Content
# YouTube MCP Server
[](https://smithery.ai/server/@coyaSONG/youtube-mcp-server)
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for interacting with YouTube data. This server provides resources and tools to query YouTube videos, channels, comments, and transcripts through a stdio interface.
## Features
- Search for YouTube videos with advanced filtering options
- Get detailed information about specific videos and channels
- Compare statistics across multiple videos
- Discover trending videos by region and category
- Analyze channel performance and video statistics
- Retrieve video comments and transcripts/captions
- Generate video analysis and transcript summaries
## Prerequisites
- Node.js (v16+)
- YouTube Data API key
## Installation
### Installing via Smithery
To install YouTube MCP Server for Claude Desktop automatically via [Smithery](https://smithery.ai/server/@coyaSONG/youtube-mcp-server):
```bash
npx -y @smithery/cli install @coyaSONG/youtube-mcp-server --client claude
```
### Installing Manually
1. Clone this repository:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/coyaSONG/youtube-mcp-server.git
cd youtube-mcp-server
```
2. Install dependencies:
```bash
npm install
```
3. Create a `.env` file in the root directory:
```
YOUTUBE_API_KEY=your_youtube_api_key_here
PORT=3000
```
## Usage
### Building and Running
1. Build the project:
```bash
npm run build
```
2. Run the server (HTTP transport):
```bash
npm start
```
The server will listen on port 3000 (or PORT environment variable) and accept MCP requests at `/mcp` endpoint.
3. Run in development mode:
```bash
npm run dev
```
4. Clean build artifacts:
```bash
npm run clean
```
### HTTP Transport Migration
**Migration Status**: ✅ **Complete** - Successfully migrated from STDIO to Streamable HTTP transport
This server has been updated to use the modern Streamable HTTP transport as required by Smithery hosting platform. The migration includes:
- **Modern Protocol**: Uses Streamable HTTP transport (protocol version 2025-03-26)
- **Express.js Framework**: Built on Express.js for robust HTTP handling
- **Session Management**: Supports stateful operations with proper session tracking
- **MCP Endpoint**: All requests handled at `/mcp` endpoint
- **Backwards Compatibility**: Maintains full compatibility with all existing tools and resources
- **Enhanced Performance**: Improved scalability and better error handling
### Testing the Migration
**Local Testing**:
```bash
# Start the server
npm start
# Test with MCP Inspector
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
# Connect to: http://localhost:3000/mcp
```
**Smithery Integration**:
- The server is fully compatible with Smithery's new hosting requirements
- All existing Claude Desktop integrations will continue to work seamlessly
- No changes required for end users
## Docker Deployment
The project includes a Dockerfile for containerized deployment:
```bash
# Build the Docker image
docker build -t youtube-mcp-server .
# Run the container with HTTP transport
docker run -p 3000:3000 --env-file .env youtube-mcp-server
```
**Important**: The container now exposes port 3000 for HTTP-based MCP communication instead of STDIO.
## API Reference
### Resources
- `youtube://video/{videoId}` - Get detailed information about a specific video
- `youtube://channel/{channelId}` - Get information about a specific channel
- `youtube://transcript/{videoId}` - Get transcript for a specific video
- Optional query parameter: `?language=LANGUAGE_CODE` (e.g., `en`, `ko`, `ja`)
### Tools
#### Basic Tools
- `search-videos` - Search for YouTube videos with advanced filtering options
- `get-video-comments` - Get comments for a specific video
- `get-video-transcript` - Get transcript for a specific video with optional language
- `enhanced-transcript` - Advanced transcript extraction with filtering, search, and multi-video capabilities
- `get-key-moments` - Extract key moments with timestamps from a video transcript for easier navigation
- `get-segmented-transcript` - Divide a video transcript into segments for easier analysis
#### Statistical Tools
- `get-video-stats` - Get statistical information for a specific video
- `get-channel-stats` - Get subscriber count, view count, and other channel statistics
- `compare-videos` - Compare statistics across multiple videos
#### Discovery Tools
- `get-trending-videos` - Retrieve trending videos by region and category
- `get-video-categories` - Get available video categories for a specific region
#### Analysis Tools
- `analyze-channel-videos` - Analyze performance trends of videos from a specific channel
### Prompts
- `video-analysis` - Generate an analysis of a YouTube video
- `transcript-summary` - Generate a summary of a video based on its transcript with customizable length and keywords extraction
- `segment-by-segment-analysis` - Provide detailed breakdown of content by analyzing each segment of the video
## Examples
### Accessing a Video Transcript
```
youtube://transcript/dQw4w9WgXcQ
```
### Getting a Transcript in a Specific Language
```
youtube://transcript/dQw4w9WgXcQ?language=en
```
### Using the Statistical Tools
```javascript
// Get video statistics
{
"type": "tool",
"name": "get-video-stats",
"parameters": {
"videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ"
}
}
// Compare multiple videos
{
"type": "tool",
"name": "compare-videos",
"parameters": {
"videoIds": ["dQw4w9WgXcQ", "9bZkp7q19f0"]
}
}
```
### Using the Transcript Summary Prompt
```javascript
{
"type": "prompt",
"name": "transcript-summary",
"parameters": {
"videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"language": "en"
}
}
```
### Using the Enhanced Transcript Tool
```javascript
// Basic multi-video transcript extraction
{
"type": "tool",
"name": "enhanced-transcript",
"parameters": {
"videoIds": ["dQw4w9WgXcQ", "9bZkp7q19f0"],
"format": "timestamped"
}
}
// With search and time filtering
{
"type": "tool",
"name": "enhanced-transcript",
"parameters": {
"videoIds": ["dQw4w9WgXcQ"],
"filters": {
"timeRange": {
"start": 60, // Start at 60 seconds
"end": 180 // End at 180 seconds
},
"search": {
"query": "never gonna",
"contextLines": 2
}
},
"format": "merged"
}
}
// With smart segmentation for easier analysis
{
"type": "tool",
"name": "enhanced-transcript",
"parameters": {
"videoIds": ["dQw4w9WgXcQ"],
"filters": {
"segment": {
"count": 5,
"method": "smart" // Breaks at natural pauses
}
},
"format": "timestamped",
"language": "en"
}
}
```
### Using the Enhanced Transcript Analysis Features
```javascript
// Get key moments from a video
{
"type": "tool",
"name": "get-key-moments",
"parameters": {
"videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"maxMoments": "5"
}
}
// Get a segmented transcript
{
"type": "tool",
"name": "get-segmented-transcript",
"parameters": {
"videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"segmentCount": "4"
}
}
// Get a segment-by-segment analysis
{
"type": "prompt",
"name": "segment-by-segment-analysis",
"parameters": {
"videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"segmentCount": "4"
}
}
// Get customized transcript summary
{
"type": "prompt",
"name": "transcript-summary",
"parameters": {
"videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"language": "en",
"summaryLength": "detailed",
"includeKeywords": "true"
}
}
```
## Error Handling
The server handles various error conditions, including:
- Invalid API key
- Video or channel not found
- Transcript not available
- Network issues
## License
MIT
## Acknowledgements
- [Model Context Protocol TypeScript SDK](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/typescript-sdk)
- [YouTube Data API](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3)
- [YouTube Captions Scraper](https://github.com/algolia/youtube-captions-scraper)
