get_transcript · Youtube MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What get_transcript does on Youtube

AI agents use get_transcript to create or update resources in Youtube — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Youtube environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why get_transcript needs a policy

The tool retrieves a transcript from YouTube (Read) but also writes it to a local file, which is a side-effecting Write operation. Writing to the local filesystem is reversible (the file can be deleted), so Write is the appropriate category rather than Destructive. Severity is medium because an AI agent could write arbitrary files to the local system, potentially overwriting existing files depending on path handling.

From the tool's definition 'Fetch a cleaned transcript and write it to a local file' — the tool writes data to the local filesystem

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

get_transcript Rate-limited

get_transcript stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "get_transcript": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "get_transcript_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Youtube, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about get_transcript

What does the get_transcript tool do? +

Fetch a cleaned transcript and write it to a local file. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Youtube MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on get_transcript? +

Register the Youtube MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_transcript: 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.

What risk level is get_transcript? +

get_transcript is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit get_transcript? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_transcript 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 get_transcript completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get_transcript. 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 get_transcript? +

get_transcript is provided by the Youtube MCP server (knowledge-forest/youtube-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.