Last verified September 10, 2026
Connect YouTube transcripts to Claude Code
Add one hosted HTTP server, then pull transcripts, summaries, and structured insights without leaving your terminal.
claude mcp add --transport http jumpwatch https://api.jumpwatch.cc/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer jw_live_YOUR_KEY"Before you connect
A current Claude Code installation
One JumpWatch MCP key
A public YouTube video with captions
Connect, verify, then spend.
Start with the free usage check. A transcript costs one credit only after a successful response.
- 01
Create a JumpWatch key
Sign in, create one MCP key, and copy it immediately. JumpWatch only shows the full value once.
- 02
Add the hosted HTTP server
Run the command below in the project where you use Claude Code. Replace the placeholder with the key you saved.
Add JumpWatchclaude mcp add --transport http jumpwatch https://api.jumpwatch.cc/mcp \ --header "Authorization: Bearer jw_live_YOUR_KEY" - 03
Start with a safe first call
Ask for the free balance check before fetching a transcript. This confirms the server and key work together.
Prompt Claude CodeUse youtube_usage to check my JumpWatch credits, then fetch the transcript for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Verify the connection
These checks separate a saved configuration from a working authenticated server.
Inspect the saved server
Claude Code should report an HTTP server named jumpwatch with the JumpWatch endpoint.
claude mcp get jumpwatchConfirm the live connection
Inside Claude Code, open the MCP panel and check that jumpwatch is connected and exposes four tools.
/mcpWhat becomes available
Six deliberate tools cover saved research, channel discovery, exact text, compressed understanding, structured research, and spend control.
- youtube_library_search
- Free in beta
- Literal search across your own saved video metadata, summaries, notes, tags, and collections.
- youtube_channel_videos
- 1 credit with results
- Newest official uploads for a channel handle, URL, or ID; empty results are free.
- youtube_transcript
- 1 credit
- Timed text, markdown, or caption segments with pagination.
- youtube_summarize
- From 5 credits
- Brief, detailed, bullet, or chapter-style summaries.
- youtube_insights
- 5 credits
- Takeaways, topic sections, and named entities from the first 48,000 characters.
- youtube_usage
- Free
- Current balance, reset date, rate limits, and tool prices.
Fix the common failures
Check the client connection and authentication before changing a prompt or retrying a video.
The server reports 401 Unauthorized
Re-add the server with a valid key and keep the exact Authorization: Bearer prefix, including the space.
jumpwatch is already configured
Run claude mcp remove jumpwatch, then add it again. Claude Code does not overwrite a server with the same name.
The video has no transcript
JumpWatch needs a public creator caption track or YouTube auto-captions. Private, restricted, or captionless videos cannot be read.
The transcript response is truncated
Use the returned next_offset in a second youtube_transcript call. Long responses are paginated to protect the agent context.
Supported surface
Make the first call visible.
The authenticated setup page creates your key and confirms when JumpWatch receives a successful client call.