MCP server

MCP Server

The LiveScript MCP server exposes transcript tools over the Model Context Protocol, so an AI agent — Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, or any client that speaks MCP — can pull YouTube transcripts directly from a chat or coding session. No CLI install, no binary download.

Connection URL

https://livescript.live/api/v1/mcp

The transport is HTTP-streamable — the standard for remote MCP servers. Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and the MCP Inspector all support it natively.

Authentication

The same ls_live_ API key you'd use for a direct API call works here. Create and manage keys in your dashboard. Treat a key like a password — never paste it into a public repo or client-side code. See Authentication.

The server accepts the key three ways, in this priority order:

Method	How
Authorization: Bearer <key>	The standard for HTTP-streamable MCP clients (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor).
x-access-key: <key>	A plain header, for clients that set custom headers under a different name.
?access_key=<key>	Query string, for clients that can't set custom headers at all.

Tools are listed even without a key — a call only fails (with a clean AUTHENTICATION_FAILED surfaced back to the model) once the agent actually tries to invoke one.

Add to Claude Desktop

Open Settings → Developer → Edit Config and add a livescript entry under mcpServers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "livescript": {
      "url": "https://livescript.live/api/v1/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. The tools appear in the tools panel. Try asking: "Get the transcript of this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=…"

Add to Claude Code

From any project directory:

claude mcp add --transport http livescript https://livescript.live/api/v1/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Claude Code picks the tools up on the next session.

Add to Cursor

Open Settings → MCP → + Add new MCP server and use:

{
  "livescript": {
    "url": "https://livescript.live/api/v1/mcp",
    "headers": {
      "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}

Use it from any MCP client

Any client that speaks JSON-RPC 2.0 over HTTP-streamable transport works. Minimum viable call — list the tools and their input schemas:

curl -X POST https://livescript.live/api/v1/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": 1,
    "method": "tools/list",
    "params": {}
  }'

Available tools

Tool	Description
get_yt_transcript	Fetch the full transcript of a non-live YouTube video, by URL or ID.

More tools will be added over time; this list is the source of truth.

get_yt_transcript

Fetches the full transcript of a YouTube video that is not currently live. Returns the transcript as timestamped text plus structured segments (the same shape as the REST /api/v1/transcript response). Live streams require the live WebSocket API instead.

Field	Type	Required	Description
video_url	string	yes	A YouTube URL (watch, youtu.be, live, shorts, or embed form) or a bare 11-character video ID.

Example: call a tool directly

curl -X POST https://livescript.live/api/v1/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "id": 1,
    "method": "tools/call",
    "params": {
      "name": "get_yt_transcript",
      "arguments": {
        "video_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123DEF45"
      }
    }
  }'

The response (streamed as Server-Sent Events) contains a content array with a human-readable timestamped transcript, plus structuredContent with the individual segments.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause / fix
Tools appear but every call returns AUTHENTICATION_FAILED	Your key isn't reaching the server. Re-check the Authorization: Bearer header in your client config.
A call returns PLAN_REQUIRED	The key's account has no active Pro subscription. The transcript tool requires an active plan.
A call returns SOURCE_IS_LIVE	The video is currently live. Use the live WebSocket API for active streams; this tool is for finished videos.
A call returns CAPTIONS_UNAVAILABLE	That video has no captions available. Nothing to fetch.
A call returns RATE_LIMITED	You've hit the daily transcript request cap for your plan. Wait and retry.
The tool doesn't appear in your client	Restart the client, or confirm it supports HTTP-streamable transport. Run the tools/list curl below to check the server is reachable.

Security reminders

Treat your API key like a password — it grants full API access and consumes usage.
Never commit your key in a shared MCP config that lands in a public repo. Use your client's secret / environment-variable support instead.
Rotate the key from your dashboard if you suspect it's been exposed.