Ytmcp MCP Server

YouTube MCP Server

Local serverstdioGo

What is the Ytmcp MCP server?

Ytmcp MCP server exists for a simple reason — assistants are far more useful when they can act on Ytmcp directly instead of describing what you should do. YouTube MCP Server.

What you get

The server supports three access tiers. Pick the one that fits your use case.

What the assistant can call

Once Ytmcp is connected, these are the calls the assistant has available:

  • get_video_transcript — None
  • search_content — API Key
  • get_video_metadata — API Key
  • get_channel_metadata — API Key
  • list_trending_videos — API Key
  • list_playlists — API Key
  • list_playlist_items — API Key
  • list_video_comments — API Key
  • list_comment_replies — API Key
  • list_video_captions — API Key
  • list_video_categories — API Key
  • list_channel_activities — API Key

Setting it up

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

Configuration and credentials

You will need 5 environment variables: GOOGLE_API_KEY, GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET, YOUR_KEY, YOUR_GOOGLE_API_KEY. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

Choosing this one

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. Ytmcp's toolset — get_video_transcript, search_content, get_video_metadata and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by mrsknetwork; 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We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Before you rely on it

  • 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.
  • With 14 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Ytmcp.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the ytmcp mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
get_video_transcriptNone
search_contentAPI Key
get_video_metadataAPI Key
get_channel_metadataAPI Key
list_trending_videosAPI Key
list_playlistsAPI Key
list_playlist_itemsAPI Key
list_video_commentsAPI Key
list_comment_repliesAPI Key
list_video_captionsAPI Key
list_video_categoriesAPI Key
list_channel_activitiesAPI Key
list_channel_sectionsAPI Key
list_supported_languagesAPI Key

How to install the Ytmcp MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@mrsknetwork/ytmcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
GOOGLE_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
GOOGLE_CLIENT_IDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRETCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
YOUR_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
YOUR_GOOGLE_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Ytmcp to get video transcript.
  • Use Ytmcp to search content.
  • Use Ytmcp to get video metadata.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Ytmcp to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 14 tools (get_video_transcript, search_content, get_video_metadata, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Ytmcp directly.