# TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) (npm · transcriptapi-mcp)

YouTube transcripts, search, channels and playlists for AI agents, by transcriptapi.io.

- Trust score: 66/100 (medium)
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-10-18

## Components

- remote · `api.transcriptapi.io`: 70/100, [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript/api.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript/api)
- npm · `transcriptapi-mcp`: 66/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript/transcriptapi-mcp.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript/transcriptapi-mcp)

## Channel facts

- Registry: `npm`
- Package: `transcriptapi-mcp`
- Version: `0.1.1`
- Transport: `stdio`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically from public evidence about the published package, including repeated runs of it in an isolated sandbox, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-10-18.

- **Supply Chain Security**: 98/100
  - No malware found by supply-chain analysis.
  - No known CVEs affecting this package version or its production dependencies.
  - No install/post-install scripts declared.
  - 31 of 92 dependencies flagged as unhealthy.
- **Provenance & Transparency**: 19/100
  - Repository check failed: no source repository is declared.
  - Provenance check failed: no build-provenance attestation is published.
  - Clear OSI-approved license (MIT).
  - Actively maintained (last published 0 days ago).
  - Security-disclosure policy not yet verified: we couldn't inspect the source repository.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 84/100
  - 100% of prompts and resources have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the item's name).
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 737 tokens (~147/item across 5 items; 5 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 0/100
  - Stability not yet verified: not enough scan history yet (needs a 30-day window).
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - We read all 5 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 6 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.

**Unverified: 1 category.** A category scored 0 because we could not verify it: a data source with nothing on this package, evidence we could not reach, or a check we could not run. We only credit what we can confirm.

## Install

### How do I install the TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) MCP server?

TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) runs locally as an npm package, launched with npx -y transcriptapi-mcp. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript -- npx -y transcriptapi-mcp
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "transcriptapi-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "transcriptapi-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```bash
codex mcp add io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript -- npx -y transcriptapi-mcp
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": [
        "npx",
        "-y",
        "transcriptapi-mcp"
      ],
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript --command npx --arg -y --arg transcriptapi-mcp
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript:
    command: "npx"
    args: ["-y", "transcriptapi-mcp"]
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript": {
      "Transport": "stdio",
      "Command": "npx",
      "Arguments": [
        "-y",
        "transcriptapi-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript -t stdio -c npx -a -y transcriptapi-mcp
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "transcriptapi-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-10-17 (score 66)

First indexed and scored.

## MCP tools (5)

### `get_youtube_transcript` (~269 tokens)

Get YouTube transcript

Fetch the transcript (captions/subtitles) of a YouTube video as text. Accepts a watch URL, youtu.be link, Shorts link or bare 11-character video id. Returns the spoken text with timestamps grouped in ~30 s blocks by default; choose format 'text' for prose without timestamps, 'srt'/'vtt' for subtitle files, or 'json' for raw segments with start/duration. Works with creator-uploaded and auto-generated captions in any language YouTube has for the video. Optionally translate the transcript to another language with translate_to (costs extra credits, scales with length).

Input parameters:

- `format` (string): Output shape. 'timestamped' (default) is best for reading and citing; 'text' is smallest; 'srt'/'vtt' are subtitle files; 'json' is raw segments.
- `language` (string): Preferred caption language code, e.g. 'en', 'de', 'es'. Falls back to what the video has.
- `translate_to` (string): Translate the transcript into this language code using AI, e.g. 'de'. Extra credits; omit unless the user asked for a translation.
- `video` (string, required): YouTube video URL or 11-character video id

### `search_youtube` (~79 tokens)

Search YouTube

Search YouTube for videos by keyword. Returns video ids, titles, channel names, durations and view counts. Use the returned id with get_youtube_transcript to read a result.

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer): Maximum number of results (1–50)
- `query` (string, required): Search terms, as you would type them into YouTube

### `get_channel_videos` (~89 tokens)

List a channel's videos

List the most recent uploads of a YouTube channel, newest first. Accepts a channel id (UC…), a handle (@name) or a channel URL. Returns ids, titles, durations, view counts and publish dates.

Input parameters:

- `channel` (string, required): Channel id (UC…), handle (@name) or channel URL
- `limit` (integer): Maximum number of videos (1–100)

### `search_channel_videos` (~91 tokens)

Search within a channel

Search for videos inside one YouTube channel by keyword. Useful for 'find the video where <channel> talks about <topic>'. Accepts a channel id, @handle or channel URL.

Input parameters:

- `channel` (string, required): Channel id (UC…), handle (@name) or channel URL
- `limit` (integer): Maximum number of results (1–50)
- `query` (string, required): Search terms

### `get_playlist_videos` (~87 tokens)

List a playlist's videos

List the videos in a YouTube playlist, in playlist order. Accepts a playlist URL (anything with list=…) or the playlist id. Returns ids and titles so each can be passed to get_youtube_transcript.

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer): Maximum number of videos (1–200)
- `playlist` (string, required): Playlist URL or playlist id (usually starts with PL)

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: Provenance, Dependencies. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript/transcriptapi-mcp#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-10-18: 66
- 2026-10-17: 66

## Common questions

### What is the TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) MCP server?

TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as io.transcriptapi/youtube-transcript. YouTube transcripts, search, channels and playlists for AI agents, by transcriptapi.io. This page covers its npm package (transcriptapi-mcp).

### Is the TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) MCP server safe to use?

TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) scores 66 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. We found no known CVEs affecting it as of 18 October 2026. It declares no install or post-install scripts. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) MCP server expose?

TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) exposes 5 tools: get_youtube_transcript, search_youtube, get_channel_videos, search_channel_videos, get_playlist_videos. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 615 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Is the TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) MCP server still maintained?

TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 18 October 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

### What licence is the TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) MCP server under?

TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) declares the MIT licence, which is OSI-approved. That covers the source only, and says nothing about the cost of any service it calls.

## Links

- npm package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/transcriptapi-mcp
- Socket report: https://socket.dev/npm/package/transcriptapi-mcp
- Website: https://transcriptapi.io/mcp
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript/transcriptapi-mcp.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript/transcriptapi-mcp.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/io-transcriptapi-youtube-transcript/transcriptapi-mcp