# YouTubeTranscriptAPI

> YouTube Transcript API for builders. Clean transcripts as JSON over a REST API, a hosted MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and coding agents, and Agent Skills. No YouTube 429s or IP blocks to work around.

YouTubeTranscriptAPI is a developer API for extracting YouTube video transcripts, searching YouTube, browsing channels, and listing playlists. Returns predictable JSON. Stored transcripts, instant repeat fetches. 7 endpoints. 300 req/min rate limit. 100 free credits, no card required.

## Documentation

- [Full documentation](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/llms-full.txt): Every docs page in one Markdown file
- [Quickstart](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/quickstart.md): First request in 60 seconds
- [API Reference](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/api.md): All 7 endpoints
- [OpenAPI spec](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/openapi.json): OpenAPI 3.1 description of all 7 endpoints, for import into agents and API tools
- [Get Transcript](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/api/transcript.md): Extract any YouTube video transcript
- [Search](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/api/search.md): Search YouTube for videos and channels
- [Channel Endpoints](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/api/channel.md): Resolve, search, list, track new uploads
- [Playlist](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/api/playlist.md): Extract any public YouTube playlist
- [Agent Skills](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/agent-skills.md): For OpenClaw, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf
- [Authentication](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/authentication.md): Bearer tokens, key rotation
- [Errors & Status Codes](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/errors.md): Status codes and retry policy
- [Rate Limits](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/rate-limits.md): 300 req/min per key
- [Caching & Headers](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/caching.md): stored transcripts, X-Cache-Status and X-Credits-Remaining headers

## MCP server

- Endpoint: https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, stateless; protocol 2026-07-28 and the 2025 revisions)
- Auth: OAuth 2.1 sign-in (Claude, ChatGPT and other clients), or a dashboard API key as Authorization: Bearer tk_live_...
- Tools (read-only; failed calls are never charged): get_transcript (1 credit), search_youtube (4 credits), search_channel (1 credit), list_channel_videos (20 credits), get_latest_videos (free), resolve_channel (free), list_playlist_videos (20 credits)
- [MCP reference](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/docs/mcp.md): Auth, tools, parameters, results, errors, limits
- [YouTube MCP server](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server): What it does and which apps it works with
- [Add YouTube to Claude](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/claude): A custom connector that lets Claude read transcripts, search YouTube and list a channel's videos.
- [Add YouTube to ChatGPT](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/chatgpt): A custom plugin that lets ChatGPT read video transcripts, search YouTube and list channel uploads.
- [YouTube MCP server for Claude Code](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/claude-code): One command adds the hosted server; sign in through /mcp or pass an API key as a header.
- [YouTube MCP server for Cursor](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/cursor): Install with one link and sign in, or add it to mcp.json with an API key.
- [YouTube MCP server for Visual Studio Code](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/vs-code): Give Copilot's agent mode YouTube tools: install with one link and sign in, or add a few lines to mcp.json with a key VS Code asks for once.
- [YouTube MCP in n8n](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/n8n): Give an n8n AI Agent the YouTube tools through the MCP Client Tool node.
- [YouTube MCP server for Windsurf (Devin Desktop)](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/windsurf): Windsurf is now called Devin Desktop.
- [YouTube MCP server for Codex](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/codex): One command adds the hosted server to Codex.
- [YouTube MCP server for Gemini CLI and Antigravity](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/gemini-cli): Steps for both of Google's coding agents: Gemini CLI and Antigravity.
- [YouTube MCP server for OpenClaw](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/openclaw): Add one block to openclaw.json and your assistant can read videos, search YouTube and watch channels, from whichever chat app you talk to it in.
- [Other apps](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-server/other-apps): Zed, Cline, JetBrains Junie, LM Studio, Warp, Goose, Raycast, Le Chat, Perplexity, Copilot Studio, Make and Zapier

## YouTube AI agents

No-code agent recipes for Claude and ChatGPT Projects, plus automation templates.

- [YouTube AI agents](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent): All recipes and templates
- [YouTube video summarizer](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent/video-summarizer): Overview, timestamped key points and a worth-watching verdict for any video. About 1 credit a run.
- [YouTube channel researcher](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent/channel-researcher): A sourced brief on what a channel says about a topic, from its own videos. About 6 credits a run.
- [New uploads digest](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent/new-uploads-digest): Two lines on every new video from the channels you follow. About 5 credits a run.
- [Content repurposer](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent/content-repurposer): A blog post, thread or newsletter from one video, with the source credited. About 1 credit a run.
- [Study notes](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent/study-notes): Timestamped notes, key terms, flashcards and a quiz from a lecture. About 1 credit a run.
- [Quote finder](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent/quote-finder): Exact quotes with timestamps and links that jump to the moment. About 1 credit a run.
- [n8n templates](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent/n8n-youtube-transcript): Summary by email, daily digest, Google Docs draft, chat agent
- [Make](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent/make-youtube-transcript): HTTP module setup for transcripts in a scenario
- [Agent Skills](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-ai-agent/agent-skills): youtube-research skill for Claude, Claude Code and OpenClaw

## Guides

- [YouTube MCP servers compared](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-mcp-servers-compared): Seven YouTube MCP servers by transport, sign-in and transcript source; which work in Claude on the web and ChatGPT, why self-hosted ones get blocked, and how to add one
- [How to get YouTube transcripts into Google Sheets](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-transcript-google-sheets): A tested Apps Script with a =YT_TRANSCRIPT() custom function, a menu that fills a column of links and skips finished rows, a daily trigger for new uploads, and long transcripts split across cells under the 50,000-character limit
- [Can Claude or ChatGPT watch YouTube videos?](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/can-claude-watch-youtube-videos): Claude and ChatGPT can't play a YouTube link but can read its transcript through an MCP connector; Gemini and NotebookLM read public videos; setup for Claude, Claude Code and ChatGPT, captionless videos, and what it costs
- [How to get a YouTube playlist transcript for every video](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-playlist-transcript): List a playlist's videos in order (up to 100 in one call, or every page via the YouTube Data API), fetch each transcript with a resumable Python script, and combine them into files for NotebookLM, Claude or ChatGPT
- [How to get YouTube channel transcripts in bulk](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/youtube-channel-transcripts): List a channel's newest 100 uploads, reach older videos with channel search, fetch every transcript with a resumable Python script, and keep it current with the free latest-uploads endpoint

## Pricing

- [Pricing](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/pricing): 100 free credits on signup. Monthly plan $7/month with 1,000 credits per month; Annual plan $60/year with 15,000 credits up front. Top-ups need an active plan: $4.00 per 1,000 credits on Monthly, $3.50 on Annual, 5,000 minimum; top-up credits never expire. Credit costs: transcript 1, search 4, channel search 1, channel or playlist listing 20 (first page only, up to 100 videos), resolve and latest free. Errors and rate-limited requests are never charged.

## Optional

- [Contact](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/contact): hello@youtubetranscriptapi.com
- [Terms](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/legal/terms)
- [Privacy](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/legal/privacy)
- [Refund Policy](https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/legal/refund)