November 9, 2026 · 4 min read

How to Add YouTube to Claude (claude.ai, Desktop, and Claude Code)

In short

Connect Claude to YouTube in a minute: add TranscriptYT as a custom connector in claude.ai or Claude Desktop, or as an MCP server in Claude Code. Then paste any YouTube link and Claude reads the transcript, summarizes, and searches YouTube.

Claude can't open a YouTube link on its own. Add a YouTube connector and it can: paste a link and Claude fetches the full transcript, then summarizes it, quotes it, or answers questions with timestamps. It can also search YouTube and list a playlist's or channel's videos. TranscriptYT's connector is a remote MCP server with Google sign-in, so there is no key to copy.

claude.ai and Claude Desktop: add a custom connector

Open Settings → Connectors and choose Add custom connector. Name it TranscriptYT and enter the server URL below. Claude opens a sign-in window: sign in with Google and approve access. That's it; the tools show up in the chat's tools menu.

Paste a YouTube link with a request like "summarize this with timestamps", and Claude calls get_transcript itself.

https://transcript-yt.com/mcp

Claude Code: one command

Add the server, then run /mcp inside Claude Code and choose TranscriptYT to sign in with Google. To use an API key instead (for CI or headless runs), create one in the dashboard and pass it as a header.

claude mcp add --transport http transcriptyt https://transcript-yt.com/mcp

# or with an API key
claude mcp add --transport http transcriptyt https://transcript-yt.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer ts_live_..."

ChatGPT: developer mode connector

In ChatGPT on the web, turn on developer mode under Settings → Apps & Connectors → Advanced, then create a connector with the same URL and OAuth authentication. Sign in with Google when asked. Availability depends on your ChatGPT plan.

Things to ask Claude

"Summarize this video in 5 bullets with timestamps: <link>"
"What does the speaker say about pricing? Quote them exactly."
"Search YouTube for recent talks on RAG evaluation and compare the top three."
"List the last 10 videos on this channel and tell me which ones cover Next.js."
"Turn this tutorial into a step-by-step checklist."

Cursor, VS Code, Codex, and other agents

The same server works in any MCP client. The MCP guide has one-click installs for Cursor and VS Code and config for Codex and others, and the MCP setup post walks through each. For your own code, the same features are on the REST API.

Common questions

Can Claude watch YouTube videos?

Not by itself. With a YouTube connector, Claude reads the video's transcript, which covers everything that's said, and can summarize, quote, and answer questions about it.

Is the Claude YouTube connector free?

TranscriptYT includes 100 free transcripts. After that, plans start at $3 for 1,000. Listing languages and checking usage are free; searches and playlist listings are free on paid plans, and the Free plan gets 10 a day.

Does it work in Claude Desktop and on mobile?

Connectors you add in claude.ai settings are available in Claude Desktop and the Claude mobile apps on the same account.

What can Claude do with it?

get_transcript reads any video's transcript, summarize_video summarizes it, search_youtube finds videos, list_playlist_videos lists a playlist or channel, list_languages shows caption tracks, and get_usage shows your credits.

Does it work with ChatGPT or Gemini?

ChatGPT can use the same server as a custom connector in developer mode. Gemini can read YouTube links natively in the Gemini app; for Gemini CLI, add the server URL to its MCP settings.