posterly

MCP connector

YouTube MCP server

Schedule YouTube videos and Shorts with titles, tags, and thumbnails from Claude or ChatGPT.

This is the posterly MCP server, used for YouTube. The same connection works from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other MCP clients. It is not a separate YouTube-only download.

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What you can do on YouTube

YouTube is the one platform here that only takes video: each post is exactly one video file, and your AI client sets everything around it. A title is required (up to 100 characters), the description can run to 5,000 characters, and tags are limited to 500 characters in total.

Choose public, unlisted, or private, set a custom thumbnail, pick a category, and declare whether the video is made for kids. You decide whether subscribers get notified when it goes live, whether to label AI-generated or synthetic media, and whether to add a brand partner. For vertical clips, posterly can add the #Shorts hashtag to the description so the video is eligible for the Shorts feed.

Because the title carries most of YouTube's discovery weight, posterly asks for one instead of reusing the caption. Ask the assistant to draft a few title options first, then schedule the one you like. YouTube analytics come through the same connection, so you can ask which uploads held attention afterwards.

  • Video
  • Custom cover
  • Visibility
  • Analytics

Post types: video. Analytics can be read for this platform.

Tools

These are the tools your AI client uses for YouTube. Ask it to call list_platforms with view=schema and the account_id before it sets anything specific to YouTube.

Account and connection

  • whoamiWho am I

  • list_accountsConnected accounts

  • list_platformsPlatforms

  • create_connect_sessionStart a connect session

Posts

  • validate_postValidate a post

  • create_postCreate a post

    Show the caption, account, and time, then wait for confirmation before confirm=true.

  • create_posts_batchCreate posts in bulk

    1 to 25 posts in one confirmed request.

  • update_postEdit a post

    Show the caption, account, and time, then wait for confirmation before confirm=true.

  • list_postsPosts

  • get_postOne post

  • delete_postDelete posts

    Live removal needs an eligible connection and confirm_published. A refusal keeps the posterly record.

  • find_available_slotFind a free slot

  • generate_captionsGenerate captions

Media

  • upload_mediaUpload media

    Hosted requests are about 4MB, so this path is for small files. Large files use create_signed_upload or create_media_drop.

  • create_signed_uploadSigned upload link

  • create_media_dropMedia drop link

  • list_mediaMedia library

Analytics

  • list_analyticsAnalytics

    Includes: Account analytics, Post analytics, Post insights.

How to connect

  1. Add the hosted server in Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or another MCP client. Server URL: https://www.poster.ly/api/mcp. Sign in with posterly OAuth and press Allow. Use the www host. In ChatGPT, write actions need a Business, Enterprise, or Edu plan.
  2. Or, in a client that can run a local process (Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, and similar), use npx -y posterly-mcp-server@latest with a POSTERLY_API_KEY placeholder in that client's MCP config.
  3. Call whoami and list_accounts so you know which workspace the client is using.
  4. Connect YouTube with the method below, then call list_platforms with view=schema and the account_id.

YouTube

Ask your AI client to start a connection, open the link it gives you, and approve access on the platform.

Connect YouTube in the dashboard

Example prompts

  • Schedule this video on YouTube as unlisted for Thursday at 9am, titled "How we plan a month of content", with these five tags.
  • Upload this vertical clip as a YouTube Short with the #Shorts hashtag and a custom thumbnail.
  • Give me five title options for this video, then schedule the one I pick as public.

YouTube limits

Caption or text
5,000 characters.
Media count
1 media item required. Video only.
Platform rule
Titles are required and capped at 100 characters.

Request rates depend on your plan. The posterly MCP page lists them.

Pricing

API and MCP access is an add-on to any posterly plan. Starter plus API is $10 a month, charged now with no free trial on this checkout.

Get Starter + API · $10/moSee every plan

FAQ

What is the YouTube MCP server?

It is the posterly MCP server, not a separate product. Connect it once and the same connection covers YouTube and 17 other platforms, from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and other MCP clients.

How do I connect YouTube?

Add the hosted server at https://www.poster.ly/api/mcp and sign in with posterly, or run npx -y posterly-mcp-server@latest in a client that can start a local process. YouTube: Ask your AI client to start a connection, open the link it gives you, and approve access on the platform.

Can Claude upload a YouTube Short?

Yes. Attach a vertical clip and ask for a Short. posterly can add the #Shorts hashtag to the description so the clip is eligible for the Shorts feed. Regular videos and Shorts use the same tool.

Can I set a custom thumbnail and visibility?

Yes. Pass a thumbnail image and choose public, unlisted, or private. A title is required on every YouTube post and a post without one fails validation before anything is scheduled.

Keep reading

MCP

posterly MCP server

Hosted OAuth setup, the local npm package, and the full tool list.

Scheduler

YouTube scheduler

Schedule YouTube from the posterly calendar and composer.

Guide

YouTube guide

Read the long YouTube guide, then come back to connect it.

Pricing

posterly pricing

Compare plans, then add API and MCP at checkout.

Other platform MCP servers