youtube-watcher

Name: youtube-watcher
Availability: InStock
Author: Stephanie

Fetch YouTube video transcripts using yt-dlp and convert them to plain text.

Updated Mar 10, 2026

Search Tags:#transcript #summarization #video #youtube #yt-dlp #content analysis

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/StephaniePhenex/openclaw-workspace --skill youtube-watcher-stephaniephenex

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: youtube-watcher
Source: https://github.com/StephaniePhenex/openclaw-workspace/tree/main/skills/youtube-watcher
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/StephaniePhenex/openclaw-workspace --skill youtube-watcher-stephaniephenex

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires yt-dlp, and includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill allows you to easily access and process the content of YouTube videos by fetching their transcripts, saving you the time of watching entire videos for information.

Core Features & Use Cases

Transcript Retrieval: Download closed captions or auto-generated subtitles for any YouTube video.
Content Summarization: Use the transcript to generate summaries of video content.
Information Extraction: Find specific details or answer questions based on the video's spoken content.
Use Case: You need to understand the key points of a long tutorial video without watching it all. Use this Skill to get the transcript and then ask for a summary of the main steps.

Quick Start

Use the youtube-watcher skill to get the transcript for the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID.

Frequently Asked Questions about youtube-watcher

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I fetch a YouTube video transcript for content analysis?▼

To fetch a YouTube video transcript for content analysis, you use a Skill that downloads subtitle files via yt-dlp and processes them into plain text. This extracts the spoken content for summarization without watching the video.

What's the best way to summarize long educational YouTube videos?▼

The best way to summarize long educational YouTube videos is by retrieving their transcripts. By downloading closed captions or auto-generated subtitles, you can feed the text into a summarization tool to extract key points.

Do I need yt-dlp to download YouTube subtitles and closed captions?▼

Yes, you need yt-dlp to download YouTube subtitles and closed captions. The Skill requires this dependency to fetch subtitle files from video links and process them into readable plain text.

Can I extract specific information from a tutorial video without watching it?▼

You can extract specific information from a tutorial video without watching it by downloading its transcript. Once the spoken content is converted to plain text, you can search for details or ask questions based on the extracted text.

Does this approach work with auto-generated subtitles on YouTube?▼

Yes, this approach works with auto-generated subtitles on YouTube. The transcript retrieval process downloads both closed captions and auto-generated subtitles, converting them into plain text for information extraction.

What are the limitations of using yt-dlp for YouTube video transcript retrieval?▼

A limitation of using yt-dlp for transcript retrieval is that videos without subtitles or auto-generated captions will yield no text. The process depends entirely on the availability of subtitle files on the YouTube platform.