Youtube Summarize MCP Server

@zlatkoc

Basic information

About Youtube Summarize MCP Server

MCP server that fetches YouTube video transcripts and optionally summarizes them. Supports multiple output formats (text, JSON, SRT, WebVTT), language selection, and returns transcripts with summarization instructions for the LLM client.

#youtube #transcript #summarize #video #mcp

Youtube Summarize MCP Server config

Add this server to your MCP-compatible client using the configuration below.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube-summarize": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "youtube-summarize"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Youtube Summarize MCP Server tools

Fetch a YouTube video's transcript. Args: url: YouTube video URL or video ID languages: Preferred languages in priority order (e.g. ["en", "de"]). Defaults to English. format: Output format — one of: text, json, pretty, webvtt, srt preserve_formatting: Keep HTML formatting tags in the transcript text include_timestamps: When True with format="text", prefix each line with [HH:MM:SS]. Ignored for json/srt/webvtt/pretty (those formats already include timestamps). include_metadata: When True (default), prepend a [METADATA] block (title, channel, published, duration, views, description) before the transcript. Pass False for transcript-only output.

Fetch a YouTube video's transcript and return it with summarization instructions. The LLM client should use the returned instructions and transcript to produce a summary. The output is structured into clearly-labeled sections so a human can review the prompt before letting the LLM act on it. Args: url: YouTube video URL or video ID prompt: Custom summarization instructions. If omitted, a default summary prompt is used. languages: Preferred languages in priority order (e.g. ["en", "de"]). Defaults to English. include_timestamps: When True, prefix each transcript line with [HH:MM:SS]. include_metadata: When True (default), include a [VIDEO] block with title, channel, published date, duration, views, and description.

Fetch metadata (title, description, channel, upload date, duration, views, chapters, etc.) for a YouTube video. Args: url: YouTube video URL or video ID

List the videos in a YouTube playlist (titles, IDs, channels, durations, views). Per-video metadata is intentionally lean so the call stays fast even for big playlists. For full metadata on a specific video, call get_video_metadata with that video's ID. Args: url: YouTube playlist URL (with ?list=...) or bare playlist ID limit: Maximum videos to return (default 500). Pass a smaller value to truncate. sort_by: Sort key — "index" (playlist order, default), "title", "duration", "views". "upload_date" is not supported in this fast-mode tool. order: "asc" (default) or "desc".

Search YouTube for videos and return a clean ranked result list. Unlike the YouTube website, results contain only actual videos — no ads, recommendation shelves, or personalization. Relevance ordering still comes from YouTube's backend. Pair with get_transcript or summarize_transcript on a result's ID or URL. Args: query: Search terms limit: Maximum results to return (default 10) sort_by: Result order — "relevance" (default), "date" (newest first), "views", "rating" uploaded: Filter by upload time — "any" (default), "hour", "today", "week", "month", "year" duration: Filter by length — "any" (default), "short" (<4 min), "medium" (4-20 min), "long" (>20 min)

List available transcript languages for a YouTube video. Args: url: YouTube video URL or video ID

Overview

What is youtube-summarize?

youtube-summarize is an MCP server that fetches YouTube video transcripts and optionally summarizes them for LLM clients like Claude. It provides tools to retrieve transcripts in multiple formats and to return transcripts with customized summarization instructions.

How to use youtube-summarize?

Install and run with uvx youtube-summarize (requires Python 3.13+ and the uv package manager). For Claude Desktop, add the server configuration to claude_desktop_config.json. For Claude Code, run claude mcp add youtube-summarize -- uvx youtube-summarize. The server exposes three tools: get_transcript, summarize_transcript, and list_transcripts.

Key features of youtube-summarize

Fetch transcripts in text, JSON, SRT, WebVTT, and pretty-print formats.
Summarize videos with custom or default LLM instructions.
List available transcript languages for any YouTube video.
Accept full YouTube URLs or bare video IDs.
Request transcripts in specific languages with fallback priority.

Use cases of youtube-summarize

Extract and analyze video content for research or note-taking.
Integrate video summaries into AI‑assisted workflows.
Retrieve transcripts for accessibility or translation purposes.
Build automated content processing pipelines for YouTube videos.

Frequently asked questions

What are the runtime requirements?

Python 3.13 or later and the `uv` package manager.

How do I install youtube-summarize?

Run `uvx youtube-summarize` in your terminal.

Can I get just the transcript without a summary?

Yes, use the `get_transcript` tool. It returns the transcript in your chosen format.

What transcript formats are supported?

`text`, `json`, `pretty`, `webvtt`, and `srt`.

How do I configure youtube-summarize for Claude Desktop?

Add the following to your `claude_desktop_config.json`: ```json { "mcpServers": { "youtube-summarize": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["youtube-summarize"] } } } ```

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