get_available_languages
List available transcript languages for a YouTube video. Use this before retrying with a specific language code.
LABSCO SUMMARY
Transcript, timestamps and language list as separate calls, so you fetch only what you need.
The split matters for long videos: metadata and the language list come back without the transcript body, so a wrong-language guess costs one small call instead of a wall of text. The timestamped variant exists for the case where the text has to be quotable — chapter notes, time-coded references — rather than just summarized.
What it is
A transcript fetcher for YouTube. Give it a URL or video ID and it returns the caption text, normalized and optionally segmented into paragraphs.
What you get
- The transcript of a video from its URL or ID, in a language you name or the best available track if you do not
- Continuous text or paragraph mode, with HTML entities decoded and the text normalized
- A timestamped version for when you need quotes, chapter-style notes or time-coded references
- Video metadata and the available caption languages without pulling the transcript itself
- The language list on its own, which is what you check before retrying with a specific code
- A second name for the main tool, so configurations written for other YouTube transcript servers keep working
Requirements
No account and no key. Node.js 18 or higher; run it with npx -y @sinco-lab/mcp-youtube-transcript over stdio, from the npm package @sinco-lab/mcp-youtube-transcript, currently 0.0.8, which also installs a youtube-transcript command for the terminal. If you use nvm, note that the Claude desktop app resolves npx against the lowest installed Node version — the project's own guidance is to keep the command as npx and set a full PATH in the config rather than pointing at an absolute path.
Setup effort
One command — npx -y @sinco-lab/mcp-youtube-transcript
USE CASES
01
Summarizing a talk you do not have time to watch
Fetch the transcript in paragraph mode and work from the text.
02
Quoting a video with the time it was said
Take the timestamped transcript so each passage carries its position.
03
Getting the right language when the default is wrong
List the available caption languages, then re-fetch with that code.
04
Checking a video is worth processing at all
Read its metadata and available tracks without pulling the whole transcript.
5 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
get_timed_transcript
Extract a timestamped transcript from a YouTube video. Use this when the user needs quotes, chapter-like notes, or time-coded references.
Parameters:
url(string, required): YouTube video URL or ID.lang(string, optional): Language code for transcripts. If omitted, the best available caption track is used.
get_transcript
Alias of get_transcripts for compatibility with other YouTube transcript MCP servers. Extract and process transcripts from a YouTube video.
Parameters:
url(string, required): YouTube video URL or ID.lang(string, optional): Language code for transcripts. If omitted, the best available caption track is used.enableParagraphs(boolean, optional, default false): Enable automatic paragraph breaks.
IMPORTANT: If the user does *not* specify a language *code*, DO NOT include the lang parameter in the tool call.
get_transcripts
Extract and process transcripts from a YouTube video.
Parameters:
url(string, required): YouTube video URL or ID.lang(string, optional): Language code for transcripts (e.g. 'en', 'uk', 'ja', 'ru', 'zh'). If omitted, the best available caption track is used.enableParagraphs(boolean, optional, default false): Enable automatic paragraph breaks.
IMPORTANT: If the user does *not* specify a language *code*, DO NOT include the lang parameter in the tool call. Do not guess the language or use parts of the user query as the language code.
get_video_info
Fetch basic YouTube video metadata and available transcript languages without returning the full transcript.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
5 tools when we connected.
Requires
- npx on PATH
- Node.js 18 or later
CONTEXT COST
Light Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 5 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Add the block to your client, or run the command directly.
Server setup
Configuration file
JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-youtube-transcript": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@sinco-lab/mcp-youtube-transcript"
]
}
}
}npx
TERMINAL
npx -y @sinco-lab/mcp-youtube-transcript
