Hosted MCP server
YouTube transcripts in Cursor
Tutorials and conference talks often explain things the docs don't. Add the GetYouTubeTranscript MCP server to Cursor and its agent can read a video's transcript while it works, so you can say "follow this tutorial" and paste the link.
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 to mcp.json
Put this in ~/.cursor/mcp.json for all projects, or .cursor/mcp.json for one project:
{ "mcpServers": { "getyoutubetranscript": { "url": "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer sk_live_..." } } } } - 3
Check it in settings
Open Cursor Settings and find the MCP section. getyoutubetranscript should be enabled with its tools listed.
What to ask Cursor
- Follow this tutorial and scaffold the same project in this repo: <YouTube URL>
- Read this talk and list every library and version the speaker mentions: <YouTube URL>
- Search YouTube for a walkthrough of Next.js caching and summarize the gotchas.
- Get the transcript of this bug-fix video and apply the same fix to src/: <YouTube URL>
Tools Cursor gets
| Tool | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| get_youtube_transcript | Full transcript plus title, author, thumbnail | 1 credit |
| search_youtube | Search videos or channels, paginated | 1 credit |
| get_channel_latest_videos | A channel's metadata and recent uploads | Free |
| 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 |
Good to know
- Keep the project-level .cursor/mcp.json out of git if it contains your key, or use the global file instead.
- The server is hosted, so there is nothing to run locally and no proxy to manage.
- Tools that only read metadata, like a channel's latest uploads and your credit balance, are free.
Links
Questions about Cursor
Global or project mcp.json?
Use ~/.cursor/mcp.json to have YouTube tools in every project. A project file is useful when only one repo needs them, but don't commit it with a key inside.
Cursor shows a red dot next to the server. Why?
The key is missing or wrong. Check the Authorization header reads "Bearer " followed by your full key.
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.