Use YouTube transcripts in Manus
Manus can run a whole research job on its own. Give it a clean way to read YouTube and it stops guessing from video titles.
Setup steps ↓https://bulktranscripts.co/mcpTwo steps from install to answers
Add a custom MCP server
Settings → Connectors → Custom MCP → Direct configuration, transport HTTP.
https://bulktranscripts.co/mcpAsk Manus in plain words
Manus picks the right tool by itself. You never name one.
get_channel_videos212 videos listed1 creditstart_bulk_extract40 launch videos queued40 credits- 40 launches, one row each
- Price as stated in the video
- A link and timestamp per row
Step by step
Add a custom MCP server
- Open Settings → Connectors → + Add connectors and pick the Custom MCP tab.
- Choose Add custom MCP server → Direct configuration.
- Name: BulkTranscripts. Transport: HTTP. Server URL:
https://bulktranscripts.co/mcp. - Save. The first time a task uses a tool, Manus asks you to sign in; continue with Google (30 free credits).
Using an API key instead
If the sign-in does not complete, add a custom header to the same connector:
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEYA free key is under MCP & API → API keys in the app.
Cue by Manus
Cue, Manus's personal-agent app, is in invite-only early access. Where it offers custom connectors, the same URL and the same sign-in apply.
Check it worked
The connector appears under Added connectors. Start a task that mentions BulkTranscripts and watch for the tool call in the task log.
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 MCP, OAuth | Settings → Connectors → Custom MCP | Google, on first use | Most people |
| Custom MCP, key | Same connector plus an Authorization header | API key | When the sign-in won't complete |
What to ask Manus
Paste any of these once the server is connected.
“Build a spreadsheet of every product launch this channel covered this year.”
“Read these competitors' last five videos and make a slide deck of their pitches.”
“Turn this course playlist into a workbook with quizzes.”
“Watch this candidate's conference talks and summarize their expertise.”
“Search YouTube for this topic and write a trend report from the top 20 videos.”
“Every morning, check these channels for new uploads and email me a summary.”
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
Claude Cowork
Custom connector, Google sign-in
Perplexity Computer
Custom remote connector, OAuth
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 Manus
How do I connect BulkTranscripts to Manus?
Open Settings → Connectors → + Add connectors → Custom MCP → Direct configuration, set transport to HTTP and the URL to https://bulktranscripts.co/mcp, then sign in with Google when a task first uses it.
Can Manus read a whole YouTube channel?
Yes. It lists the channel, picks the relevant videos and runs a background bulk job of up to 1,000 videos, then reads the results.
Is BulkTranscripts free to use in Manus?
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 Manus 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 Manus
30 free credits, no card. One sign-in for the MCP connector, one free API key for the REST API.