YouTube MCP server for Cursor
Install with one link and sign in, or add it to mcp.json with an API key. Cursor's agent can then read video transcripts and search YouTube while it codes.
https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/mcpWhat you need
- Cursor. Its pricing page doesn't list MCP as a paid feature.
- An API key from Dashboard → API Keys (or sign in instead, where the app supports it). New accounts get 100 free credits.
Connect Cursor
Click the install link
Cursor opens and asks to install the youtube server. The link holds only the URL, no secret.
Sign in
In Cursor Settings → MCP, the youtube server asks you to log in. Approve on our consent screen in the browser.
Use it in the agent
Once the server shows as connected, the agent can call its tools. Ask it something that needs a video.
Or add it to mcp.json with an API key
Put this in ~/.cursor/mcp.json (all projects) or .cursor/mcp.json (one project), and set YTT_API_KEY in your environment so the key stays out of the file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"url": "https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/mcp",
"headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:YTT_API_KEY}" }
}
}
}Try this prompt
Use the youtube MCP tools to search YouTube for "fastapi background tasks" and summarize the transcript of the top result.
The agent calls search_youtube (4 credits) and get_transcript (1 credit).
What each call costs
| Tool | What it does | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| get_transcript | Read what's said in any public video | 1 credit |
| search_youtube | Search YouTube for videos or channels | 4 credits |
| search_channel | Search one channel's videos for a topic | 1 credit |
| list_channel_videos | List a channel's latest 100 uploads | 20 credits |
| get_latest_videos | See a channel's 15 newest videos | Free |
| resolve_channel | Turn an @handle into a channel ID | Free |
| list_playlist_videos | List the videos in a playlist | 20 credits |
- Failed calls are never charged: a video without captions, a bad link, a timeout.
- A long transcript comes back in parts. Later parts, and reading the same video again within 24 hours, cost nothing.
- Free tools still need a balance of at least 1 credit.
- New accounts get 100 free credits, no card needed. See plans.
If something doesn't work
›The server shows red in Settings → MCP
Click it to see the error. With an API key, check that YTT_API_KEY is set in the environment Cursor starts from, then restart Cursor.
›It keeps asking me to log in although I set a key
Log in once when it asks, or remove the headers from mcp.json and use sign-in only.
›It says I've run out of credits
The app shows our message with a link to billing. Free tools such as get_latest_videos need at least 1 credit too. Calls that fail are never charged.
›"Transcript unavailable" for a video
The video has no captions, is private, or was removed. Nothing is charged. Try another language with “use the Spanish captions”, for example, if the video has captions in a different language.
Disconnect
Revoke the key in Dashboard → API Keys. If you signed in instead, use Dashboard → Connected apps.
Cursor changes its menus from time to time. We checked these steps on 18 October 2026 against Cursor MCP docs and Cursor install links. If something looks different, the app has probably moved it; tell us through the contact form.
Product names and logos belong to their owners and are shown only to say which apps this works with. YouTubeTranscriptAPI isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Ready to connect Cursor?
Create a free account first if you like: it comes with 100 credits, enough for about 100 transcripts.