API and MCP

Quick start

REST: https://api.govtube.us/v1
MCP: https://api.govtube.us/mcp (streamable HTTP)
Reference: https://api.govtube.us/docs
Key: No key needed during the beta.

curl 'https://api.govtube.us/v1/search?q=appropriations&max_videos=1&max_instances_per_video=1'

{
  "query": "appropriations",
  "counts": {
    "instances": 222,
    "videos": 72,
    "exact": true,
    "by_timing": {
      "document": 81,
      "word": 141
    }
  },
  "next_cursor": "eyJkIjoiMjAyNi0wOS0xNiIsInYiOiJob3VzZS0yMDI2MDkxNiIsImYiOiI3NTliN2FiMDM0M2IifQ",
  "videos": [
    {
      "video": {
        "video_id": "house-20260916",
        "title": "U.S. House — Floor Session — September 16, 2026",
        "event_date": "2026-09-16",
        "source_id": "house_floor_clerk",
        "duration_ms": 47296064
      },
      "instance_count": 8,
      "passage_count": 8,
      "instances": [
        {
          "id": "gt2.k1.WyJob3VzZS0yMDI2MDkxNiIsMSw0MjgyMDkwLDQyODI3MzAsImFwcHJvcHJpYXRpb25zIiwwXQ.W7_h0259FhgKNcBHhQPzWA",
          "start_ms": 4282090,
          "play_from_ms": 4277090,
          "speaker": {
            "cluster": "S28",
            "display_name": "Unconfirmed speaker",
            "confirmed": false
          },
          "excerpt": {
            "text": "With that speaker, I'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma, my dear friend, the chairman of the appropriations committee.",
            "match": [
              {
                "start": 120,
                "end": 134
              }
            ]
          },
          "playable": true,
          "low_confidence": false
        }
      ],
      "…": "passages[] and more fields"
    }
  ]
}

Fetched live from the API when this page was served, then trimmed. The full response has more fields.

Endpoints

Six public GET endpoints. All are read-only and return JSON.

Endpoint	Returns	Parameters	Limits
`GET /v1/search`	Every instance of a query, grouped by video, newest first	q (required); speaker, source, from, to (dates); max_videos; max_instances_per_video; sort; cursor	q up to 200 characters and 12 tokens; max_videos 1–25 (default 10); max_instances_per_video 1–20 (default 5); sort newest (default) or most_instances
`GET /v1/videos/{video_id}`	One video: metadata, playback asset, rights and use restrictions	video_id	—
`GET /v1/videos/{video_id}/instances`	Page through one video’s matches by passage	q (required); offset; limit; speaker	offset ≥ 0 (default 0); limit 1–100 (default 20); both count passages
`GET /v1/videos/{video_id}/transcript`	Speaker turns in a time window	from_ms, to_ms (both required)	at most 5 minutes per request
`GET /v1/citations/{citation_id}`	Resolve a citation: status after corrections, quoted words, context	citation_id (gt2.… or gd2.…; older gt1.… and gd1.… still work)	—
`GET /v1/coverage`	What the archive holds: sessions, totals, last update, gaps	none	—

Connect an AI assistant (MCP)

GovTube works as a connector in Claude, ChatGPT and coding tools. No sign-in or key is needed. Every tool only reads from the archive, so it is safe to allow and to retry.

Claude (web, desktop and mobile)

Open Customize, then Connectors.
Choose Add custom connector.
Paste https://api.govtube.us/mcp as the server URL.
If you’re asked how people sign in, choose No sign-in.
Choose Add. In a chat, turn GovTube on from the + menu, under Connectors.

On Team and Enterprise plans an Owner adds it first, under Organization settings, Connectors. The free plan allows one custom connector.

ChatGPT

On chatgpt.com, open Plugins and choose the + button, then Add custom MCP server.
Name it GovTube and paste https://api.govtube.us/mcp as the URL.
For authentication, choose No authentication.
Confirm the warning, then choose Create as a plugin.

Custom servers depend on your plan and workspace settings. On some accounts this is under Settings, Apps, with developer mode turned on.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http govtube https://api.govtube.us/mcp

Or share it with a project in .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "govtube": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.govtube.us/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to Cursor

Or add it to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "govtube": {
      "url": "https://api.govtube.us/mcp"
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Add it to .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace, or run MCP: Add Server from the Command Palette and choose HTTP:

{
  "servers": {
    "govtube": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.govtube.us/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Any other client

URL: https://api.govtube.us/mcp
Transport: Streamable HTTP
Sign-in: None

If we gave you an API key for higher limits, send it as Authorization: Bearer gtk_…. Keep it out of prompts and shared files.

Try asking

Using GovTube, find every time “no tax on tips” was said on the House floor this year. Quote each one exactly and link to the moment.
What was said about tariffs in Congress last week? Use GovTube, give the speaker and time for each quote, and say which speakers are confirmed.
Is this GovTube citation still accurate after corrections? gt2.…
What does GovTube cover right now, and when was it last updated?

Tool	Purpose	Key arguments and limits
`govtube_search_instances`	Spoken instances of a query, grouped by video, one small page at a time	query; speaker (confirmed speakers; include_unreviewed to add on-screen-name matches), source, date_from, date_to; detail compact (default: 5 videos × 3 passages) or full (10 × 5, up to 25 × 20); max_videos; max_instances_per_video; sort newest (default) or most_instances; cursor
`govtube_list_video_instances`	Page through one video by passage	video_id, query, offset, limit 1–100 (default 10; both count passages); speaker, include_unreviewed; detail
`govtube_get_transcript_window`	Speaker turns around a moment	video_id, start_ms, end_ms (at most 5 minutes)
`govtube_get_video`	Metadata, speakers, playback asset, rights and use restrictions	video_id
`govtube_resolve_citation`	Check a cited instance after corrections; returns context and a share link	citation_id (gt2.… or gd2.…; older gt1.… and gd1.… still work)
`govtube_get_coverage`	Totals by source, date range, last update, items awaiting review, gaps	none
`govtube_list_sessions`	The indexed sessions, newest first, one page at a time	source, date_from, date_to; limit 1–100 (default 25); cursor

Before you build

Counts and paging

counts covers the whole result set. When counts.exact is false, the numbers are lower bounds: show “at least”.

Videos come newest first. Pass next_cursor back as cursor to continue; it only works with the same query and sort. Page inside one video with /instances, by passage.

Playback and citations

play_from_ms is 5 seconds before the words. When playable is false, the timing isn’t verified: don’t play it, but you can still show and cite it.

Every instance id is a durable citation. /v1/citations/{id} says whether it is still exact after corrections. Signed ids (gt2.…, gd2.…) come only from GovTube. Older unsigned ids (gt1.…, gd1.…) keep working: their answer has signed false, shows only words found in the current transcript, and gives a canonical_id to share instead.

Official transcripts have no timing (timing_granularity is document): their times are null, position gives the paragraph and word, document_url links the text, document_highlight_url (when not null) opens it at the matched words, and their ids start with gd2. (unsigned: gd1.).

Show the rights

/v1/videos/{id} returns rights: the source, its rights in a few words, and its use_restrictions.

Show them next to any clip you publish. House floor video, for example, may not be used for any political purpose.