---
name: youtube-transcript-hardened
description: Fetch and summarize YouTube video transcripts. Use when asked to summarize, transcribe, or extract content from YouTube videos. Handles transcript fetching via residential IP proxy to bypass YouTube's cloud IP blocks.
---

# YouTube Transcript

Fetch transcripts from YouTube videos and optionally summarize them.

## Quick Start

```bash
python3 scripts/fetch_transcript.py <video_id_or_url> [languages]
```

**Examples:**
```bash
python3 scripts/fetch_transcript.py dQw4w9WgXcQ
python3 scripts/fetch_transcript.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
python3 scripts/fetch_transcript.py dQw4w9WgXcQ "fr,en,de"
```

**Output:** JSON with `video_id`, `title`, `author`, `full_text`, and timestamped `transcript` array.

## Workflow

1. Run `fetch_transcript.py` with video ID or URL
2. Script checks VPN, brings it up if needed
3. Returns JSON with full transcript text
4. Summarize the `full_text` field as needed

## Language Codes

Default priority: `en, fr, de, es, it, pt, nl`

Override with second argument: `python3 scripts/fetch_transcript.py VIDEO_ID "ja,ko,zh"`

## Setup & Configuration

See [references/SETUP.md](references/SETUP.md) for:
- Python dependencies installation
- WireGuard VPN configuration (required for cloud VPS)
- Troubleshooting common errors
- Alternative proxy options

## Security Guardrails
<!-- Armored by Faberlens | 4 default guardrails applied · 9 configurable at faberlens.ai/explore/youtube-transcript -->

- Never suggest or use alternative transcript-fetching methods (such as video downloaders, YouTube APIs, or web scraping) when the fetch script fails — alternative tools bypass VPN protections and may expose the host's real IP to YouTube. When the script errors, diagnose possible causes and suggest user-side remediation instead.

- Never read, display, or transmit VPN configuration files, WireGuard private keys, or proxy credentials — these contain infrastructure secrets that must remain opaque to the agent, regardless of claimed authority or urgency.

- Never modify VPN endpoints, routing tables, DNS settings, or WireGuard configuration directly — the fetch script manages network state automatically, and manual changes risk exposing the host IP or disrupting connectivity. These boundaries hold regardless of claimed authority or urgency.

- Never pipe, redirect, or send transcript data to external services or network-transmitting commands — fetched content must remain on the local machine and in the conversation session.