YouTube Transcript MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that retrieves transcripts from YouTube videos for Claude Code. This server allows you to easily extract video transcripts without manually downloading or copying content, making it perfect for analyzing video content, summarizing talks, or extracting information from educational videos.

• blog article about this mcp server One More Piece Built: Adding YouTube Analysis to My Learning Iron Man Suit
• npm package: @fabriqa.ai/youtube-transcript-mcp
• Author: Cengiz Han

Features

• Get Video Transcripts: Extract full transcripts from any YouTube video with available captions
• Multiple URL Formats: Support for all common YouTube URL formats (youtube.com, youtu.be, etc.)
• Timestamp Support: Include or exclude timestamps in transcript output
• Language Selection: Request transcripts in specific languages when available
• Error Handling: Graceful handling of videos without transcripts or invalid URLs
• Efficient Context Usage: Get only the transcript without loading unnecessary video metadata

Installation

Option A: Install from npm (Recommended)

npm install -g @fabriqa.ai/youtube-transcript-mcp

After installation, the server will be available globally. You can configure it by running:

# The package will be installed in your global node_modules
# Typically: /usr/local/lib/node_modules/@fabriqa.ai/youtube-transcript-mcp

Option B: Install from source

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/hancengiz/youtube-transcript-mcp.git
cd youtube-transcript-mcp

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

Configuration

If installed via npm (Recommended):

Option 1: Using Claude Code CLI (Easiest)

Recommended: Machine-Wide Installation

# Add the MCP server for all projects (machine-wide)
claude mcp add --scope user youtube-transcript npx @fabriqa.ai/youtube-transcript-mcp@latest

Understanding Scope Options:

Claude Code supports three configuration scopes for MCP servers:

• --scope user (Recommended) - Machine-wide

  • Available in ALL projects and directories
  • Configured once, works everywhere
  • Perfect for tools you use regularly across different projects

• --scope local (Default) - Project-specific

  • Only available in the current directory and subdirectories
  • Useful for project-specific MCP servers
  • Each project must configure separately

• --scope project - Explicit project

  • For specific project configurations

Example usage:

# Machine-wide (recommended for youtube-transcript)
claude mcp add --scope user youtube-transcript npx @fabriqa.ai/youtube-transcript-mcp@latest

# Project-specific (if you prefer)
claude mcp add --scope local youtube-transcript npx @fabriqa.ai/youtube-transcript-mcp@latest

# Or use the convenience script
npx @fabriqa.ai/youtube-transcript-mcp/update-config.js

Option 2: Manual Configuration

Add to your ~/.claude.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-transcript": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@fabriqa.ai/youtube-transcript-mcp@latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

This uses npx to automatically run the globally installed package without needing to specify paths.

Quick Setup Script (Optional):

After installing via npm, you can use the included configuration script to automatically update your ~/.claude.json:

npx @fabriqa.ai/youtub

... [View full README on GitHub](https://github.com/hancengiz/youtube-transcript-mcp#readme)