Youtube Uploader MCP

What anwerj/youtube-uploader-mcp MCP server does

The anwerj/youtube-uploader-mcp MCP server exposes YouTube upload and channel-management operations to MCP clients. It is intended for workflows where an agent prepares or publishes a video without requiring the user to operate YouTube Studio or a separate command-line uploader.

The primary upload operation accepts a local video file and can set the title, description, tags, YouTube category, optional language, visibility, audience settings, and scheduled publication time. Visibility can be public, private, or unlisted. A separate update operation handles post-upload changes, including playlist membership, a custom thumbnail, and subtitle or caption tracks.

How it works

Authentication uses Google OAuth2. The server can generate an authorization URL, exchange the returned code for credentials and channel information, list authenticated channels, and force a token refresh. Tokens are managed locally, and the README states that secrets are not shared with LLMs or third-party applications.

After authentication, an MCP client can call the upload tool with the video and its metadata. The client can also generate titles, descriptions, and tags as part of its own AI-assisted workflow; the server provides the YouTube-facing upload and configuration operations rather than a separate metadata-generation service.

Setup and configuration

The repository provides installation scripts for macOS, Linux, and Windows PowerShell. The documented installer downloads the server, helps obtain the OAuth client secret file, applies required permissions, and updates Claude Desktop configuration. It also prints an MCP configuration that can be adapted for other clients.

Manual setup uses a release binary selected for the operating system and architecture. On Linux or macOS, the binary must be made executable. The MCP configuration points its command to the binary and passes the -client_secret_file argument with the path to a Google client_secret.json file.

Before uploading, create OAuth credentials in the Google Developer Console and complete the project’s OAuth setup procedure. The authenticated YouTube channel is then available through the server’s channel tools.

Tools and capabilities

The registered tools are:

• authenticate creates the OAuth2 authorization URL.
• accesstoken exchanges an authorization code and returns user and channel information.
• channels retrieves authenticated channels.
• refreshtoken refreshes credentials on demand.
• upload_video uploads a video and sets its main metadata and publication options.
• update_video adds playlists, uploads a thumbnail, and attaches subtitles or captions.

Limitations and notes

The anwerj/youtube-uploader-mcp MCP server requires a Google OAuth client secret file and access to the relevant YouTube account. Custom thumbnails must be smaller than 2 MB. Subtitle uploads require the youtube.force-ssl OAuth scope. Users authenticated with an older version may need to remove the local channel cache and authenticate again before subtitle uploads will work.

The provided material documents release binaries and installation scripts, but does not identify a package-manager package or an open-source license. It also does not list environment variables; configuration is shown through the OAuth client-secret file and MCP arguments.