yt
The yt skill provides YouTube content lookup via TranscriptAPI.com, enabling transcript extraction, video search, channel latest uploads retrieval, and handle resolution. Use it when processing YouTube links, video IDs, channel handles, or requests requiring video transcripts, search results, or recent channel content analysis. Requires API key setup and proper headers for each request.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills /tmp/yt && cp -r /tmp/yt/skills/yt ~/.claude/skills/ytSKILL.md
# yt Quick YouTube lookup via [TranscriptAPI.com](https://transcriptapi.com). ## Setup If `$TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY` is not set, read [references/auth-setup.md](references/auth-setup.md) and follow the instructions there to get and store the key. ## Required Headers Every request needs two headers: - **Authorization:** `Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY` - **User-Agent:** your agent's name and version if known (e.g. `HermesAgent/0.11.0`, `ClaudeCode/1.0`). Version is optional — agent name alone is fine. Do not omit this header or send a bare default — Cloudflare will return a 403 (error code 1010) and block the request. ## API Reference Full OpenAPI spec: [transcriptapi.com/openapi.json](https://transcriptapi.com/openapi.json) — consult this for the latest parameters and schemas. ## Transcript — 1 credit ```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript\ ?video_url=VIDEO_URL&format=text&include_timestamp=true&send_metadata=true" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \ -H "User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0" ``` ## Search — 1 credit ```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/search?q=QUERY&type=video&limit=10" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \ -H "User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0" ``` | Param | Default | Values | | ------- | ------- | ---------------------- | | `q` | — | 1-200 chars (required) | | `type` | `video` | `video`, `channel` | | `limit` | `20` | 1-50 | ## Channel latest — FREE ```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/latest?channel=@TED" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \ -H "User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0" ``` Returns last 15 videos with exact view counts and publish dates. Accepts `@handle`, channel URL, or `UC...` ID. ## Resolve handle — FREE ```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/resolve?input=@TED" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \ -H "User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0" ``` Use to convert @handle to UC... channel ID. ## Errors | Code | Meaning | Action | | -------- | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | | 401 | Bad API key | Check key | | 402 | No credits | transcriptapi.com/billing | | 403/1010 | Cloudflare block | Add or fix User-Agent header | | 404 | Not found | No captions or resource doesn't exist | | 408 | Timeout | Retry once | Free tier: 100 credits. Search and transcript cost 1 credit. Channel latest and resolve are free.
Use when captions, subtitles, or the spoken text of a YouTube video is needed — even if not explicitly requested: pasted video links or IDs, requests to read, quote, or translate a video, accessibility needs, deaf/HoH use cases, content review, or language learning. Fetches timestamped caption data from any YouTube video. Not for uploading subtitles or account management.
Use when subtitles or the spoken text of a YouTube video is needed: pasted video links or IDs, requests to translate a video, read along, follow foreign-language content, or extract what was said. Also use for language learning or accessibility. Fetches timestamped subtitles from any YouTube video. Not for uploading subtitles or account management.
Use when the spoken content of a YouTube video is needed — even if not explicitly requested: pasted video links or IDs, requests to summarize, quote, transcribe, translate, fact-check, or extract anything from a video. Also use for research or learning when a video is the source. Not for uploads or account management.
Use when YouTube is or could be relevant — even if not mentioned: pasted video/channel/playlist links, video IDs, @handles, creator lookups, video summaries, quotes, translations, topic research, tutorials, talks, lectures, expert discussions, product reviews, how-to guides, new product announcements, or anything where video content is fresher or richer than text search. Covers transcripts, video/channel search, channel browsing, playlists, and within-channel search. Not for uploads, account management, or written-source-only research.
Use when video content needs to be extracted as text: pasted YouTube links or IDs, requests to transcribe, summarize, quote, translate, convert video to text, or extract information from video content. Also use when a user shares a video URL without explanation and wants to know what it says. Not for uploads or account management.
Use when YouTube data is needed without Google API quotas or OAuth setup: transcripts, video metadata, channel info, search results, playlists. Triggers on pasted YouTube links, creator names, @handles, topic research, video summaries, channel browsing, or any request where YouTube content would help — even if not mentioned explicitly. Not for uploads, account management, or written-source-only research.
Use when a YouTube channel is the focus: pasted @handles or channel URLs, requests to browse a creator's uploads, see what a channel has posted recently, search within a channel, or resolve a handle to a channel ID. Also use when the user names a creator and wants to explore their content or monitor their uploads. Not for creating channels or account management.
Use when structured YouTube data is needed: pasted video/channel/playlist links, transcripts for analysis, video metadata, channel upload history, search results, or playlist contents — without Google API quotas or OAuth. Triggers on YouTube URLs, creator names, topic research, or any request needing YouTube content, even if not mentioned explicitly. Not for uploads, account management, or written-source-only research.