Hosted MCP server
YouTube transcripts in Claude Code
Claude Code can write the docs, notes or code you need from a video, but it can't fetch YouTube itself. One command adds the GetYouTubeTranscript MCP server, and Claude Code picks the right tool on its own when you mention a video, channel or playlist.
Set it up
- 1
Get an API key
Sign in at getyoutubetranscript.com and create a key on the developers page (100 free credits, no card). Keys start with sk_live_.
- 2
Add the server
Run this in your terminal, with your key in place of sk_live_...:
claude mcp add --transport http getyoutubetranscript https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp \ --header "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..." - 3
Check the connection
Start Claude Code and run /mcp. getyoutubetranscript should show as connected with its tools listed.
What to ask Claude Code
- Read this conference talk and write docs/talk-notes.md with the key points and timestamps: <YouTube URL>
- Watch-list research: get the latest uploads from @AnthropicAI and summarize what changed in each.
- Pull the transcript of this tutorial and turn the steps into a shell script: <YouTube URL>
- Search YouTube for "postgres row level security" and summarize the top two results.
Tools Claude Code gets
| 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_channel_playlists | A channel's playlists, paginated | 1 credit |
| list_channel_posts | A channel's community posts, paginated | 1 credit |
| get_related_videos | Videos YouTube suggests next to a video | 1 credit |
| get_channel_banner | A channel's banner and avatar | 1 credit |
| get_video_dislikes | A video's estimated likes and dislikes | 1 credit |
| list_playlist_videos | Every video in a playlist | 1 credit |
| get_credits | Remaining credit balance for the key | Free |
Good to know
- Add --scope user to the command to make the server available in every project, not just the current one.
- The server is hosted, so there is nothing to run locally and no proxy to manage.
- Only the credit balance check is free; every other tool costs one credit per successful call.
Links
Questions about Claude Code
Where does Claude Code store the server?
claude mcp add saves it in your Claude Code configuration for the current project by default. Use --scope user to add it for all projects, and claude mcp remove getyoutubetranscript to take it out.
Is there a version that works without MCP?
Yes. The Claude skill teaches Claude Code to call the REST API directly. See the skills page for the download.
Why does /mcp show the server as failed?
Usually the Authorization header is missing or the key has a typo. Remove the server and add it again with the key from your developers page.
What does it cost?
Each transcript, search or channel page uses one credit from your account, and failed requests are not charged. New accounts get 100 free credits, no card, and paid plans add more credits each month.
