youtube-mcp-server
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A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation for YouTube, enabling AI language models to interact with YouTube content through a standardized interface.
YouTube MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation for YouTube, enabling AI language models to interact with YouTube content through a standardized interface.
Features
Video Information
- Get video details (title, description, duration, etc.)
- List channel videos
- Get video statistics (views, likes, comments)
- Search videos across YouTube
Transcript Management
- Retrieve video transcripts
- Support for multiple languages
- Get timestamped captions
- Search within transcripts
Channel Management
- Get channel details
- List channel playlists
- Get channel statistics
- Search within channel content
Playlist Management
- List playlist items
- Get playlist details
- Search within playlists
- Get playlist video transcripts
Installation
Quick Setup for Claude Desktop
- Install the package:
npm install -g zubeid-youtube-mcp-server
- Add to your Claude Desktop configuration (
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonon macOS or%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.jsonon Windows):
{
"mcpServers": {
"zubeid-youtube-mcp-server": {
"command": "zubeid-youtube-mcp-server",
"env": {
"YOUTUBE_API_KEY": "your_youtube_api_key_here"
}
}
}
}
Alternative: Using NPX (No Installation Required)
Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "zubeid-youtube-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"YOUTUBE_API_KEY": "your_youtube_api_key_here"
}
}
}
}
Installing via Smithery
To install YouTube MCP Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:
npx -y @smithery/cli install @ZubeidHendricks/youtube --client claude
Configuration
Set the following environment variables:
YOUTUBE_API_KEY: Your YouTube Data API key (required)YOUTUBE_TRANSCRIPT_LANG: Default language for transcripts (optional, defaults to 'en')
Using with VS Code
For one-click installation, click one of the install buttons below:
Manual Installation
If you prefer manual installation, first check the install buttons at the top of this section. Otherwise, follow these steps:
Add the following JSON block to your User Settings (JSON) file in VS Code. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Shift + P and typing Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON).
{
"mcp": {
"inputs": [
{
"type": "promptString",
"id": "apiKey",
"description": "YouTube API Key",
"password": true
}
],
"servers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "zubeid-youtube-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"YOUTUBE_API_KEY": "${input:apiKey}"
}
}
}
}
}
Optionally, you can add it to a file called .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace:
{
"inputs": [
{
"type": "promptString",
"id": "apiKey",
"description": "YouTube API Key",
"password": true
}
],
"servers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "zubeid-youtube-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"YOUTUBE_API_KEY": "${input:apiKey}"
}
}
}
}
YouTube API Setup
- Go to Google Cloud Console
- Create a new project or select an existing one
- Enable the YouTube Data API v3
- Create API credentials (API key)
- Copy the API key for configuration
Examples
Managing Videos
// Get video details
const video = await youtube.videos.getVideo({
videoId: "video-id"
});
// Get video transcript
const transcript = await youtube.transcripts.getTranscript({
videoId: "video-id",
language: "en"
});
// Search videos
const searchResults = await youtube.videos.searchVideos({
query: "search term",
maxResults: 10
});
Managing Channels
// Get channel details
const channel = await youtube.channels.getChannel({
channelId: "channel-id"
});
// List channel videos
const videos = await youtube.channels.listVideos({
channelId: "channel-id",
maxResults: 50
});
Managing Playlists
// Get playlist items
const playlistItems = await youtube.playlists.getPlaylistItems({
playlistId: "playlist-id",
maxResults: 50
});
// Get playlist details
const playlist = await youtube.playlists.getPlaylist({
playlistId: "playlist-id"
});
Development
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Run tests
npm test
# Build
npm run build
# Lint
npm run lint
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md for information about contributing to this repository.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
