youtube
Search YouTube videos via Invidious. Auto-triggers when user asks to find, search for, or look up videos.
When & Why to Use This Skill
This Claude skill enables seamless YouTube video discovery and playback directly within the chat interface using the Invidious API. It allows users to search for specific topics, get video recommendations, and view rich media results with embedded players, thumbnails, and metadata, significantly enhancing the research and browsing experience without leaving the conversation.
Use Cases
- Educational Support: Quickly find and embed coding tutorials or academic lectures to supplement learning and problem-solving.
- Product Research: Search for video reviews and demonstrations to compare products or software during the decision-making process.
- Content Inspiration: Gather visual references and creative examples for scriptwriting, design projects, or marketing campaigns.
- Quick Reference: Look up 'how-to' guides or troubleshooting videos to resolve technical issues in real-time.
| name | youtube |
|---|---|
| description | Search YouTube videos via Invidious. Auto-triggers when user asks to find, search for, or look up videos. |
YouTube Video Search
Search YouTube videos using the Invidious API at https://yt.tarka.dev.
When to Use
Auto-trigger this skill when the user:
- Asks to "find a video about..."
- Asks to "search YouTube for..."
- Asks to "look up videos on..."
- Wants video recommendations on a topic
- Asks "are there any videos about..."
How to Search
Use WebFetch to query the Invidious API:
https://yt.tarka.dev/api/v1/search?q=<query>&type=video
Formatting Results
Format each video as a lazy-loaded embed. Only the thumbnail loads initially; clicking plays the video via iframe.
<div class="video-embed">
<div
class="video-embed__player"
onclick="this.innerHTML='<iframe src=\'https://yt.tarka.dev/embed/{videoId}?autoplay=1\' allowfullscreen></iframe>'"
>
<img src="{thumbnail_url}" alt="{title}" />
<div class="video-embed__play"></div>
<span class="video-embed__duration">{duration}</span>
</div>
<div class="video-embed__info">
<a
href="https://yt.tarka.dev/watch?v={videoId}"
target="_blank"
class="video-embed__title"
>{title}</a
>
<div class="video-embed__meta">
<span class="video-embed__channel">{author}</span>
<span class="video-embed__stats">{viewCountText} · {publishedText}</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Duration Formatting
Convert lengthSeconds to human-readable format:
- Under 1 hour:
MM:SS(e.g.,12:34) - 1 hour or more:
H:MM:SS(e.g.,1:23:45)
Thumbnail Selection
Use the medium quality thumbnail: https://yt.tarka.dev/vi/{videoId}/mqdefault.jpg
Example
When user asks "find me a video about Clojure macros":
Show 3-5 results by default. Click thumbnail to play inline, click title to open in new tab.
Notes
- Always use
https://yt.tarka.dev(user's Invidious instance) - Thumbnails load instantly; iframe only loads on click
- If no results, suggest alternative search terms