YouTube Transcript Downloader

Official4 tools

by youtubetranscriptdownload

Clean YouTube transcripts for agents: single videos, channels, playlists, plus AI caption cleanup.

Download and clean YouTube transcripts from videos, channels, and playlists with AI caption refinement.

Captured live from the server via tools/list.

get_transcript

Get the full transcript of a single YouTube video as timestamped markdown. Read-only: fetches existing captions, modifies nothing. Requires an API key; each successful call charges 1 credit, including repeat calls for the same video, so reuse a transcript already in context instead of re-fetching. Videos without captions return an error and cost nothing. Rate limit: 5 requests per 10 seconds.

Parameters (1)

videostringrequired
YouTube video ID (e.g. dQw4w9WgXcQ) or full video URL (youtube.com/watch?v=... or youtu.be/... forms)

polish_transcript

Get a cleaned-up transcript of a YouTube video's auto-generated captions: punctuation and capitalisation restored, filler and false starts removed, paragraphs added, misheard names fixed, faithful to what was said. Use when raw captions are too messy to read or quote; for a plain transcript use get_transcript. Read-only; requires an API key. Each call charges credits by transcript length (about 3 per 1,000 words, minimum 5), including repeat calls, so keep the result in context. Human-uploaded captions (already clean) and transcripts over ~7,000 words return an error without charging. Rate limit: 5 requests per 10 seconds.

Parameters (1)

videostringrequired
YouTube video ID (e.g. dQw4w9WgXcQ) or full video URL (youtube.com/watch?v=... or youtu.be/... forms)

get_channel_transcripts

Get transcripts for a YouTube channel's most recent videos (newest first) as timestamped markdown, one section per video. Use for research across a creator's recent output; for one known video use get_transcript. Read-only; requires an API key. Charges 1 credit per video that returns a transcript, including repeat calls; videos without captions are skipped free. A 10-video call typically costs up to 10 credits, so start with a small limit. Rate limit: 5 requests per 10 seconds.

Parameters (2)

urlstringrequired
YouTube channel URL or handle (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/@lexfridman or @lexfridman)
limitinteger
Number of most-recent videos to fetch, 1-50 (default 10). Upper bound on the credit charge for this call.

get_playlist_transcripts

Get transcripts for the videos in a YouTube playlist (in playlist order) as timestamped markdown, one section per video. Use for working through a course, series, or curated list; for one known video use get_transcript. Read-only; requires an API key. Charges 1 credit per video that returns a transcript, including repeat calls; videos without captions are skipped free. A 10-video call typically costs up to 10 credits, so start with a small limit. Rate limit: 5 requests per 10 seconds.

Parameters (2)

urlstringrequired
YouTube playlist URL (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxxxxxx)
limitinteger
Number of videos to fetch from the start of the playlist, 1-50 (default 10). Upper bound on the credit charge for this call.

Install

Tools (4)

get_transcriptpolish_transcriptget_channel_transcriptsget_playlist_transcripts

Remote endpoint

Streamable HTTP

Hosted server - connect over the network, no local install.

url

https://youtubetranscriptdownload.com/api/mcp

Add to VS Code Add to Cursor

claude_desktop_config.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcripts": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://youtubetranscriptdownload.com/api/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Desktop config is stdio-only; this bridges via mcp-remote. Native remote: Settings > Connectors.