YouTube Transcript Server for VS Code: Setup & Config

What you can do with YouTube Transcript in VS Code

Pick it for focused YouTube caption access with language and timestamp controls.

• Retrieve caption text for a YouTube video or Short
• Request subtitles in a preferred language with fallback

Before you start: YouTube Transcript in VS Code

• Node.js 18 or later
• npm or yarn
• An MCP-compatible client

The server communicates over stdio. No runtime API key is specified for transcript retrieval.

YouTube Transcript VS Code configuration

1. Choose VS Code configuration scope

   For YouTube Transcript Server, open Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json. Merge into servers; preserve existing inputs.

2. Add YouTube Transcript Server to VS Code

   Use the mcp-server-youtube-transcript entry below in servers. Keep YouTube Transcript Server's documented stdio connection fields and your other VS Code entries.

3. Check YouTube Transcript Server in VS Code

   YouTube Transcript Server: Start in VS Code’s MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.

{
  "servers": {
    "mcp-server-youtube-transcript": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@kimtaeyoon83/mcp-server-youtube-transcript"
      ],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

YouTube Transcript tools available to VS Code

YouTube Transcript's stored tool list documents 1 tool; compare it with VS Code's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

get_transcript

Look for get_transcript among VS Code's agent-mode tools after starting YouTube Transcript through the MCP controls.

Retrieve video captions with language, timestamp, and chapter-based promotional-filter options.

YouTube Transcript: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting YouTube Transcript in VS Code

• Make npx @kimtaeyoon83/mcp-server-youtube-transcript (Node.js/npm) available in the workspace, container, or remote environment hosting YouTube Transcript Server. Start through VS Code's MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.
• YouTube Transcript Server uses stdio here: VS Code must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Unavailable transcripts still produce errors
• Known limitation: Promotional filtering depends on chapter markers
• General VS Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/vscode guide.

Frequently asked questions