Youtubeinsights MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables insight extraction from YouTube videos, including subtitle parsing, keyword-based video discovery

Local serverstdio

What is the Youtubeinsights MCP server?

If you already use Youtubeinsights, the youtubeinsights mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables insight extraction from YouTube videos, including subtitle parsing, keyword-based video discovery, and channel info retrieval.

What the server does

  • Extract transcripts from YouTube videos (multi-language)
  • Search videos by keyword and fetch metadata (views, likes, thumbnails, etc.)
  • Retrieve channel info and latest videos from any YouTube video URL
  • FastMCP-based server integration for easy deployment
  • MCP Tools for seamless agent workflows

Installation

@smithery/cli on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • get_youtube_transcript — Extract full transcript (subtitles) from a YouTube video URL (supports ko, en)
  • search_youtube_videos — Search for videos on YouTube by keyword and retrieve key metadata
  • get_channel_info — Get channel metadata and recent uploads based on any YouTube video URL

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: YOUTUBE_API_KEY. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

Worth knowing first

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Where it fits

Plenty of developer tooling servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Youtubeinsights's toolset — get_youtube_transcript, search_youtube_videos, get_channel_info — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by dabidstudio; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
get_youtube_transcriptExtract full transcript (subtitles) from a YouTube video URL (supports ko, en)
search_youtube_videosSearch for videos on YouTube by keyword and retrieve key metadata
get_channel_infoGet channel metadata and recent uploads based on any YouTube video URL

How to install the Youtubeinsights MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtubeinsights": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@smithery/cli"],
      "env": {
        "YOUTUBE_API_KEY": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
YOUTUBE_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Youtubeinsights to get youtube transcript.
  • Use Youtubeinsights to search youtube videos.
  • Use Youtubeinsights to get channel info.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Youtubeinsights to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 3 tools (get_youtube_transcript, search_youtube_videos, get_channel_info) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Youtubeinsights directly.