YT Knowledge Notes
aawhb565 downloadsCreate notes from YouTube videos and playlists. Optionally, use local AI or AI providers to generate structured summaries and study notes based on built-in templates or custom prompts.
- Overview
- Scorecard
- Updates6
YT Knowledge Notes
YT Knowledge Notes turns YouTube videos, playlists, and channels into organized Markdown notes in Obsidian. Use it for a clean transcript and source record, an AI-assisted knowledge note, or both.
What you can create
- Source notes with video details and a readable or timestamped transcript
- AI-assisted notes for studying, research, implementation, or general reference
- Optional TL;DR callouts, Mermaid mind maps, and memorable quotes
- One note per video or one combined note for a playlist or channel selection
- Multiple notes from a queued batch of URLs
- Optional opening of the first generated Folder note in a new tab
AI is optional. Transcript and metadata notes do not require an API key.
Install
YT Knowledge Notes requires Obsidian 1.11.4 or newer.
Community Plugins
- Open Settings → Community plugins in Obsidian.
- Search for YT Knowledge Notes.
- Select Install, then Enable.
BRAT
Install and enable BRAT, then add aawhb/ytkn as a beta plugin. See Getting started for the full steps.
For a manual installation from a release, see Install manually.
Create your first note
- Open the Obsidian command palette and run YT Knowledge Notes: Generate.
- Paste a YouTube video, playlist, or channel URL.
- If you have not configured an AI model, turn Use AI off.
- Choose where the note should go and how the transcript should appear.
- Select Generate.
For a guided first run, including optional AI setup, see Getting started.
User guide
- Getting started: install the plugin and create your first note
- Using YT Knowledge Notes: choose note content, destinations, templates, playlists, queue behavior, and reports
- AI providers and local models: connect OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama, or another compatible service
- Troubleshooting: solve common transcript, provider, playlist, and output problems
Privacy
- The plugin does not collect telemetry.
- YouTube requests go directly from Obsidian to YouTube.
- AI requests go directly from Obsidian to the provider or local server you configure. They include transcript content, your instructions, and the prompt context needed to create the selected note body and add-ons.
- API keys are stored through Obsidian SecretStorage. The plugin stores only the selected secret IDs.
- AI content can be inaccurate. Review generated notes when accuracy matters.
See SECURITY.md for security reporting and more information about data handling.
Help and feedback
License
GNU GPL v3 or later. See LICENSE.