YouTube Notes

Convert any YouTube video into clean, structured markdown notes — steps, tools, timestamps, and parts lists. Use when a user shares a YouTube link and asks you to summarize it, extract the steps, or take notes on it. Requires a TranscriptAPI.com API key (free tier available). Outputs formatted markdown directly to the user.

Fetches the transcript and description of any YouTube video and turns it into clean, structured markdown notes — tools, steps, timestamp links, and parts lists. No fluff.

Works great for:

• DIY / repair / how-to tutorials (tools, steps, torque specs)
• Educational videos (key points, sections, timestamps)
• Any video you want to reference later without rewatching

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Setup

This skill requires a TranscriptAPI.com API key (TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY). TranscriptAPI handles YouTube's anti-scraping protections via residential proxies. Free tier: 100 transcripts/month, no credit card required.

If the user hasn't provided a key yet, tell them:

"To fetch YouTube transcripts I need a TranscriptAPI.com API key. It's free — sign up at transcriptapi.com, copy your API key from the dashboard, and paste it here."

Store the key as TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY wherever your agent manages credentials.

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Workflow

Step 1 — Extract the Video ID

From any YouTube URL:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID → VIDEO_ID is after v=
• https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID → VIDEO_ID is the path

Step 2 — Fetch the Transcript

bash

curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript?video_url=VIDEO_ID&format=json&include_timestamp=true&send_metadata=true" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Response includes:

• transcript[] — array of { text, start, duration } where start is seconds from the beginning
• metadata.title — video title
• metadata.author_name — channel name

Error codes:

• 402 — out of credits. User needs to top up at transcriptapi.com.
• 404 — video not found or no transcript available (private video, no captions).
• 401 — API key invalid or expired. Ask the user to check their key.

Step 3 — Fetch the Video Description

Use a web fetch on the video URL to get the description — it often contains parts lists, affiliate links, and creator-added timestamps (more reliable than auto-detected ones).

bash

curl -s "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" -H "User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0"

Look for:

• Parts lists and product links
• Tool lists with model numbers or sizes
• Torque specs or measurements
• Timestamps the creator added themselves
• Related guides

Step 4 — Analyze & Structure

Read the transcript for meaning — auto-generated transcripts have no punctuation. Skip [Music] tags, sponsor segments, and outro fluff.

For tutorial/repair/how-to videos, extract:

• Tools and materials (with sizes, specs, model numbers)
• Torque specs, measurements, part numbers
• Numbered steps in sequence
• Key moments worth timestamping

For educational/informational videos, extract:

• Main topic and key points
• Supporting data and natural section breaks

Step 5 — Format Timestamp Links

Convert start seconds to M:SS:

• minutes = Math.floor(seconds / 60)
• secs = String(seconds % 60).padStart(2, '0')

Format:

text

⏱ Skip to M:SS — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&t=SECONDS

Step 6 — Output the Notes

Deliver the structured markdown directly to the user. After outputting, ask:

"Want me to save this somewhere? I can store it in Parchment, Notion, Google Docs, or as a local markdown file — just let me know."

If they say yes, use whatever tools and skills you have available to save it. That's outside the scope of this skill — just hand off the markdown.

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Output Templates

Tutorial / Repair / How-To

markdown

# VIDEO TITLE

**Source:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
**Channel:** AUTHOR_NAME | Est. time: X min (if mentioned)

---

## Tools Needed
- Tool 1 (size/purpose)
- Tool 2

## Parts & Links
- Part Name — https://link.to/part

## Torque Specs / Measurements
- Spec: value

---

## Steps

### 1. Step Name
Clear, concise description of what to do.
⏱ Skip to M:SS — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&t=SECONDS

### 2. Step Name
...

Educational / Informational

markdown

# VIDEO TITLE

**Source:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
**Channel:** AUTHOR_NAME

---

## Key Points
- Point 1
- Point 2

---

## Notes

### Section Title
Summary of this section.
⏱ Skip to M:SS — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&t=SECONDS

---

Tips

• Auto-generated transcripts have no punctuation — read for meaning, not literally
• Creator-added timestamps in the description are more meaningful than auto-detected ones
• Skip the outro (brand plugs, subscribe reminders) — it's not useful content
• Keep steps concise — this is a reference card, not a transcript
• 1 TranscriptAPI credit = 1 fetch. Free tier = 100/month.
• Some videos have no transcript (private, no captions). Tell the user and offer to summarize from the title/description only.