MCPInstall

youtube-transcribe-skill

by feiskyerMedia & Creative

Extract subtitles/transcripts from YouTube videos. Triggers: "youtube transcript", "extract subtitles", "video captions", "视频字幕", "字幕提取", "YouTube转文字", "提取字幕".

Installs
354
Last 24h
—
Trending rank
—
Security
Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/feiskyer/claude-code-settings --skill youtube-transcribe-skill
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads youtube-transcribe-skill automatically when relevant.

  3. 03

    Review the result

    The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

YouTube Transcript Extraction

Extract subtitles/transcripts from a YouTube video URL and save them as a local file.

Input YouTube URL: $ARGUMENTS

Step 1: Verify URL

Confirm the input is a valid YouTube URL (supports youtube.com/watch?v=, youtu.be/, and youtube.com/shorts/ formats). If no URL is provided via arguments, check the conversation context for a YouTube link.

Step 2: CLI Quick Extraction (Priority Attempt)

Use command-line tools to quickly extract subtitles.

2.1 Check Tool Availability

Execute which yt-dlp.

  • If yt-dlp is found, proceed to 2.2.
  • If yt-dlp is not found, skip to Step 3.

2.2 Get Video Title

yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser=chrome --get-title "[VIDEO_URL]"
  • Tip: Always add --cookies-from-browser to avoid sign-in restrictions. Default to chrome.
  • If it fails with a browser error (e.g., "Could not open Chrome"), ask the user to specify their available browser (e.g., firefox, safari, edge) and retry.

2.3 Download Subtitles

yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser=chrome --write-auto-sub --write-sub --sub-lang zh-Hans,zh-Hant,en --skip-download --output "<Video Title>.%(ext)s" "[VIDEO_URL]"

2.4 Convert to Plain Text

yt-dlp saves subtitles as .vtt or .srt files. Convert the downloaded file to plain Timestamp Text format:

  1. Read the downloaded subtitle file (.vtt or .srt).
  2. Strip VTT/SRT headers, styling tags, and duplicate lines.
  3. Save as <Video Title>.txt with one Timestamp Text entry per line.

2.5 Verify Results

  • Exit code 0: Convert and save the subtitle file, then report completion.
  • Exit code non-0:
    • If error is related to browser/cookies, ask user for correct browser and retry.
    • If other errors (e.g., video unavailable), proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Browser Automation (Fallback)

When the CLI method fails or yt-dlp is missing, use Chrome DevTools MCP to extract subtitles via browser UI automation.

3.1 Check Tool Availability

Check if Chrome DevTools MCP tools are available (look for tools matching chrome__new_page or similar).

If Chrome DevTools MCP is not available and yt-dlp was not found in Step 2, stop and notify the user: "Unable to proceed. Please either install yt-dlp (for fast CLI extraction) or configure Chrome DevTools MCP (for browser automation)."

3.2 Open Video Page

Use Chrome DevTools MCP new_page to open the video URL.

3.3 Analyze Page State

Use Chrome DevTools MCP take_snapshot to read the page accessibility tree.

3.4 Expand Video Description

The "Show transcript" button is usually hidden within the collapsed description area.

  1. Search the snapshot for a button labeled "...more", "...更多", or "Show more" (in the description block below the video title).
  2. Use Chrome DevTools MCP click to click that button.

3.5 Open Transcript Panel

  1. Use Chrome DevTools MCP take_snapshot to get the updated UI.
  2. Search for a button labeled "Show transcript", "显示转录稿", or "内容转文字".
  3. Use Chrome DevTools MCP click to click that button.
  4. If the button is not found, the video may not have a transcript available — notify the user and stop.

3.6 Extract Content via DOM

Directly reading the accessibility tree for long transcript lists is slow and token-heavy. Use Chrome DevTools MCP evaluate_script to run this JavaScript instead:

() => {
  const segments = document.querySelectorAll("ytd-transcript-segment-renderer");
  if (!segments.length) return "BUFFERING";
  return Array.from(segments)
    .map((seg) => {
      const time = seg.querySelector(".segment-timestamp")?.innerText.trim();
      const text = seg.querySelector(".segment-text")?.innerText.trim();
      return `${time} ${text}`;
    })
    .join("\n");
};

If it returns "BUFFERING", wait a few seconds and retry (up to 3 attempts).

3.7 Save and Cleanup

  1. Save the extracted text as <Video Title>.txt.
  2. Use Chrome DevTools MCP close_page to release resources.

Output Requirements

  • Save the subtitle file to the current working directory.
  • Filename format: <Video Title>.txt
  • File content format: Each line should be Timestamp Subtitle Text.
  • Report upon completion: file path, subtitle language, and total number of lines.

FAQ

What does the youtube-transcribe-skill skill do?

Extract subtitles/transcripts from YouTube videos. Triggers: "youtube transcript", "extract subtitles", "video captions", "视频字幕", "字幕提取", "YouTube转文字", "提取字幕".

How do I install youtube-transcribe-skill?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/feiskyer/claude-code-settings --skill youtube-transcribe-skill in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/youtube-transcribe-skill/ (personal) or .claude/skills/youtube-transcribe-skill/ (project).

Which AI agents can use youtube-transcribe-skill?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is youtube-transcribe-skill safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains youtube-transcribe-skill?

It is published by feiskyer in feiskyer/claude-code-settings. It has 354 recorded installs.

More from feiskyer/claude-code-settings

View all →

spec-kit-skill

feiskyer/claude-code-settings

GitHub Spec-Kit integration for constitution-based spec-driven development. 7-phase workflow. Triggers: "spec-kit", "speckit", "constitution", "specify", ".specify/", "规格驱动开发", "需求规格".

Code Quality & Workflow665 installs

kiro-skill

feiskyer/claude-code-settings

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

442 installs

codex-skill

feiskyer/claude-code-settings

Leverage OpenAI Codex/GPT models for autonomous code implementation, code review, and plan review. Triggers: "codex", "use gpt", "gpt-5", "let openai", "full-auto", "adversarial review", "second opinion review", "用codex", "让gpt实现", "对抗式审查", "让codex审查计划", "第二意见". Use this skill whenever the user wants to delegate coding tasks to OpenAI models, run code or plan reviews via codex, get a second-opinion review from a different model, or execute tasks in a sandboxed environment.

Code Quality & Workflow409 installs

nanobanana-skill

feiskyer/claude-code-settings

Generate or edit images via Google Gemini (nanobanana). This is the DEFAULT image skill — use whenever the user asks to generate, create, or edit an image and does NOT name another provider. Triggers: "nanobanana", "generate image", "create image", "edit image", "图片生成", "生成图片", "AI绘图", "图片编辑". Do NOT use for diagrams (架构图/流程图/时序图) — draw those with Mermaid or code instead.

Media & Creative320 installs

deep-research

feiskyer/claude-code-settings

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

Productivity & Automation300 installs

autonomous-skill

feiskyer/claude-code-settings

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

284 installs

Popular media & creative skills

View category →

hyperframes

heygen-com/hyperframes

Read first to make, edit, animate or render any video with HyperFrames (HTML rendered to video), including launch films, explainers, music videos, charts, maps, vertical clips, title cards, captions and overlays. Holds the render contract, the work loop and what each kind of video needs.

Media & Creative1.2M installs

media-use

heygen-com/hyperframes

Get or make any media for a HyperFrames video - music, sound effects, images, icons, logos, voiceover, avatar and generated video, transcripts, cutouts, colour grades and looks - with HeyGen or free local tools, and mix placed audio. Also for footage that looks dark, flat or dull, or should be stylized or hidden.

Media & Creative1.1M installs

hyperframes-registry

heygen-com/hyperframes

About 450 ready-made HyperFrames blocks and components installed as editable source - transitions, overlays, titles, kinetic type, captions, charts, map overlays, 3D, camera moves. Use it before hand-building any named visual (CRT scanlines, glitch, film grain, a chart); also for hyperframes add and catalog.

Media & Creative1M installs

hyperframes-creative

heygen-com/hyperframes

Non-animation creative direction for HyperFrames videos. Use for design spec (frame.md / design.md) handling, palettes, typography, narration, beat planning, audio-reactive visuals, composition patterns, and brand / style decisions. For atomic motion patterns and scene blueprints, use hyperframes-animation.

Media & Creative916.5K installs

ai-video-generation

101-skills/superpowers

Generate AI videos with Google Veo, Seedance 2.0, HappyHorse, Wan, Grok and 40+ models via inference.sh CLI. Models: Veo 3.1, Veo 3, Seedance 2.0, HappyHorse 1.0, Wan 2.5, Grok Imagine Video, OmniHuman, Fabric, HunyuanVideo. Capabilities: text-to-video, image-to-video, reference-to-video, video editing, lipsync, avatar animation, video upscaling, foley sound. Use for: social media videos, marketing content, explainer videos, product demos, AI avatars. Triggers: video generation, ai video, text to video, image to video, veo, animate image, video from image, ai animation, video generator, generate video, t2v, i2v, ai video maker, create video with ai, runway alternative, pika alternative, sora alternative, kling alternative, seedance, happyhorse

Media & Creative881.5K installs

ai-image-generation

101-skills/superpowers

Generate AI images with GPT-Image-2, FLUX, Gemini, Grok, Seedream, Reve and 50+ models via inference.sh CLI. Models: GPT-Image-2, FLUX Dev LoRA, FLUX.2 Klein LoRA, Gemini 3 Pro Image, Grok Imagine, Seedream 4.5, Reve, ImagineArt. Capabilities: text-to-image, image-to-image, inpainting, LoRA, image editing, upscaling, text rendering. Use for: AI art, product mockups, concept art, social media graphics, marketing visuals, illustrations. Triggers: flux, image generation, ai image, text to image, stable diffusion, generate image, ai art, midjourney alternative, dall-e alternative, text2img, t2i, image generator, ai picture, create image with ai, generative ai, ai illustration, grok image, gemini image, gpt image, openai image, chatgpt image

Media & Creative880.3K installs