YouTube MCP Server
A YouTube MCP server gives an AI agent tools for your channel, so a model can upload a video rather than just write the script and the description. Point Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client at Outstand's server and the agent can upload a video or a Short, set the title, description, tags, category, and privacy status, and read view and engagement counts afterwards. Everything runs on YouTube's official Data API over an OAuth connection you approve once.
https://mcp.outstand.so/mcpclaude mcp add -t http \ -H "Authorization: Bearer ost_your_key" \ outstand https://mcp.outstand.so/mcp
Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, ChatGPT, and any MCP client.
First post in minutes.
The server URL is https://mcp.outstand.so/mcp. Paste it into your client and connect YouTube.
- 01Create an Outstand account. There is no Google Cloud project to set up and no OAuth app to get verified.
- 02Connect YouTube through the hosted OAuth link and approve the upload scope.
- 03Add https://mcp.outstand.so/mcp to your MCP client using one of the snippets below.
- 04Ask your agent to upload. Give it a video URL, a title, and a privacy status, and it drives the resumable upload for you.
Claude Code
claude mcp add -t http \ -H "Authorization: Bearer ost_your_key" \ outstand https://mcp.outstand.so/mcp
Claude Desktop
// claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"outstand": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.outstand.so/mcp",
"--header",
"Authorization: Bearer ost_your_key"
]
}
}
}Cursor
// .cursor/mcp.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"outstand": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.outstand.so/mcp",
"--header",
"Authorization: Bearer ost_your_key"
]
}
}
}Any client with a custom connector (ChatGPT, Claude web, Cursor)
# Add a custom connector in your client's settings and paste # this URL, then sign in once in the browser. No API key to copy. https://mcp.outstand.so/mcp
Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, ChatGPT, and any other MCP client. Full client setup guide.
What your agent can do.
The tools that apply to YouTube, out of 27 on the server.
create_postUpload or schedule a YouTube video or Short, with title, description, tags, category, and privacy status.get_post_analyticsFetch views, likes, comments, and other metrics for an uploaded video.list_postsList posts, filterable by account, status, and date range.get_postFetch a single post and its per-platform publish status.delete_postDelete a post record in Outstand, cancelling it if it is still scheduled.delete_remote_postDelete the uploaded video on YouTube itself.upload_mediaStart a media upload and get a signed URL for an image or video.confirm_media_uploadConfirm an upload once the bytes are transferred and get the public URL to attach.list_social_accountsList connected social accounts, so the agent can find your YouTube channel.get_account_metricsFetch subscriber, view, and video counts for a connected channel.get_auth_urlGenerate an OAuth URL to connect a new YouTube channel.get_account_usageRead current billing-period post usage.
Does YouTube have an official MCP server?
No. Google has not published an MCP server for YouTube, so everything available today is third-party, and the results split into two groups that are easy to mistake for each other.
Most YouTube MCP servers you will find are read-only. They fetch transcripts, pull video metadata, search channels, or summarise comments. Several are genuinely good at that. None of them can put a video on your channel, because reading public data and uploading to an authenticated account are different problems with different scopes.
The other group publishes. That requires OAuth against a channel you own and the YouTube Data API upload scope, which in turn requires a Google Cloud project and, for most real use, an OAuth verification review. Outstand is in this group and absorbs that setup: you approve a consent screen, and the server handles the resumable upload against the official API.
Choosing a YouTube MCP.
Three realistic ways to give an agent YouTube access, and what each one actually costs you.
| Approach | Setup time | Auth | Reliability | Compliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read-only open-source (transcripts, metadata) | Minutes: install and run | Usually an API key, sometimes none | Fine for reading public data | Official API, but it cannot upload anything at all |
| Self-hosted with your own Google Cloud project | Days: create the project, request the upload scope, sit through OAuth verification | Your own OAuth client and refresh-token handling | Depends on your token refresh and quota management | Official, once your app is verified |
| Hosted API-based (Outstand) | A few minutes: sign in, approve OAuth, paste the URL | Hosted OAuth link flow. Managed Keys included, no Google Cloud project | Maintained against the Data API, token refresh handled | Official YouTube Data API. No scraping |
Authentication
Connecting YouTube is an OAuth link flow: Outstand opens Google's consent screen, you approve the upload scope for the channel you pick, and the connection is done. The part this removes is the expensive part. Publishing to YouTube normally means creating a Google Cloud project, enabling the Data API, and putting your OAuth app through Google's verification review before anyone outside your test users can connect. Managed Keys are included on every plan and cover YouTube, so none of that lands on you.
Your agent can start the connection itself by calling get_auth_url and handing you the link. Bring your own OAuth app if you want your brand on the consent screen, but nothing about YouTube requires it.
YouTube specifics.
- ✓One video per post. YouTube has no multi-video or text-only upload, so every post needs exactly one video file, and the first video on the post is the one that gets uploaded.
- ✓Title and description are separate fields. Set the title explicitly, or Outstand takes the first line of your content and truncates it to 100 characters, which is YouTube's limit.
- ✓Shorts are a flag, not a different endpoint. Mark the post as a Short and Outstand appends the #shorts tag to the description. YouTube decides Short placement from the video's own aspect ratio and duration.
- ✓Privacy status is worth setting deliberately: public, unlisted, or private. Unlisted is the safe default while an agent is still learning your workflow.
- ✓The made-for-kids flag is exposed because YouTube requires an audience declaration on every upload, and getting it wrong has consequences on the channel.
- ✓Uploads are resumable and asynchronous. YouTube processes the file after the transfer completes, so a video can be accepted and still be unwatchable for a few minutes.
- ✓YouTube's API has no repost, and comment replies are not wired up on this server yet, so both report a clear failure instead of pretending to work.
What this MCP doesn't do.
This server uploads and measures your own videos. It is not a YouTube research or moderation tool: it does not pull transcripts, search other channels, scrape comment threads, or summarise videos you do not own, which is what most of the other YouTube MCP servers are built for. It also does not touch YouTube Ads, memberships, or the Content ID system. If you want both, run a read-only YouTube MCP alongside this one - MCP clients are perfectly happy with more than one server connected.
Frequently asked questions.
Does YouTube have an official MCP server?
No. Google has not shipped one, so every option today is third-party. Read the description carefully before you pick: most YouTube MCP servers only read transcripts and metadata and cannot upload a video to your channel.
Can Claude upload a video to YouTube?
Yes. Add https://mcp.outstand.so/mcp to Claude, connect your channel, and Claude can upload a video with a title, description, tags, category, and privacy status. The same connector works in Cursor, Windsurf, ChatGPT, and any other MCP client.
Can it publish YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Mark the post as a Short and Outstand appends the #shorts tag to the description on upload. YouTube still decides Short placement from the video itself, so keep it vertical and under the current Shorts length limit.
Do I need a Google Cloud project or OAuth verification?
No. That is the main thing this removes. Uploading to YouTube programmatically normally requires your own Google Cloud project, the Data API upload scope, and a Google OAuth verification review. Managed Keys cover YouTube on every plan, so you approve a consent screen and you are done.
Can it schedule YouTube uploads?
Yes. create_post takes a scheduled time, so an agent can queue an upload ahead of time. Scheduling runs in Outstand rather than on YouTube, and a scheduled upload can be cancelled with delete_post before it goes out.
Can it read transcripts or comments?
No. This server is built for publishing, and comment replies are not available for YouTube yet. If you want transcripts and comment analysis, connect a read-only YouTube MCP server alongside this one. Replying to comments does work today on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, Threads, and Bluesky.
What does it cost?
The MCP server is included with every Outstand account at no extra cost. Pricing is $19/month, 3,000 posts included, and videos uploaded by an agent draw on the same quota as posts published through the REST API.
Every claim on this page is restated, dated, and citable on the facts page.
Connect YouTube, upload your first video in minutes
Sign in, approve YouTube once, paste the server URL into your client. Then hand your agent a video file and a title.
https://mcp.outstand.so/mcp