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ivangdavila

YouTube Video Transcript

by Iván · GitHub ↗ · v1.0.0
linuxdarwinwin32 ✓ Security Clean
565
Downloads
1
Stars
2
Active Installs
1
Versions
Install in OpenClaw
/install youtube-video-transcript
Description
Fetch, summarize, and save YouTube transcripts with timestamp navigation, chapter detection, and searchable content.
Usage Guidance
This skill appears coherent and implements what it advertises, but consider the following before installing: - Installation: it requires yt-dlp (Homebrew or pip). Approve installing yt-dlp from those package sources if you trust them. - Caching & privacy: transcripts are stored under ~/youtube-video-transcript/ only with your explicit consent; refuse caching if you don't want local copies. The skill promises to show and delete cached files on request — verify that behavior after use. - Cookies & auth: the skill may recommend using your browser cookies for age-restricted videos; never paste passwords or tokens into chat. Provide cookies only if you understand the implications and do not expect the skill to store them. - Batch processing risk: the skill includes batch/channel/playlist workflows (mass extraction). This is legitimate for research but can be privacy- or copyright-sensitive; don't enable bulk processing without confirming you have the right to archive that content. - Proactive behavior: it may offer to automatically transcribe when you share YouTube links — only enable that if you want the agent to act on links without an explicit per-video consent. If you want stronger assurance, test the skill on a short, non-sensitive video and confirm where files are written and what gets cached before using it at scale.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill Name: youtube-video-transcript Version: 1.0.0 The skill bundle is designed for a legitimate purpose: fetching, summarizing, and saving YouTube transcripts locally using `yt-dlp`. All file system operations are confined to `~/youtube-video-transcript/` and explicitly require user consent for caching, with strong emphasis on transparency. The markdown instructions for the AI agent consistently reinforce ethical behavior, user privacy, and secure practices (e.g., 'Never ask for or store credentials', 'Cache With Consent'), actively mitigating prompt injection risks rather than exploiting them. There is no evidence of intentional data exfiltration, backdoor installation, or other malicious activities.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
The skill's name and description match its runtime instructions: it uses yt-dlp to extract subtitles/transcripts, detects chapters, preserves timestamps, and caches files under ~/youtube-video-transcript/. Requiring yt-dlp (via brew/pip) is exactly what is needed.
Instruction Scope
Instructions stay within the stated purpose (running yt-dlp, parsing VTT/JSON, saving markdown transcripts). They explicitly require user consent for caching and instruct not to store credentials. Two items to be aware of: (1) the skill includes batch/channel/playlist processing patterns which enable mass transcript extraction — legitimate for research but potentially privacy- or copyright-sensitive; (2) it suggests the agent may "offer to automatically transcribe when you share YouTube links," which is a behavioral preference that must be consented to (it grants the agent broader proactive behavior if enabled).
Install Mechanism
Install spec references standard package sources (Homebrew formula 'yt-dlp' and pip as an alternate) — both are expected and traceable. No arbitrary download URLs or archive extraction are used.
Credentials
No environment variables, no credentials, and no external config paths are requested. The skill mentions cookies for age-restricted videos but explicitly says the user must provide them and that the skill will not ask for or store credentials.
Persistence & Privilege
always:false and no special privileges. The skill writes only to a user-owned folder (~/youtube-video-transcript/) and asks for caching consent before storing transcripts. This is proportional to its stated functionality.
How to Use
  1. Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
  2. Run the install command in chat: /install youtube-video-transcript
  3. After installation, invoke the skill by name or use /youtube-video-transcript
  4. Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.0
Initial release with transcript extraction, timestamp navigation, chapter detection, and multi-format export.
Metadata
Slug youtube-video-transcript
Version 1.0.0
License
All-time Installs 2
Active Installs 2
Total Versions 1
Frequently Asked Questions

What is YouTube Video Transcript?

Fetch, summarize, and save YouTube transcripts with timestamp navigation, chapter detection, and searchable content. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 565 downloads so far.

How do I install YouTube Video Transcript?

Run "/install youtube-video-transcript" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.

Is YouTube Video Transcript free?

Yes, YouTube Video Transcript is completely free (open-source). You can download, install and use it at no cost.

Which platforms does YouTube Video Transcript support?

YouTube Video Transcript is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (linux, darwin, win32).

Who created YouTube Video Transcript?

It is built and maintained by Iván (@ivangdavila); the current version is v1.0.0.

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