YouTube MCP

A safe, local-first Model Context Protocol server for inspecting and managing a creator-owned YouTube channel.

@fullstackcraftllc/youtube-mcp uses Google's official YouTube Data API v3 and YouTube Analytics API. It does not scrape YouTube, download videos, send telemetry, or provide a hosted intermediary.

Features

• Inspect your channel and page through its uploads.
• Read owned-video metadata and public statistics.
• Analyze channel/video performance, traffic sources, YouTube search terms, and audience retention.
• Preview exact title, description, tag, and category changes.
• Apply only an unexpired reviewed preview after rechecking ownership and remote state.
• Maintain separate readonly and manage OAuth authorizations in named local profiles.

Version 0.1 intentionally excludes uploads, deletes, thumbnails, visibility, comments, playlists, monetization, public-channel research, transcripts, and HTTP hosting.

Requirements

• Node.js 22 or newer.
• A creator-owned YouTube channel.
• Your own Google Cloud project and Desktop OAuth client.

Follow Google Cloud setup before logging in. Never commit the downloaded OAuth client JSON.

Authorize a profile

Readonly analytics:

npx -y @fullstackcraftllc/[email protected] auth login \
  --profile <your profile here> \
  --mode readonly \
  --client-secrets /absolute/path/to/client_secret.json

Metadata management uses a separate token and explicit extra permission:

npx -y @fullstackcraftllc/[email protected] auth login \
  --profile <your profile here> \
  --mode manage \
  --client-secrets /absolute/path/to/client_secret.json

If Google exposes multiple channels, repeat the command with --channel-id <id> after the CLI prints the valid choices.

Check configuration without exposing credentials:

npx -y @fullstackcraftllc/[email protected] auth status --profile <your profile here> --mode readonly
npx -y @fullstackcraftllc/[email protected] doctor --profile <your profile here> --mode readonly

MCP client configuration

Codex, readonly:

codex mcp add youtube \
  -- npx -y @fullstackcraftllc/[email protected] serve --profile <your profile here> --mode readonly

Codex, manage mode as a separately named server:

codex mcp add youtube-manage \
  -- npx -y @fullstackcraftllc/[email protected] serve --profile <your profile here> --mode manage

Codex TOML:

[mcp_servers.youtube]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@fullstackcraftllc/[email protected]", "serve", "--profile", "<your profile here>", "--mode", "readonly"]

Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@fullstackcraftllc/[email protected]",
        "serve",
        "--profile",
        "<your profile here>",
        "--mode",
        "readonly"
      ]
    }
  }
}

The server starts even if authorization is missing so the client can call youtube_get_auth_status. Other tools return AUTH_REQUIRED until the selected profile and mode are authorized.

Safe metadata updates

There is no direct update tool. The workflow is:

1. Call youtube_preview_video_update with one or more proposed fields.
2. Review the complete before/after diff, video ID, channel ID, expiry, and hash.
3. Call youtube_apply_video_update with the preview ID, hash, and exact video ID.

Apply re-fetches current metadata and fails if anything changed since preview. YouTube receives a complete writable snippet so omitted fields are preserved. A preview expires after ten minutes and is consumed after one apply attempt.

See the complete tool reference, privacy and deletion behavior, and threat model.

Other CLI commands

youtube-mcp profiles list
youtube-mcp auth revoke --profile <your profile here> --mode readonly
youtube-mcp auth revoke --profile <your profile here> --mode manage
youtube-mcp --help
youtube-mcp --version

Local development

git clone https://github.com/FullStackCraft/youtube-mcp.git
cd youtube-mcp
npm install
npm run release:check

Run locally from an MCP client with:

node /absolute/path/to/youtube-mcp/dist/index.js serve --profile <your profile here> --mode readonly

Compliance and affiliation

Use of this software is subject to the YouTube Terms of Service, YouTube API Services Terms of Service, and Google Privacy Policy.

YouTube and Google are trademarks of Google LLC. This independent project is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by YouTube or Google.

License

MIT © Full Stack Craft LLC.