Claude Code TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) search_channel_videos
How to: Claude Code TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) search_channel_videos
Add TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) to Claude Code
-
01
Run this in your project directory.
claude mcp add --transport http youtube-transcript https://api.transcriptapi.io/mcp-
02
Restart your session so the server is picked up.
-
03
Ask for something search_channel_videos does. Claude Code lists the server's tools on connect and calls search_channel_videos itself — you do not invoke it by name.
-
04
If nothing happens, check the server is running and that TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io)'s identifier in your config matches the one above exactly.
Adds it for this project only. Append --scope user to make it available everywhere. Claude Code docs
Set these first
TranscriptAPI — YouTube transcripts (transcriptapi.io) will not start until these are set, so search_channel_videos never becomes available.
-
TRANSCRIPTAPI_KEY
Same tool, other clients
This list was read from the server itself, by connecting to it and calling tools/list on 5 November 2026. It is what
the server actually exposes, not what its listing claims.
Mutating and Read-only are read off each tool's name, not its schema — a hint, not a guarantee. The registry stores tool names only; connect the server for its live schemas.