YouTube MCP Server for VS Code: Setup & Config

What you can do with YouTube in VS Code

A research-focused YouTube interface with transcripts, filtered creator discovery, and quota fallback.

• Search videos within publication dates and channel constraints.
• Discover creator channels by topic, subscriber size, and recent activity.

Before you start: YouTube in VS Code

• Node.js and npx
• At least one YouTube Data API key
• An MCP-compatible client

Uses the README's npx configuration, not the different package in the structured config hint. YOUTUBE_API_KEY2 and YOUTUBE_API_KEY3 are optional fallback keys. YOUTUBE_TRANSCRIPT_LANG optionally changes the default transcript language. Docker defaults to HTTP at http://localhost:8088/mcp.

YouTube VS Code configuration

1. Choose VS Code configuration scope

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

2. Add YouTube MCP Server to VS Code

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

3. Check YouTube MCP Server in VS Code

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

{
  "servers": {
    "youtube-mcp-server": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "zubeid-youtube-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "YOUTUBE_API_KEY": "<YouTube Data API key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

YouTube tools available to VS Code

YouTube's stored tool list documents 10 tools; compare it with VS Code's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

videos_getVideo

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

Retrieve video details, optionally selecting resource parts.

videos_searchVideos

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

Search videos using date, channel, subscriber, activity, and ordering filters.

transcripts_getTranscript

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

Retrieve a video's transcript in a requested or configured language.

channels_getChannel

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

channels_getChannels

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

channels_searchChannels

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

Find channels by handle, name, or query with subscriber and activity filters.

channels_findCreators

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

Discover creator channels from topic-matching videos using size and activity constraints.

channels_listVideos

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

playlists_getPlaylist

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

playlists_getPlaylistItems

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

YouTube: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting YouTube in VS Code

• Make npx zubeid-youtube-mcp-server (Node.js/npm) available in the workspace, container, or remote environment hosting YouTube MCP Server. Start through VS Code's MCP controls; inspect output and trust prompts.
• For YouTube MCP Server, keep YOUTUBE_API_KEY out of version control; VS Code documents input variables and secret handling.
• YouTube MCP Server uses stdio here: VS Code must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: At least one YouTube Data API key is required.
• Known limitation: Creator-only filtering uses heuristics rather than a guaranteed classification.
• Known limitation: The Docker build can include credentials from its copied environment file.
• General VS Code troubleshooting lives in the /clients/vscode guide.

Frequently asked questions