YouTube Transcript

Overview

Fetches transcripts, search results, and playlist/channel data from YouTube via the getyoutubetranscript.com REST API, so an agent can summarize, quote, search, or analyze a video's actual spoken content without the user copy-pasting it in by hand. No yt-dlp and no Google API key required.

source_repo: tubeagentkit/youtube-transcript-skills
source_type: community

When to Use This Skill

Use when the user wants a YouTube video's transcript fetched, summarized, quoted, or analyzed.
Use when the user wants to search YouTube (globally, or within one channel by handle).
Use when the user wants a channel handle resolved to a channel ID, or wants a channel's info and upload history.
Use when the user wants the videos in a YouTube playlist.

How It Works

Step 1: Get an API key

Every call needs an API key: the YOUTUBE_TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY environment variable, or one the user has already provided. If neither exists, the skill can sign the user up for a free account (100 credits, no card required) via a two-step email + verification-code flow against the API - only after the user has explicitly given consent and an email address to use.

Step 2: Call the API

Base URL: https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/v1. Send the key as Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY> or x-api-key: <API_KEY>.

GET /transcript?v=<VIDEO_ID_OR_URL>&language=en - fetch a transcript.
GET /search?q=<query>&type=video|channel - search YouTube.
GET /resolve?handle=@name - resolve a channel handle to a channel ID (free).
GET /channel/latest?channel=@name - channel info and latest videos (free).
GET /channel/videos?channel=@name - a channel's full upload history (paginated).
GET /channel/search?channel=@name&q=<query> - search within a channel (paginated).
GET /playlist?list=<playlist ID or URL> - playlist videos (paginated).

Step 3: Handle errors and pagination

Every error is JSON with a stable code (e.g. TRANSCRIPT_NOT_FOUND, PAYMENT_REQUIRED, RATE_LIMITED) and a matching HTTP status - relay the message field to the user rather than guessing at a fix. Paginated endpoints return an opaque data.continuation_token; pass it back verbatim as continuation to get the next page, null means no more pages.

Examples

Example 1: Summarize a video

curl -s "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/v1/transcript?v=jNQXAC9IVRw&language=en" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $YOUTUBE_TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"

Example 2: Browse a channel's uploads

curl -s "https://getyoutubetranscript.com/api/v1/channel/videos?channel=@mkbhd" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $YOUTUBE_TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"

Best Practices

Do reuse an existing YOUTUBE_TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY before offering to create a new account.
Do ask explicit consent before sending an email address anywhere during signup.
Don't retry a 402 PAYMENT_REQUIRED response - direct the user to top up instead.
Don't hammer a 429 RATE_LIMITED response in a retry loop - back off.

Limitations

The transcript endpoint returns the full spoken text as one string; there is no per-line timestamp breakdown.
This skill does not replace environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, or safety boundaries are missing.

Security & Safety Notes

This skill only makes outbound HTTPS requests to getyoutubetranscript.com endpoints, plus - during first-time setup - an email address the user explicitly provides. It runs no other shell commands and installs nothing.
Never persist a newly issued API key to a shell profile or other file without the user's explicit confirmation first.

Common Pitfalls

Problem: Assuming the transcript response includes timestamps. Solution: Tell the user timestamps aren't available from this endpoint rather than inventing them.

Related Skills

@youtube-full - an alternative YouTube transcript/search/channel/playlist skill backed by a different upstream API.

youtube-transcript-skills