MCP Rate Limits

The MCP server enforces rate limits to ensure fair usage. These limits are separate from browser-based limits.

Default Limits (MCP + API Tier)

What Happens When Limits Are Exceeded

When you exceed a rate limit, the tool returns an error response with isError: true and a message indicating which limit was exceeded and when it resets. Your AI assistant will see this error and can inform you or wait before retrying.

Checking Usage

Use the get_usage tool to check your current counters at any time:

// Example response from get_usage
{
  "searches": { "used": 5, "limit": 30, "window": "hour" },
  "ftsQueries": { "used": 2, "limit": 10, "window": "minute" },
  "subtitleDownloads": { "used": 12, "limit": 50, "window": "day" },
  "summaryGenerations": { "used": 3, "limit": 50, "window": "day" }
}

Tips for Staying Within Limits

• Use search_videos (FTS) for broad searches, search_channel for specific channels
• Use get_video to check if subtitles/summary exist before downloading
• Use get_summary before generate_summary — an existing summary is free
• Resources (tube://...) share the same limits as their corresponding tools

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