youtube-watcher

Fetch transcripts from YouTube videos using captions or auto-generated subtitles.

Updated May 1, 2026

Search Tags:#qa #subtitles #captions #youtube #transcripts #summarize #video-analysis

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/xiaoquqi/hermes-agent-skills --skill youtube-watcher-xiaoquqi

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: youtube-watcher
Source: https://github.com/xiaoquqi/hermes-agent-skills/tree/main/openclaw-imports/youtube-watcher
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/xiaoquqi/hermes-agent-skills --skill youtube-watcher-xiaoquqi

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

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

What problem does it solve?

Fetch transcripts from YouTube videos to enable quick summaries, content analysis, and questions-and-answers without watching the video.

Core Features & Use Cases

Retrieve textual transcripts from YouTube captions or auto-generated subtitles.
Enable quick summaries, Q&A, and content extraction from video content.
Use case: analyze long lectures or tutorials by extracting the transcript and generating concise insights.

Quick Start

Pass a YouTube URL to the script to retrieve the transcript.

Frequently Asked Questions about youtube-watcher

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

FAQPage Schema

How do I extract a transcript from a YouTube video for quick summarization?▼

To extract a YouTube video transcript for summarization, pass the video URL to the script. It retrieves captions or auto-generated subtitles to provide the textual content needed for quick analysis.

Can I ask questions about YouTube video content without watching the entire video?▼

Yes, you can ask questions about YouTube video content without watching it by fetching the transcript. The extracted text enables Q&A and content analysis directly from the video's captions.

Do I need yt-dlp installed to fetch YouTube transcripts?▼

Yes, you need yt-dlp installed and accessible in your PATH to fetch YouTube transcripts. This dependency is required to retrieve the captions and auto-generated subtitles for processing.

What is the best way to prepare study notes from long YouTube lectures?▼

The best way to prepare study notes from long YouTube lectures is to extract the transcript. This allows you to generate concise insights and summaries from the video content without manual transcription.

Does this method work with auto-generated YouTube subtitles?▼

Yes, this method works with auto-generated YouTube subtitles. It uses both closed captions and auto-generated subtitles to produce the transcript for content extraction and analysis.

What are the limitations of using YouTube transcripts for video analysis?▼

The limitations of using YouTube transcripts for video analysis depend on caption availability. If a video lacks captions or auto-generated subtitles, the script cannot extract textual content for summarization.