YouTube MCP

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

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.
• Access private data like subscriptions and memberships (with OAuth).

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

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

| Tool | Auth Required | Description | |------|--------------|-------------| | get_video_transcript | None | Extract a full video transcript via yt-dlp. | | search_content | API Key / OAuth | Search for videos, channels, or playlists. | | get_video_metadata | API Key / OAuth | Fetch metadata and stats for specific videos. | | get_channel_metadata | API Key / OAuth | Fetch channel profile and subscriber info. | | list_playlists | API Key / OAuth | Retrieve playlists for a channel. | | list_playlist_items | API Key / OAuth | List videos inside a playlist. | | list_video_comments | API Key / OAuth | Get top-level comments for a video or channel. | | list_comment_replies | API Key / OAuth | Get replies to a specific comment. | | list_video_captions | API Key / OAuth | List available caption tracks for a video. | | list_video_categories | API Key / OAuth | List YouTube video categories by region. | | list_supported_languages | API Key / OAuth | List languages supported by YouTube. | | list_supported_regions | API Key / OAuth | List regions supported by YouTube. | | list_channel_activities | API Key / OAuth | Get recent activity for a channel. | | list_channel_sections | API Key / OAuth | Get the sections on a channel page. | | list_subscriptions | OAuth only | List subscriptions for a channel or your account. | | list_channel_members | OAuth only | List members of your channel. | | list_membership_levels | OAuth only | List membership tiers for your channel. |

Building from Source

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.