Connect TranscriptAPI to ChatGPT (Step-by-Step Guide 2025)

Learn how to connect TranscriptAPI’s YouTube Transcript MCP to ChatGPT and fetch YouTube video transcripts directly in your conversations. This step-by-step guide walks you through enabling Developer Mode, adding the connector, and using it effectively.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure you have:

• A ChatGPT Plus or Team subscription (required for Developer Mode)
• A TranscriptAPI account (sign up free)
• 10 minutes to complete the setup

ChatGPT Developer Mode BETA

ChatGPT’s Developer Mode is currently in beta. You may encounter occasional issues like:

• Tool calls that appear to fail but actually succeed
• Connection errors that require refreshing the connector
• Parallel searches that override MCP responses

These are known ChatGPT beta issues. If you experience problems, try the troubleshooting steps in this guide or consider using Claude for a more stable experience.

Part 1: Enable Developer Mode

First, you’ll need to enable Developer Mode in ChatGPT to access MCP connectors.

1. Open ChatGPT and access your profile

   Navigate to ChatGPT and click on your profile icon in the bottom left corner of the screen.

   

2. Open Settings

   From the profile menu, click on “Settings” to access your account preferences.

   

3. Navigate to Apps & Connectors

   In the settings panel, click on “Apps & Connectors” to access the connector configuration.

   

4. Scroll to Advanced settings

   Scroll down in the Apps & Connectors section to find additional options.

   

5. Access Advanced settings

   Click on “Advanced settings” to reveal developer options.

   

6. Enable Developer Mode

   Toggle the “Developer mode” switch to enable MCP connector support. This allows you to add custom connectors like TranscriptAPI.

   

7. Return to Apps & Connectors

   Click “Back” to return to the main Apps & Connectors page where you’ll add the TranscriptAPI connector.

   

Part 2: Add TranscriptAPI Connector

Now that Developer Mode is enabled, you can add the TranscriptAPI MCP connector.

1. Create a new connector

   Click on “Create” to start adding a new connector.

   

2. Select New Connector

   Choose “New Connector…” from the dropdown menu.

   

3. Get TranscriptAPI configuration

   Open TranscriptAPI MCP Integration page in a new tab. You’ll need to copy configuration details from here.

   

4. Upload the connector icon

   Back in ChatGPT, click the icon selector and upload the TranscriptAPI logo you downloaded.

   

5. Copy and paste the MCP name

   From the TranscriptAPI dashboard, copy the MCP name (usually “Transcript API”).

   

   Paste it into the “Name” field in ChatGPT.

   

6. Copy and paste the description

   Copy the MCP description from TranscriptAPI.

   

   Paste it into the “Description” field in ChatGPT.

   

7. Copy and paste the server URL

   This is the most important step. Copy the MCP Server URL from TranscriptAPI (it should be https://transcriptapi.com/mcp).

   

   Paste it into the server URL field in ChatGPT.

   

8. Get your OAuth credentials

   ChatGPT requires Client ID and Client Secret for OAuth authentication. On the TranscriptAPI MCP Integration page, make sure “OAuth (Recommended)” is selected in the Authentication Method dropdown.

   If you don’t have credentials yet, click “Generate Credentials” to create your Client ID and Client Secret.

   Copy both the Client ID and Client Secret from the TranscriptAPI dashboard. You’ll need these in the next step.

   Save Your Credentials

   The Client Secret is only shown once when first generated or regenerated. Make sure to copy it immediately and store it securely. If you lose it, you can regenerate a new secret, but the old one will stop working.

9. Add Client ID and Client Secret to ChatGPT

   Back in ChatGPT, paste your Client ID into the Client ID field and your Client Secret into the Client Secret field.

   Security Best Practice

   Never share your Client Secret publicly. It’s tied to your TranscriptAPI account and allows access to your API credits.

10. Acknowledge the terms

    Check the box that says “I understand and want to continue…” to acknowledge that you’re connecting to an external service.

    

11. Create the connector

    Click “Create” to add the TranscriptAPI connector to your ChatGPT account.

    

Part 3: Authorize Connection

OAuth Flow

With Client ID and Client Secret configured, ChatGPT will handle the OAuth authorization flow automatically. You may still be redirected to TranscriptAPI to authorize access, but the credentials you provided ensure ChatGPT can complete the authentication process.

After creating the connector, you’ll need to authorize it to access your TranscriptAPI account.

1. TranscriptAPI authorization page

   You’ll be redirected to TranscriptAPI’s authorization page. If you’re not already logged in, you’ll need to sign in first.

   

2. Review permissions

   Check the box to acknowledge that ChatGPT will be able to use your API credits and access the MCP server.

   

3. Complete authorization

   Click “Authorize” to grant ChatGPT access to TranscriptAPI through OAuth.

   

4. Connection successful

   You’ll see a success message confirming that TranscriptAPI is now connected to your ChatGPT account.

   

Part 4: Using the YouTube Transcript MCP

Now you’re ready to fetch YouTube transcripts directly in ChatGPT!

1. Access the MCP tool

   In a new ChatGPT conversation, click the “Add files and more” button (paperclip icon).

   

2. Open more options

   Click “More” to see additional tool options.

   

3. Select TranscriptAPI

   Click on “TranscriptAPI” from the list of available tools.

   

4. Start a new conversation

   You’ll see the TranscriptAPI tool is now active in your conversation. The interface may show “ChatGPT 5” or similar version indicator.

   

5. Request a transcript

   Paste a prompt like: “Fetch transcript and summarize this long video for me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID”

   

6. Send your request

   Click the send button to submit your transcript request.

   

7. Confirm tool usage

   ChatGPT will ask you to confirm the use of the TranscriptAPI tool. Click “Confirm” to proceed.

   

8. Success! Transcript fetched

   The MCP will successfully fetch the YouTube transcript, and ChatGPT will process it according to your request (summarize, analyze, translate, etc.).

   

Example Prompts

Here are some effective ways to use the YouTube Transcript MCP in ChatGPT:

Basic Transcript Fetch

Get the transcript for this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Summarization

Fetch and summarize the key points from this YouTube video: [URL]

Analysis

Analyze the main arguments presented in this video and create a bullet-point outline: [URL]

Translation

Get the transcript from this video and translate it to Spanish: [URL]

Study Notes

Create comprehensive study notes from this educational video: [URL]

Troubleshooting

Common ChatGPT Beta Issues

Beta Limitations

Due to ChatGPT’s beta status, you may encounter these issues:

“Unable to fetch transcript” (but it actually worked)

Symptom: ChatGPT says it couldn’t fetch the transcript, but if you ask again, it has the content.

Solution: This happens when ChatGPT runs a parallel search that overrides the MCP response. Simply ask ChatGPT to use the transcript it already fetched.

”MCP tool cannot be called” errors

Symptom: Random errors about the MCP tool being unavailable.

Solution:

1. Go back to Apps & Connectors in settings
2. Click on the TranscriptAPI connector
3. Select “Refresh tools” or “Reauthorize”
4. Try your request again

Connection timeout or slow responses

Symptom: The tool takes a long time or times out.

Solution:

• For very long videos (>2 hours), the transcript fetch may take longer
• Try again with a shorter video first to test the connection
• Check your TranscriptAPI credit balance

TranscriptAPI-Specific Issues

No credits remaining

Symptom: Error message about payment required or no credits.

Solution: Purchase more credits in your TranscriptAPI dashboard.

Video has no transcript available

Symptom: 404 error or “transcript not available” message.

Solution: The video may:

• Not have captions enabled
• Be private or age-restricted
• Be deleted or unavailable in your region

Need More Help?

If you continue experiencing issues:

1. For ChatGPT beta issues: Consider using Claude for a more stable MCP experience
2. For TranscriptAPI issues: Contact support with your specific error message
3. For general MCP questions: See our MCP documentation

Next Steps

Now that you’ve successfully connected TranscriptAPI to ChatGPT, explore these resources:

• Learn about MCP authentication options for different platforms
• Discover all available MCP parameters for advanced usage
• Check your credit usage and limits
• Try TranscriptAPI with other AI platforms

Related

MCP Overview Learn about Model Context Protocol and TranscriptAPI integration.

Claude Guide Connect TranscriptAPI to Claude for a stable MCP experience.

API Reference Explore the REST API for programmatic access.