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williamvd4

YouTube Transcript Server

by williamvd4
OverviewSchemaRelated ServersScoreDiscussions
Remote

YouTube Transcript Server

A Model Context Protocol server that enables retrieval of transcripts from YouTube videos. This server provides direct access to video captions and subtitles through a simple interface.

Installing via Smithery

To install YouTube Transcript Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @kimtaeyoon83/mcp-server-youtube-transcript --client claude

Components

Tools

  • get_transcript

    • Extract transcripts from YouTube videos

    • Inputs:

      • url (string, required): YouTube video URL or video ID

      • lang (string, optional, default: "en"): Language code for transcript (e.g., 'ko', 'en')

Related MCP server: YouTube Transcript Extractor MCP

Key Features

  • Support for multiple video URL formats

  • Language-specific transcript retrieval

  • Detailed metadata in responses

Configuration

To use with Claude Desktop, add this server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@kimtaeyoon83/mcp-server-youtube-transcript"]
    }
  }
}

Install via tool

mcp-get A command-line tool for installing and managing Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers.

npx @michaellatman/mcp-get@latest install @kimtaeyoon83/mcp-server-youtube-transcript

Awesome-mcp-servers

awesome-mcp-servers A curated list of awesome Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers.

Development

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18 or higher

  • npm or yarn

Setup

Install dependencies:

npm install

Build the server:

npm run build

For development with auto-rebuild:

npm run watch

Testing

npm test

Debugging

Since MCP servers communicate over stdio, debugging can be challenging. We recommend using the MCP Inspector for development:

npm run inspector

Error Handling

The server implements robust error handling for common scenarios:

  • Invalid video URLs or IDs

  • Unavailable transcripts

  • Language availability issues

  • Network errors

Usage Examples

  1. Get transcript by video URL:

await server.callTool("get_transcript", {
  url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID",
  lang: "en"
});

  1. Get transcript by video ID:

await server.callTool("get_transcript", {
  url: "VIDEO_ID",
  lang: "ko"
});

  1. How to Extract YouTube Subtitles in Claude Desktop App

chat: https://youtu.be/ODaHJzOyVCQ?si=aXkJgso96Deri0aB Extract subtitles

Security Considerations

The server:

  • Validates all input parameters

  • Handles YouTube API errors gracefully

  • Implements timeouts for transcript retrieval

  • Provides detailed error messages for troubleshooting

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Available Tools

1 tool
get_transcriptC

Extract transcript from a YouTube video URL or ID

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
urlYesYouTube video URL or ID
langYesLanguage code for transcript (e.g., 'ko', 'en')en

TDQS

C2.9/5.0
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden. It mentions extraction but doesn't disclose behavioral traits like rate limits, authentication needs, error handling, or what happens if the video lacks a transcript. This leaves significant gaps for an agent to understand the tool's behavior.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single, efficient sentence that directly states the tool's purpose without any wasted words. It is appropriately sized and front-loaded, making it easy to parse.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness2/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the lack of annotations and output schema, the description is incomplete. It doesn't explain return values, error cases, or operational constraints, which are crucial for a tool that interacts with external services like YouTube. This leaves the agent with insufficient context for effective use.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The description implies parameters for URL/ID and language, but the input schema already has 100% coverage with clear descriptions for 'url' and 'lang'. The description adds minimal value beyond the schema, so it meets the baseline of 3 for high schema coverage.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the verb 'extract' and the resource 'transcript from a YouTube video', making the purpose specific and understandable. However, with no sibling tools mentioned, it cannot differentiate from alternatives, so it doesn't reach the highest score of 5.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives, prerequisites, or exclusions. It only states what the tool does, with no context for usage decisions.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. 1 tool update
    • First observedget_transcript
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TDQS

B3.1/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

With only one tool, there is no possibility of ambiguity or overlap between tools. The tool's purpose is clearly defined as extracting transcripts from YouTube videos, making it distinct by default.

Naming Consistency5/5

The single tool name follows a clear verb_noun pattern (get_transcript), which is consistent and predictable. There are no other tools to compare against, so no inconsistency can exist.

Tool Count2/5

A single tool is too few for a server that might be expected to handle YouTube transcripts comprehensively. While it covers extraction, there are likely gaps such as searching transcripts, handling errors, or managing multiple videos, making the scope feel thin and incomplete.

Completeness2/5

The server is severely incomplete for a YouTube transcript domain. It only provides extraction, missing obvious operations like searching within transcripts, listing available transcripts, or handling transcript formats (e.g., timestamps, languages), which are common needs in this context.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive
ResponsivenessNo issues

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