Last verified September 10, 2026
Connect YouTube transcripts to Cursor
Give Cursor a hosted YouTube research server with one mcp.json entry and a JumpWatch API key.
{
"mcpServers": {
"jumpwatch": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://api.jumpwatch.cc/mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer jw_live_YOUR_KEY"
}
}
}
}Before you connect
A current Cursor desktop 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
Choose global or project scope
Use ~/.cursor/mcp.json to make JumpWatch available everywhere, or .cursor/mcp.json inside one project.
- 02
Add the remote server
Paste the configuration below and replace the placeholder. Do not commit a real key in a project-scoped file.
mcp.json{ "mcpServers": { "jumpwatch": { "type": "http", "url": "https://api.jumpwatch.cc/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer jw_live_YOUR_KEY" } } } } - 03
Ask Cursor for a safe first call
The free usage call verifies the connection before the one-credit transcript request runs.
Prompt CursorUse 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.
Enable the server
Open Customize in the Cursor sidebar, find jumpwatch under MCP, and make sure it is enabled.
Customize > MCP > jumpwatchInspect connection errors
Open the Output panel, select MCP Logs, and look for authentication or connection failures.
Cmd+Shift+U / Ctrl+Shift+U > MCP LogsWhat 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.
jumpwatch does not appear in Customize
Confirm the file is named mcp.json and sits at ~/.cursor/mcp.json or .cursor/mcp.json, then reload the Cursor window.
MCP Logs show an authentication failure
Replace the placeholder with a current JumpWatch key and keep Bearer plus one space before the key value.
A team policy blocks the server
Ask the Cursor team administrator to allow the JumpWatch remote URL. Enterprise MCP policy can restrict custom servers.
The transcript is unavailable or paginated
Use a public captioned video. For long transcripts, pass next_offset back to youtube_transcript until truncated is false.
Supported surface
Make the first call visible.
The authenticated setup page creates your key and confirms when JumpWatch receives a successful client call.