agent can make its first call. This one doesn't. Two requests and the agent has a working key with 100 free credits on it.
Step 1 — request a code (no API key required):
curl -X POST https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/v1/signup \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"email": "[email protected]"}'Step 2 — exchange the code for a key:
curl -X POST https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/v1/signup/verify \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"email": "[email protected]", "otp": "123456"}'
# => { "success": true, "api_key": "sk_live_..." }Connect over MCP
Streamable HTTP, so nothing runs locally. Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any other MCP-compatible client. OAuth 2.1 with Dynamic Client Registration is supported for clients that authenticate that way instead.
{
"mcpServers": {
"getyoutubetranscript": {
"url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer sk_live_..."
}
}
}
}| Tool | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
get_youtube_transcript | Full transcript plus title, author, thumbnail | 1 credit |
get_transcript_languages | Caption languages a video offers, manual or auto-generated | 1 credit |
search_youtube | Search videos or channels, paginated | 1 credit |
get_channel_latest_videos | A channel's metadata and recent uploads | 1 credit |
search_channel_videos | Search within one channel | 1 credit |
list_channel_videos | Every video a channel has uploaded | 1 credit |
list_playlist_videos | Every video in a playlist | 1 credit |
get_credits | Remaining credit balance for the key | Free |
Or just call the REST API
curl "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/v1/transcript?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..."Full endpoint reference, parameters, and response shapes are in the API docs. There's also a downloadable agent skill and a step-by-step MCP setup guide.
No YouTube quota to manage
The official YouTube Data API gives every project 10,000 units/day, and captions.download alone costs 200 units per call plus OAuth. This API doesn't proxy that endpoint with your key, so there's no daily ceiling to budget around — only the per-plan request rate. See the quota guide for the full breakdown.
Prefer to start from a dashboard? Create a key manually — 100 free credits, no card required.
Agent integration FAQs
Can an agent really sign itself up without a human?
Yes. POST an email to /api/v1/signup to trigger a 6-digit code, then POST the email and code to /api/v1/signup/verify and the response contains a live API key. No dashboard visit, no card, no human step. The key starts with 100 free credits.
Do I need the MCP server, or can I just use REST?
Either. MCP is the better fit when a model should decide when to fetch a transcript mid-conversation, because the tools are self-describing and the client discovers them automatically. Plain REST is the better fit inside a pipeline where your own code decides when to call.
What does it cost to run an agent on this?
100 free credits to start, then $5/mo for 1,000 credits (or $4.50/mo billed annually). One credit is one successful request. Failed and rate-limited requests are never charged, so a retry loop can't silently drain a balance.
What are the rate limits?
60 requests/minute on the free tier, 200 on monthly, 300 on annual, 300 on Starter, 400 on Pro and 600 on Scale, enforced as a fixed 1-minute window per API key. A 429 means slow down, not out of credits - see the rate limit guide for correct backoff.
Does this consume my YouTube Data API quota?
No. It doesn't proxy captions.download with your key, so there's no 10,000-unit daily ceiling to manage. You're bound only by the per-plan request rate.
