Most YouTube work is not filming. It is the research before the shoot, the script, the title you rewrite nine times, the thumbnail brief, the description, the chapters, the Shorts cut, and the upload checklist. Claude Code skills can take a big share of that work off your plate, but only if you install the right ones.
This guide covers the Claude Code skills for YouTubers that are worth your time on 1 November 2026. Every GitHub star count and last-push date below came from the GitHub API on that day. Every install command came from the project’s own README. Paid prices came from the live product pages. Where something could not be confirmed, it says so.
The short answer: which Claude Code skills should a YouTuber install?
For most creators, start with three free installs: AgriciDaniel/claude-youtube for ideas, scripts, hooks, titles, thumbnail briefs, SEO and Shorts; ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills for transcripts and search; and remotion-dev/skills or browser-use/video-use for editing. Add a YouTube Data API MCP server once you want live channel numbers. Paid packs are optional.
That stack covers the full pipeline from idea to upload. Here is the full list at a glance.
| # | Skill or tool | Job | Free or paid | GitHub stars (1 Nov 2026) | Last push |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AgriciDaniel/claude-youtube | Ideas, scripts, hooks, titles, thumbnails, SEO, Shorts | Free | 631 | 10 Apr 2026 |
| 2 | ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills | Transcripts, search, channels, playlists | Free tier (100 credits) | 1,145 | 27 Oct 2026 |
| 3 | remotion-dev/skills | Programmatic video, captions, rendering | Free | 6,022 | 26 Oct 2026 |
| 4 | browser-use/video-use | Conversational editing with ffmpeg | Free (needs ElevenLabs key) | 30,312 | 8 Oct 2026 |
| 5 | heygen-com/hyperframes | HTML-based motion graphics and video | Free (open source) | 76,979 | 1 Nov 2026 |
| 6 | digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit | Remotion plus ffmpeg production toolkit | Free | 2,404 | 1 Nov 2026 |
| 7 | kirbah/mcp-youtube | YouTube Data API v3 MCP server | Free (your API key) | 32 | 1 Nov 2026 |
| 8 | ZubeidHendricks/youtube-mcp-server | YouTube Data API MCP server | Free (your API key) | 592 | 8 Aug 2026 |
| 9 | coreyhaines31/marketingskills | video, social, copywriting skills | Free | 57,803 | 31 Oct 2026 |
| 10 | anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins | Official marketing and brand-voice plugins | Free | 34,325 | 1 Nov 2026 |
| 11 | Tella skills | Cut dead air, clip highlights, Tella to YouTube | Free | n/a | n/a |
| 12 | YouTube Creator Pack (Gumroad) | 5 YouTube skills incl. script optimizer | Paid, $39 | n/a | n/a |
| 13 | Master Marketing Skills Bundle (Inflectual) | 167 marketing skills | Paid, $167 one-time | n/a | n/a |
| 14 | SuperSkills / Contra SEO & AEO pack | Broader marketing and SEO packs | Paid, $50 / $39 | n/a | n/a |
Stars measure attention, not quality. A 32-star repo pushed today can be a better bet than a famous one nobody maintains. Read the SKILL.md before you install anything, because a skill is a set of instructions Claude will follow.
How Claude Code skills work for a YouTube channel
A Claude Code skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file inside. Claude reads the short description, and when your request matches, it loads the full instructions plus any reference files or scripts. For a YouTuber, that means a “write me a hook” request pulls in a hook framework instead of a generic answer.
Skills live in one of two places:
~/.claude/skills/for skills you want in every project.claude/skills/inside a project folder, such as one folder per channel
You can also get them bundled in plugins, installed from a marketplace with /plugin inside an interactive Claude Code session.
The three install routes you will see
| Route | Command shape | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| skills CLI | npx skills add owner/repo | The repo says it supports it |
| Plugin marketplace | /plugin marketplace add owner/repo then /plugin install name | The repo ships a marketplace file |
| Manual copy | git clone then copy the folder into ~/.claude/skills/ | Everything else |
Never guess a plugin name. The plugin name is set in the repo’s marketplace file and often differs from the repo name. Every command in this post was copied from the project’s README.
Why skills beat saved prompts for creators
A saved prompt gives you one instruction. A good YouTube skill carries a method: a hook framework, title rules, thumbnail composition specs, and a quality check before output. It also keeps your channel context in the folder, so you stop pasting “my channel is about budget travel for families” into every chat.
The catch: a skill is only as good as its references. Several YouTube skills quote benchmarks for CTR or retention. Treat those numbers as the author’s claims unless the skill cites a source.
how to install Claude Code skills
Skills for video ideas, research and transcripts
For research, the strongest free combination is a transcript skill plus an ideation skill. ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills pulls transcripts, search results and channel data. claude-youtube’s /youtube ideate and /youtube competitor commands turn that material into ranked ideas and gap lists.
AgriciDaniel/claude-youtube (free)
This is the most complete YouTube-specific skill found in this research. The README marks it as beta and lists 14 commands, including /youtube ideate (10 ranked ideas with keyword analysis, hook angles and thumbnail concepts), /youtube competitor (four parallel agents on top videos, keyword gaps, format gaps and audience gaps), /youtube strategy and /youtube calendar.
It ships nine channel templates (education, tutorial, vlog, review, commentary, Shorts-first and others) and six Python scripts that call the YouTube Data API. The README says it also works without API credentials if you paste data in by hand.
Install, from the README:
git clone https://github.com/AgriciDaniel/claude-youtube.git
cp -r claude-youtube/skills/claude-youtube ~/.claude/skills/claude-youtubeFor live data, set YOUTUBE_API_KEY from Google Cloud Console. One flag: the last push was 10 April 2026, so check the issues tab before you rely on it.
ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills (free tier)
This repo ships separate skills for transcript, youtube-search, youtube-channels, youtube-playlist, youtube-full, captions and more. It runs on TranscriptAPI instead of yt-dlp. The README states a free tier with 100 credits on signup and no credit card. Paid credit tiers are on TranscriptAPI’s pricing page.
Install everything, or one skill:
npx skills add ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills
npx skills add ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills --skill transcriptPrivacy note: the README says the agent asks for your email to register a TranscriptAPI key on first run. Decide whether you are fine with that before you start.
A transcript-first research workflow
- Search your topic and pull the top 10 transcripts.
- Ask Claude to list every claim, example and question those videos cover.
- Ask what none of them cover. That gap is your angle.
- Feed the gap list into
/youtube ideate. - Pick one idea and move to the script stage.
This works because transcripts are the actual content. Titles and thumbnails tell you the packaging. Transcripts tell you what viewers got.
Skills for scripts, hooks, titles and thumbnail concepts
claude-youtube covers this stage best among free options: /youtube script writes retention-structured scripts with pattern interrupts, /youtube hook returns five hook variants with drop-off risk ratings, and /youtube thumbnail produces three A/B thumbnail briefs with hex codes and a title-thumbnail check.
What each command gives you
| Command | Output per README |
|---|---|
/youtube script | Hook, intro and content blocks, pattern interrupts every 60 to 90 seconds, CTA placement |
/youtube hook | 5 variants: shock, problem-agitation, story, curiosity gap, social proof |
/youtube thumbnail | 3 A/B briefs, colour hex codes, composition specs, check that title and thumbnail work together |
/youtube seo | 3 title variants, description, tags, chapters, hashtags, VideoObject schema |
The skill writes briefs, not images. To turn a thumbnail brief into a picture, you still need a designer, Canva, or an image-generation tool.
Copywriting skills that transfer to YouTube
coreyhaines31/marketingskills has copywriting, copy-editing, marketing-psychology and social skills. They are not YouTube-specific, but a title is short copy and a hook is a headline you say out loud. Install only what you need:
npx skills add coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill copywriting copy-editingOr install the plugin from an interactive session:
/plugin marketplace add coreyhaines31/marketingskills
/plugin install marketing-skillsKeep your voice consistent
If you script a lot, your on-camera voice matters more than any framework. Anthropic’s official brand-voice plugin in knowledge-work-plugins is built for this. The README install pattern is:
claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins
claude plugin install brand-voice@knowledge-work-pluginsFeed it five of your best-performing scripts and it has something real to match.
The paid option for this stage
The YouTube Creator Pack on Gumroad sells five Claude skills for $39 (the page’s price meta reads 39.0 and the title says “Save $22”). The listing names a Script Optimizer and, per the listing text, Shorts and slide generator skills. The seller’s related listing describes uploading a ZIP through Claude Settings, so check whether it suits Claude Code or the Claude apps before you buy. The full skill list was not readable on the page during research.
Claude Code skills for copywriters
Skills for descriptions, chapters and YouTube SEO
For upload metadata, /youtube metadata in claude-youtube produces a copy-paste package of titles, description, tags, chapters, cards, end screens and publish settings. Pair it with a transcript skill so chapters come from real timestamps, not guesses.
Chapters from a transcript
Chapters are where AI output goes wrong most often. A model writing chapters from a script will invent timestamps. The fix is simple:
- Export the final transcript with timestamps, or pull it with the
transcriptskill after upload. - Ask Claude to propose chapter breaks only at timestamps that appear in the file.
- Check that the first chapter starts at 0:00, since YouTube requires that for chapters to show.
What YouTube SEO actually means in 2026
YouTube SEO is mostly packaging and satisfaction: a title and thumbnail people click, and a video they keep watching. Descriptions, tags and chapters help YouTube and Google understand the video. They do not rescue a weak video.
| Element | What a skill can do | What it cannot do |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Draft variants around a target query | Know your real CTR |
| Description | Front-load the topic, add links and chapters | Make people watch |
| Tags | Suggest misspellings and variants | Move rankings much on their own |
| Chapters | Structure from timestamps | Fix pacing |
| VideoObject schema | Generate markup for your own site embed | Affect YouTube search |
For keyword data, claude-youtube includes a DataForSEO integration reference. AgriciDaniel/claude-seo (25,386 stars) covers the website side if you embed videos on your own blog.
The YouTube Data API MCP: what it is and which server to use
There is no official Google-built YouTube MCP server that this research could confirm. The working options are community servers on top of the YouTube Data API v3. kirbah/mcp-youtube and ZubeidHendricks/youtube-mcp-server are both active and both need your own API key from Google Cloud Console.
An MCP server gives Claude tools it can call, such as “get channel stats” or “search videos”. A skill gives Claude instructions. You often want both: the MCP fetches data, the skill decides what to do with it.
kirbah/mcp-youtube
Uses the YouTube Data API v3, with an optional MongoDB cache to cut quota use. A registry listing says it can fetch transcripts without an API key. The README config runs it through npx:
{
"mcpServers": {
"youtube": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@kirbah/mcp-youtube"],
"env": { "YOUTUBE_API_KEY": "YOUR_YOUTUBE_API_KEY_HERE" }
}
}
}ZubeidHendricks/youtube-mcp-server
Covers video details, transcripts, channels and playlists. Install per README:
npm install -g zubeid-youtube-mcp-serverThe README also shows an npx option and support for up to three API keys.
Quota is the real limit
The YouTube Data API gives a default quota of 10,000 units per day per project, according to the claude-youtube README and its quota tracker (confirm current limits in Google’s API docs). A search costs 100 units. A channel lookup costs far less. claude-youtube’s README estimates its channel fetch at about 16 units. If you run competitor research with lots of searches, you will hit the cap.
| Server | Key needed | Caching | Stars | Last push |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| kirbah/mcp-youtube | Yes | Optional MongoDB | 32 | 1 Nov 2026 |
| ZubeidHendricks/youtube-mcp-server | Yes, up to 3 | Not stated | 592 | 8 Aug 2026 |
| ZeroPointRepo/youtube-mcp | TranscriptAPI key | Not stated | 13 | 21 Sep 2026 |
Private analytics such as watch time and retention need OAuth, not just an API key. claude-youtube ships an OAuth helper script for that.
Skills for Shorts repurposing and video editing (ffmpeg and Remotion)
For editing, pick by job. browser-use/video-use edits real footage through ffmpeg by conversation. remotion-dev/skills builds videos from code, which suits captions, intros and data animations. HyperFrames does HTML-based motion graphics. For Shorts planning, claude-youtube has /youtube shorts and /youtube repurpose.
browser-use/video-use (free)
The most-starred editing skill here at 30,312. The README lists transcription, cutting, colour grading with ffmpeg chains, overlay animations and burned subtitles. It needs ffmpeg and an ElevenLabs API key. Install per README:
git clone https://github.com/browser-use/video-use ~/Developer/video-use
brew install ffmpegThen read the repo’s install.md, which handles agent registration.
remotion-dev/skills (free, official Remotion)
Twelve skills including remotion-captions, remotion-render, remotion-multimedia and remotion-best-practices. Install:
npx skills add remotion-dev/skillsRemotion is a React framework. You do not need to write React yourself, but you will run a local render, and Remotion has its own license terms for companies, so check them.
heygen-com/hyperframes (free, open source)
HTML and GSAP compositions rendered to video. The README recommends npx hyperframes skills update for the core set, or the interactive picker with npx skills add heygen-com/hyperframes.
digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit (free)
A cloneable toolkit combining Remotion templates and ffmpeg utilities. Clone it and follow the README:
git clone https://github.com/digitalsamba/claude-code-video-toolkit.gitTella skills (free)
Tella’s skills page lists open-source skills to cut dead air, clip highlights and publish a Tella recording to YouTube. Useful if you record screen tutorials in Tella.
A long-form to Shorts workflow
- Pull the transcript of the long video.
- Ask
/youtube shortsor/youtube repurposeto pick three to five self-contained moments with timestamps. - Cut those ranges with video-use (ffmpeg) and reframe to 9:16.
- Add captions with remotion-captions or video-use subtitles.
- Write a Shorts title and description for each.
Check every cut by eye. Automated picks often start a clip mid-sentence.
skills for social media managers
Free vs paid Claude Code skills for YouTubers
Free skills cover the whole YouTube pipeline in 2026. Paid packs mostly sell convenience and breadth: many skills in one download. Only one paid pack found here is YouTube-specific. Buy one only after the free stack shows you which gap you actually have.
| Free (GitHub, official) | Paid packs | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | claude-youtube, youtube-skills, Remotion, video-use, marketingskills, Anthropic plugins | YouTube Creator Pack $39, Inflectual $167, Contra pack $39, SuperSkills $50 |
| YouTube-specific | Yes, several | One (YouTube Creator Pack) |
| Can read before buying | Yes, full source | Usually no |
| Updates | Visible in commit history | Seller-dependent |
| Live data | Via MCP or API scripts | Rarely |
| Support | GitHub issues | Seller |
Paid products, verified 1 November 2026
| Product | Price | YouTube focus | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Creator Pack (Gumroad, Tony Tracy) | $39 | Yes | 5 skills; listing claims “$61 value” |
| Master Marketing Skills Bundle (Inflectual, Gumroad) | $167 one-time | Partial (content, social) | 167 skills across marketing |
| Ultimate Claude SEO & AEO Skills Pack (Contra) | $39 (shown against $79) | No, SEO | Useful if you also blog |
| SuperSkills | $50 | No | General pack |
We left out packs that use countdown timers or “only X spots left” claims. One listing found during research advertised “Only 20 slots left at this price”, which is exactly the kind of fake urgency we skip.
Claude Code skills for marketers
Common mistakes YouTubers make with Claude Code skills
The biggest mistakes are installing too many skills, trusting benchmark numbers inside skills, letting AI invent timestamps, and skipping the read-through of SKILL.md files and API permissions.
- Installing 40 skills at once. Overlapping descriptions make Claude pick the wrong one. Start with three.
- Trusting built-in benchmarks. If a skill says “good CTR is X%”, that is the author’s number unless cited. Compare against your own YouTube Studio data.
- Letting chapters be guessed. Always generate chapters from a timestamped transcript.
- Giving OAuth access casually. Upload and edit scopes can change your channel. Use read-only scopes for analysis.
- Ignoring quota. A loop of searches can burn the daily 10,000 units before lunch.
- Shipping AI scripts unedited. Viewers hear generic phrasing fast. Read the script aloud and cut anything you would not say.
- Not checking last-push dates. A beta repo untouched for months may break with a Claude Code update.
Your first-week setup checklist
Day one: install claude-youtube and a transcript skill. Day three: add one editing skill. Day five: add a YouTube MCP server with a read-only key. Then run one full video through the pipeline before adding anything else.
- Create a folder per channel with a
CLAUDE.mddescribing niche, audience and tone. - Install claude-youtube into
~/.claude/skills/. - Run
npx skills add ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills --skill transcript. - Pull transcripts of your five best videos and save them in the channel folder.
- Run
/youtube ideate, then/youtube scriptand/youtube hookon one idea. - Install remotion-dev/skills or video-use, depending on whether you build graphics or edit footage.
- Create a Google Cloud project, enable YouTube Data API v3, and add an MCP server.
- After publishing, run
/youtube metadataagainst the final transcript. - Write down what saved time and what did not. Remove skills you never triggered.
Claude Code for non-developers build your own YouTube skill
FAQ
What are the best Claude Code skills for YouTubers?
For a free start: AgriciDaniel/claude-youtube for planning, scripts and SEO, ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills for transcripts, and remotion-dev/skills or browser-use/video-use for editing.
Can Claude Code edit YouTube videos?
Yes, through skills that drive ffmpeg (video-use) or Remotion. Claude runs the commands locally. You still review every cut.
Is there an official YouTube MCP server?
This research found no official Google-built YouTube MCP server. Community servers such as kirbah/mcp-youtube and ZubeidHendricks/youtube-mcp-server use the YouTube Data API v3.
Do I need a YouTube API key?
Only for live data. claude-youtube works with pasted data. MCP servers and its Python scripts need a key from Google Cloud Console.
How much does the YouTube Data API cost?
The API is free within a default quota of 10,000 units per day. A search costs 100 units. You can request more quota from Google.
Can Claude Code get a YouTube transcript?
Yes. ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills does it through TranscriptAPI (free tier of 100 credits). claude-youtube includes a yt-dlp script.
Can Claude write YouTube scripts that keep viewers watching?
It can draft a script with structure for retention, such as hooks and pattern interrupts. Whether viewers stay depends on the topic, delivery and edit. No skill can guarantee retention.
Can Claude Code make YouTube thumbnails?
The YouTube skills here write thumbnail briefs. Making the image needs a design or image-generation tool.
Are Claude Code skills safe to install?
A skill is instructions plus optional scripts. Read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing, and prefer repos with recent commits.
Do Claude Code skills work in the Claude desktop app?
Skills use the same SKILL.md format across Claude products, but install methods differ. Scripts that call ffmpeg need a local environment like Claude Code.
What is the difference between a skill and an MCP server?
A skill tells Claude how to do a task. An MCP server gives Claude tools to fetch or change data. Use both together.
Can I turn long videos into Shorts with Claude Code?
Yes: transcript, pick moments, cut with ffmpeg, reframe to 9:16, caption. Check each clip by eye.
Are paid YouTube skill packs worth it?
Sometimes, for convenience. You usually cannot read the source before buying, and free repos already cover the main jobs.
Does Remotion cost money?
Remotion’s skills are free to install. Remotion itself has a license that can require a paid company license for some businesses. Check remotion.dev.
Will Claude Code skills grow my channel?
No tool can promise growth. Skills save time on research, scripting and metadata. Growth still comes from the videos.
Do I need to know how to code?
No, but you will use a terminal. Copy the install commands exactly and ask Claude to explain errors.
Sources and methodology
- GitHub API (
gh api repos/OWNER/REPO) for stars and last push, 1 Nov 2026. - READMEs of each linked repo for features and install commands.
- Gumroad page price metadata (
product:price:amount) for the YouTube Creator Pack (39.0) and Inflectual bundle (167.0). - Contra and SuperSkills prices as verified by the site team on 1 Nov 2026.
- Reddit threads (via mirror snapshots) on video-lens, transcript summaries and Shorts automation for practitioner questions.
- YouTube Data API quota figures from the claude-youtube README and quota tracker script.
Your next step
Install claude-youtube and one transcript skill today, then run your next video through ideas, script, hook and metadata. Add editing and MCP later, once you know where your hours actually go.
