Build Your Own YouTube MCP Server for Transcripts

This n8n workflow builds a simple MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for YouTube, enabling searches for videos based on queries and extraction of transcripts for research. It uses an MCP server trigger connected to three custom tools: YouTube Search (fetches 10 results), YouTube Transcripts (downloads subtitles from URLs), and Usage Reports (tracks Apify spending and limits). Powered by Apify's scraping service, it offers a simple interface without rate limits.

Ideal for AI agents needing up-to-date video content, the workflow automates transcript extraction from lengthy videos, saving time on manual viewing or transcription. Users connect compatible MCP clients like Claude Desktop or n8n AI agents, querying topics like 'what is MCP?' to get searchable results and breakdowns.

Benefits include efficient research on cutting-edge topics, integration with AI for insights, and cost monitoring. Use cases: academic research, content summarization, competitive analysis, or training AI on video data. Requires an Apify account; setup follows n8n MCP guidelines.