ytdlp_download_video_subtitles

ServerYouTube MCP Server
CategoryRead

How to control ytdlp_download_video_subtitles ↓

WHAT IT DOES

What ytdlp_download_video_subtitles does on YouTube MCP Server

AI agents call ytdlp_download_video_subtitles to retrieve information from YouTube MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

THE RISK

Low Risk

Why ytdlp_download_video_subtitles needs a policy

This tool retrieves subtitle/caption data from YouTube videos and returns it as text. It has no side effects, does not modify any data, does not execute code or commands, and does not involve financial transactions. It is purely a read operation that fetches and presents publicly available subtitle information.

From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Download video subtitles/captions in VTT format' and 'Subtitles are returned as text content with timestamps.' The action is retrieval of existing subtitle data with no modification, creation, deletion, or execution capabilities.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access ytdlp_download_video_subtitles gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control ytdlp_download_video_subtitles

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and YouTube MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for ytdlp_download_video_subtitles:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "ytdlp_download_video_subtitles": {}
  }
}

ytdlp_download_video_subtitles is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

Create a free account and register YouTube MCP Server — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

CAP THIS TOOL →

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EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More YouTube MCP Server tools

Write ytdlp_download_audio Extract and download audio from video in best quality. This tool extracts audio tracks fr Write ytdlp_download_video Download video file to the user Read ytdlp_download_transcript Generate clean plain text transcript from video subtitles. This tool downloads subtitles Read ytdlp_get_video_comments Extract comments from a video in JSON or AI-friendly Markdown format. This tool retrieves Read ytdlp_get_video_comments_summary Get a human-readable summary of video comments. This tool extracts comments and formats t Read ytdlp_get_video_metadata Extract comprehensive video metadata in JSON format without downloading content. This too Read ytdlp_get_video_metadata_summary Get human-readable summary of key video information. This tool extracts and formats the m Read ytdlp_list_subtitle_languages List all available subtitle languages and formats for a video. This tool retrieves the co

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Go deeper

The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Data exfiltration → How read access becomes an exfiltration channel when chained with untrusted content.
MCP token cost → What connecting this server costs in context-window tokens on every request.
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →
MCP Security: Why Prompt Guardrails Aren't Enough →

FAQ

Questions about ytdlp_download_video_subtitles

What does the ytdlp_download_video_subtitles tool do? +

Download video subtitles/captions in VTT format. This tool downloads subtitle files in WebVTT format, including both manually created and auto-generated captions. Subtitles are returned as text content with timestamps. Args: - url (string): Full video URL - language (string, optional): Language code (e.g.,. It is categorised as a Read tool in the YouTube MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on ytdlp_download_video_subtitles? +

Register the YouTube MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for ytdlp_download_video_subtitles: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches YouTube MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is ytdlp_download_video_subtitles? +

ytdlp_download_video_subtitles is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit ytdlp_download_video_subtitles? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the ytdlp_download_video_subtitles rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block ytdlp_download_video_subtitles completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for ytdlp_download_video_subtitles. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides ytdlp_download_video_subtitles? +

ytdlp_download_video_subtitles is provided by the YouTube MCP Server MCP server (kevinwatt/yt-dlp-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every YouTube MCP Server tool call.

Start from YouTube MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →

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10 YouTube MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.