kirbah-mcp-youtube — Claude Code MCP server: what it does, install
MCP server that delivers structured YouTube transcripts and statistics without payload bloat. It runs transcript lookups without keys and cuts context tokens up to 87%.
claude mcp add --transport http kirbah-mcp-youtube https://server.smithery.ai/@kirbah/mcp-youtube/mcpWhat kirbah-mcp-youtube does
Standard YouTube API responses carry redundant thumbnails, localization details, and nested eTags. This server strips metadata before passing data to the LLM. Channel statistics shrink from 1.9 KB down to 0.2 KB. The call consumes 86 tokens instead of 673.
Captions work right away without configuration. Point the agent at youtube://transcript/{videoId} without credentials. Deep search and channel metrics require the YOUTUBE_API_KEY variable.
YouTube allows only 10,000 daily quota units. Looping agents drain that limit fast. Passing a MongoDB connection string in MDB_MCP_CONNECTION_STRING avoids burning points on repeated lookups.
What it helps with
- extract video captions for LLM summarization without API keys
- trim token consumption when requesting YouTube channel metrics
- query video search results without nested thumbnail metadata
- prevent YouTube API daily quota exhaustion using MongoDB cache
Example prompts for the agent
- Read the transcript for
youtube://transcript/dQw4w9WgXcQand summarize main points. - Get channel stats and subscriber count for @veritasium.
- Search for trending videos about rust programming and show their view counts.
How to install kirbah-mcp-youtube
Platform CLI: remote server
claude mcp add --transport http kirbah-mcp-youtube https://server.smithery.ai/@kirbah/mcp-youtube/mcpPlatform CLI: remote server
codex mcp add kirbah-mcp-youtube --url https://server.smithery.ai/@kirbah/mcp-youtube/mcpConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"kirbah-mcp-youtube": {
"url": "https://server.smithery.ai/@kirbah/mcp-youtube/mcp"
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"kirbah-mcp-youtube": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://server.smithery.ai/@kirbah/mcp-youtube/mcp"
}
}
}Platform CLI: remote server
gemini mcp add -t http kirbah-mcp-youtube https://server.smithery.ai/@kirbah/mcp-youtube/mcpStep by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about kirbah-mcp-youtube
How do I install kirbah-mcp-youtube in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add --transport http kirbah-mcp-youtube https://server.smithery.ai/@kirbah/mcp-youtube/mcp in your terminal.
Can I use this MCP server without an API key?
Yes, zero-config mode handles video captions without credentials. You only need YOUTUBE_API_KEY for searching videos or reading channel statistics.
Why does the server support MongoDB?
YouTube enforces a 10,000 unit daily quota limit. Passing a MongoDB connection string in MDB_MCP_CONNECTION_STRING caches responses so duplicate requests cost zero quota units.
