Fetches the transcript with timestamps for each segment.
AI agents call get_transcript_timed to retrieve information from Youtube without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
This tool retrieves transcript data from YouTube videos with timing information. It performs a read-only query operation that does not create, modify, delete, or execute any code. The action is information retrieval without side effects, fitting squarely into the Read category. Severity is low because transcript fetching poses minimal risk even if misused—it simply exposes publicly available video transcript data.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'get_transcript_timed' and description 'Fetches the transcript with timestamps for each segment' indicate retrieval of data with no modification or side effects.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_transcript_timed gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Youtube, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_transcript_timed:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_transcript_timed": {}
}
}get_transcript_timed is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Fetches the transcript with timestamps for each segment. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Youtube MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
Register the Youtube MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_transcript_timed: 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. Nothing to install.
get_transcript_timed is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_transcript_timed 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.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get_transcript_timed. 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.
get_transcript_timed is provided by the Youtube MCP server (umbertotancorre/youtube-mcp-cli). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Youtube, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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11 Youtube tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.