Agent skill · research science · sundial-org
youtube
Search YouTube videos, get channel info, fetch video details and transcripts using YouTube Data API v3 via MCP server or yt-dlp fallback.
Why this skill is useful
Adds specific commands and workflows for interacting with the YouTube Data API and extracting transcripts that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires yt-dlp, zubeid-youtube-mcp-server installed locally. Requires google-cloud account access. About 4k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-03-07. 639 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
YouTube Research & Transcription Search YouTube, get video/channel info, and fetch transcripts using YouTube Data API v3. Features 📹 Video details (title, description, stats, publish date) 📝 Transcripts with timestamps 📺 Channel info and recent videos 🔍 Search within YouTube 🎬 Playlist info Setup 1. Install dependencies MCP Server (primary method): Fallback tool (if MCP fails): 2. Get YouTube API Key 1. Go to Google Cloud Console 2. Create/select a project (e.g., "YouTube Research") 3. Enable the API: Menu → "APIs & Services" → "Library" Search: "YouTube Data API v3" Click "Enable" 4. Create credentials: "APIs & Services" → "Credentials" "Create Credentials" → "API Key" Copy the key 5. Optional - Restrict: Click the created key "API restrictions" → Select only "YouTube Data API v3" Save 3. Configure API Key Option A: Clawdbot config (recommended) Add to ~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json: Option B: Environment variable 4. Setup MCP Server The skill will use mcporter to call the YouTube MCP server: Usage Search Videos Returns video IDs, titles, descriptions, channel info. Get Channel Info List Recent Videos from Channel Get Video Details Get Transcript (Primary) Get Transcript (Fallback with yt-dlp) If MCP transcript fails (empty or unavailable), use yt-dlp: Then read the .vtt file from /tmp/. Or get transcript directly: Common Workflows 1. Find Latest Episode from a Podcast Example: Lex Fridman Podcast Returns most recent video with title, ID, publish date. 2. Get Transcript for Research 3. Search for Topics Filter results for relevant channels or dates. Channel IDs Reference Keep frequently used channels here for quick access: Lex Fridman Podcast: UCSHZKyawb77ixDdsGog4iWA Indie Hackers: (add when needed) Laravel: (add when needed) To find a channel ID: 1. Go to channel page 2. View page source 3. Search for "channelId": or "externalId" Or use search and extract from results. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills sundial-org/youtube