YouTube MCP in n8n
Give an n8n AI Agent the YouTube tools through the MCP Client Tool node. Paste the endpoint, add a Bearer credential with your API key, and the agent can read transcripts and search YouTube.
https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/mcpWhat you need
- n8n Cloud or self-hosted, version 1.104 or later, which added the HTTP Streamable transport.
- An AI Agent node with a chat model you have access to (OpenAI, Anthropic or another provider).
- An API key from Dashboard → API Keys (or sign in instead, where the app supports it). New accounts get 100 free credits.
Connect n8n
Add the MCP Client Tool to your agent
On your AI Agent node, click + under Tool and choose MCP Client Tool.
Point it at the server
Set Endpoint to the URL below and Server Transport to HTTP Streamable.
Endpointhttps://youtubetranscriptapi.com/mcpAdd your API key as a Bearer credential
Set Authentication to Bearer Auth and create a credential with your API key as the token. n8n also offers OAuth2 here, but a key is simpler for a workflow that runs unattended.
Choose the tools
Leave “Tools to include” on All, or pick only the ones the workflow needs, for example get_transcript and get_latest_videos.
Without an agent
For fixed steps, like “get the transcript, then email it”, you don't need MCP at all: an HTTP Request node calling the REST API is simpler and works on any n8n version. See the REST API docs.
Try this prompt
Summarize this video in two sentences: <paste any YouTube link>
The agent's log shows a get_transcript call. 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
›I only see an "SSE Endpoint" field
That's the old version of the node. Delete it and add the MCP Client Tool again to get the current version with HTTP Streamable.
›401 Unauthorized
Check the credential: Bearer Auth, with the token set to your full tk_live_… key and nothing else.
›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.
n8n changes its menus from time to time. We checked these steps on 18 October 2026 against n8n MCP Client Tool docs. 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. OpenAI, ChatGPT, Codex and the OpenAI logo are trademarks of OpenAI. YouTubeTranscriptAPI isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Ready to connect n8n?
Create a free account first if you like: it comes with 100 credits, enough for about 100 transcripts.