TranscriptAPI MCP - Get YouTube Transcripts Everywhere

Production-grade YouTube transcript extraction for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and 20+ AI tools. 200K+ transcripts processed every day. Trusted by YouTubeToTranscript.com & Recapio.com.

❌ Without TranscriptAPI

❌ Manual copy-paste from YouTube's clunky transcript UI
❌ No transcript access during AI conversations
❌ Context switching between browser tabs wastes time
❌ Can't efficiently analyze or compare multiple videos
❌ Building your own scraper is unreliable and breaks often

✅ With TranscriptAPI

✅ Paste any YouTube URL, get instant transcript
✅ Works seamlessly inside your AI workflow
✅ Analyze, summarize, translate videos in natural conversation
✅ Compare multiple videos side-by-side
✅ Production-grade reliability with 200K+ daily transcripts

Quick Demo:

Summarize the key points from this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

TranscriptAPI automatically fetches the transcript and your AI analyzes it instantly.

Two Integration Paths

	MCP Integration	REST API
Best For	AI assistants & chat interfaces	Developers & applications
Setup	Zero-code, just add URL	Code integration required
Interaction	Natural language queries	Programmatic JSON requests
Get Started	Installation Guide	API Documentation →

Building an app? Our REST API gives you full programmatic control with JSON responses, timestamps, and metadata. Base URL: https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2 | View Swagger UI →

🛠️ Installation

Requirements:

TranscriptAPI account (sign up free)

API Key from dashboard OR OAuth (for Claude/ChatGPT)

Recommended: Add a Rule to Auto-Invoke TranscriptAPI

Add this rule to your AI client so you don't need to explicitly ask for transcripts:
When I share a YouTube URL, automatically use the TranscriptAPI MCP tool
to fetch the transcript before responding. This applies to any video analysis,
summarization, or question about YouTube content.

Install in Cursor (One-Click / Manual)

One-Click Install:

Manual Configuration:

Go to: Settings -> Features -> MCP -> Add New MCP Server

Name: transcript-api
Type: SSE (Remote)
URL: https://transcriptapi.com/mcp

Or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in Claude (Desktop & Web) - Recommended

Claude now supports adding MCP servers directly via the "Custom Connector" UI.

Quick Setup:

Open Claude Settings (click your profile icon -> Settings)
Go to Connectors -> Add custom connector
Enter the following details:
- Name: TranscriptAPI
- URL: https://transcriptapi.com/mcp
Click Add, then click Connect to authorize via your browser.
(Optional) In the connector settings, change permissions to "Allow unsupervised" for seamless usage.

Full Guide: For a comprehensive walkthrough with screenshots, please read our official Claude Integration Guide.

Install in Claude Code (CLI)

Run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http transcript-api https://transcriptapi.com/mcp

Install in ChatGPT (OAuth)

ChatGPT supports OAuth for secure authentication. You will need to enable Developer Mode in ChatGPT settings first.

Quick Setup (Credentials Optional):

In ChatGPT, go to Settings -> Connected Apps -> Add
Enter the MCP Server URL: https://transcriptapi.com/mcp
Client ID & Secret are optional:
- Leave them blank to use Dynamic Client Registration (Recommended/Simpler). ChatGPT will automatically register itself.
- (Advanced) Or enter Client ID & Secret from your dashboard if you prefer Static Registration.
Click Add and authorize via the browser popup.

Full Guide: For a step-by-step tutorial on enabling Developer Mode, adding the connector, and authorizing, please read our official ChatGPT Integration Guide.

Install in VS Code

Add this to your VS Code user settings (settings.json):

"mcp.servers": {
  "transcript-api": {
    "type": "http",
    "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}

Install in Windsurf

Add this to your Windsurf MCP config (~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "serverUrl": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in OpenAI Agent Builder

OpenAI Agent Builder currently requires API Key authentication (OAuth not supported yet).

Create a new Agent
Under "Actions" or "Tools", add a new MCP Server
URL: https://transcriptapi.com/mcp
Auth Type: API Key
Paste your API Key from the dashboard

View Step-by-Step Guide →

Install in Cline

Add to your Cline MCP settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "type": "streamableHttp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in Zed

Add to your Zed settings.json:

{
  "context_servers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "source": "remote",
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in Roo Code

Add to your Roo Code config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in Amp

Run via CLI:

amp mcp add transcript-api https://transcriptapi.com/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Install in Augment Code

In settings.json under augment.advanced:

"augment.advanced": {
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "transcript-api",
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Install in Kilo Code

In .kilocode/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in JetBrains AI Assistant

In Settings -> Tools -> AI Assistant -> MCP:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in Gemini CLI

In ~/.gemini/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "httpUrl": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in Qwen Coder

In ~/.qwen/settings.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "httpUrl": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in Google Antigravity

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "serverUrl": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in Trae

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in LM Studio

In mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in BoltAI

In Plugins -> JSON Config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "transcript-api": {
      "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Install in Warp

In Settings -> AI -> MCP:

{
  "transcript-api": {
    "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}

Install in Perplexity Desktop

In Settings -> Connectors -> Advanced:

{
  "url": "https://transcriptapi.com/mcp",
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
  }
}

🔐 Authentication

API Key Authentication

Simple and universal. Works with every MCP client.

Get your API key from dashboard
Keys start with sk_ prefix
Add to config as Bearer token:

"headers": {
  "Authorization": "Bearer sk_your_api_key_here"
}

Security Note: Store keys in environment variables where possible and never commit them to version control.

OAuth Authentication

Automatic, secure authentication without manual key management.

Dynamic Client Registration (DCR):

Supported by: Claude Desktop, ChatGPT
Just add the MCP URL - client auto-registers
No credentials needed
You'll authorize once via browser redirect

Static Client Registration:

Supported by: ChatGPT (optional/required for some setups)
Get Client ID + Secret from MCP Integration Dashboard
More control over client identity

🧰 Available Tools

`get_youtube_transcript`

Fetches the transcript for a given YouTube video.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`video_url`	string	required	YouTube URL (full, short) or 11-char video ID
`send_metadata`	boolean	`true`	Include video title, author, thumbnail
`format`	string	`"text"`	Output format: `"text"` (markdown) or `"json"`
`include_timestamp`	boolean	`true`	Add timestamps to each segment

Example Output (Text):

# Metadata

## Title: Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

## Author: RickAstleyVEVO

# Transcript

[0.0s] Never gonna give you up
[4.12s] Never gonna let you down

Example Output (JSON):

{
  "transcript": [
    { "text": "Never gonna give you up", "start": 0.0, "duration": 4.12 },
    { "text": "Never gonna let you down", "start": 4.12, "duration": 3.85 }
  ],
  "metadata": { "title": "Rick Astley...", "author_name": "RickAstleyVEVO" }
}

💡 Use Cases & Prompts

Use Case	Example Prompt
📝 Summarization	"Summarize the key points from this video: [URL]"
🔍 Research	"What are the main arguments presented in [URL]?"
📚 Study Notes	"Create study notes from this lecture: [URL]"
⚖️ Comparison	"Compare the perspectives in these two videos: [URL1] [URL2]"
🌐 Translation	"Translate this video's content to Spanish: [URL]"
✍️ Content Repurposing	"Turn this video into a blog post: [URL]"

💳 Pricing & Rate Limits

Plan	Price	Credits	Rate Limit
Free	$0/month	100	60 req/min
Starter	$5/month	1,000	200 req/min

1 Credit = 1 Successful Request (HTTP 200)
Failed requests or rate-limited requests do not consume credits.
View Pricing | Manage Credits

🚨 Troubleshooting

Authentication Errors (401)

Verify your API key starts with sk_
Check for extra spaces when copying
Ensure the key is active in your dashboard
If using OAuth, try re-authorizing

No Credits (402)

Check your credit balance at dashboard
Purchase more credits or upgrade your plan

Video Not Available (404)

The video might not have captions/subtitles enabled
The video might be private or age-restricted
The video might be region-locked

Rate Limiting (429)

Respect the Retry-After header
Implement exponential backoff in your client
Upgrade to a paid plan for higher limits

OAuth Issues

Clear browser cookies and try again
For ChatGPT, try switching between Dynamic and Static registration
Ensure popup blockers aren't preventing the auth window

🤝 Connect with Us

🌐 Website: transcriptapi.com
📚 Documentation: transcriptapi.com/docs
🔧 API Reference: transcriptapi.com/docs/api
💬 Contact: transcriptapi.com/contact

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TranscriptAPI MCP - Get YouTube Transcripts Everywhere

❌ Without TranscriptAPI

✅ With TranscriptAPI

Two Integration Paths

🛠️ Installation

🔐 Authentication

API Key Authentication

OAuth Authentication

🧰 Available Tools

`get_youtube_transcript`

💡 Use Cases & Prompts

💳 Pricing & Rate Limits

🚨 Troubleshooting

🤝 Connect with Us

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TranscriptAPI MCP - Get YouTube Transcripts Everywhere

❌ Without TranscriptAPI

✅ With TranscriptAPI

Two Integration Paths

🛠️ Installation

🔐 Authentication

API Key Authentication

OAuth Authentication

🧰 Available Tools

get_youtube_transcript

💡 Use Cases & Prompts

💳 Pricing & Rate Limits

🚨 Troubleshooting

🤝 Connect with Us

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