Use YouTube transcripts in Claude Cowork
Cowork can research a channel, read a course and write the report for you once it has a way to read YouTube. That is one connector.
Setup steps ↓https://bulktranscripts.co/mcpTwo steps from install to answers
Add a custom connector
Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector, paste the URL, then sign in with Google.
https://bulktranscripts.co/mcpAsk Claude Cowork in plain words
Claude Cowork picks the right tool by itself. You never name one.
get_latest_videos3 channels checkedfreeget_transcripts10 full transcripts10 credits- What each competitor is pushing this month
- Claims they repeat, with quotes
- Gaps you could cover, with source links
Step by step
Add the connector
- Open Customize → Connectors and choose Add custom connector.
- Name it BulkTranscripts and paste
https://bulktranscripts.co/mcpas the URL. - Leave authentication on the automatic sign-in and save.
- Click Connect and sign in with Google on the BulkTranscripts page. That includes 30 free credits.
On a Team or Enterprise plan an Owner adds it once under Organization settings → Connectors → Add → Custom → Web; everyone else just clicks Connect.
Using a key instead of the sign-in
Pick No sign-in and paste the URL with your key in it. Treat that URL as a secret.
https://bulktranscripts.co/mcp?key=YOUR_API_KEYCheck it worked
In a task, open the + menu → Connectors and make sure BulkTranscripts is on, then ask for a transcript. Connector settings can't be edited after saving: to change the authentication, remove the connector and add it again.
Notes
Connecting the MCP server takes one sign-in — Google or a license key — and includes 30 free credits, no card needed. Buying a one-time credit pack gets you a license key that doubles as the API key; credits never expire and repeat reads from your own library are free.
Which setup fits you
All of them share one account, one credit balance and one library.
| Way in | How you connect | Sign-in | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom connector | Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector | Google, in the browser | Most people |
| Organization connector | Organization settings → Connectors | Each member signs in | Team and Enterprise plans |
| Key in the URL | No sign-in, ?key= URL | API key | Skipping OAuth |
What to ask Claude Cowork
Paste any of these once the server is connected.
“Read the last ten videos from these three channels and write a two-page brief.”
“Turn this course playlist into a workbook with exercises for each lesson.”
“Find every episode where this podcast discussed pricing and summarize the advice.”
“Read this CEO's last five interviews and list the questions they answer badly.”
“Every Friday, check these channels for new uploads and save a digest.”
“Pull the strongest quotes about remote work from these videos into a spreadsheet.”
Cowork, Claude.ai or Claude Code?
One BulkTranscripts account works in all three.
Claude Cowork
Long tasks that end in files: briefs, reports, spreadsheets. Add a custom connector.
Claude.ai and Desktop
Chatting about videos. The same custom connector. Connector guide
Claude Code
Your terminal and your repo. One command. Claude Code guide
Use it in your other tools too
Same account and credits everywhere. Your library follows you.
Claude Code
One terminal command (MCP) or the agent skill
Codex
One config.toml block (MCP) or the skill
Cursor
One-click install button or mcp.json
Grok Bot
MCP server with OAuth
ChatGPT
Custom connector in Developer mode
VS Code
Copilot agent mode, one mcp.json entry
n8n
Community node or HTTP Request
Make
HTTP module with an API key
Gemini CLI
One extension install, or gemini mcp add
Perplexity Computer
Custom remote connector, OAuth
MManus
Custom MCP connector, OAuth or Bearer key
OpenClaw
openclaw mcp add, or the ClawHub skill
HHermes Agent
hermes mcp add with OAuth
Kimi Code
One mcp.json entry, then /mcp-config login
NNanoClaw
ncl add-mcp-server with an API key
PPaperclip
Skill from the company Skills page
Questions about Claude Cowork
How do I connect BulkTranscripts to Claude Cowork?
Open Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector, paste https://bulktranscripts.co/mcp, save, then click Connect and sign in with Google.
Does Claude Cowork need a paid plan?
Cowork itself is offered on paid Claude plans. Custom connectors are available on every plan; the free plan allows one.
Is BulkTranscripts free to use in Claude Cowork?
You start with 30 free credits when you sign in with Google, no card needed. One credit fetches one new transcript. Reading a transcript that is already in your library is free, and checking a channel for new uploads is free. After that, one-time credit packs that never expire; there is no subscription.
Does every YouTube video have a transcript?
No. A transcript can only be fetched when the video has captions, either uploaded by the creator or generated by YouTube. Videos without captions are skipped and never charged.
Can Claude Cowork read a whole channel or playlist?
Yes. Ask for a channel or playlist and the server lists the videos, then fetches their transcripts. Large jobs of up to 1,000 videos run on the server in the background and report progress, so they survive a long conversation.
The same engine, three other ways in
MCP server
Ten tools for any MCP client: transcripts, search, channels, bulk jobs, upload alerts.
REST API
Plain GET requests with an OpenAPI spec, for scripts, n8n, Make and Sheets.
Agent skill
One SKILL.md that teaches Claude Code, Codex and OpenClaw the whole API.
Developer docs
Every endpoint, parameter, error code and credit rule in one place.
Connect it in Claude Cowork
30 free credits, no card. One sign-in for the MCP connector, one free API key for the REST API.