How to summarise long YouTube videos with n8n
A developer built a private Telegram bot that fetches YouTube transcripts, uses GPT to summarise capped chunks and returns labelled parts, with retries and error messages.
reddit.com
Suggested prompt
Suggested prompt written by Agents In Use, not the source author. Replace bracketed inputs and review tool permissions first.
Summarise this [YouTube transcript chunk] into its main claims and useful details. Label it [part number] of [total parts]. Preserve uncertainty, do not invent material absent from the transcript, and make clear that this summary covers only this chunk.
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See placements →Evidence at a glance
Sourced account- Source poster / publisher
- u/MiveClor
- Original account
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- Published
- Source link checked
- Reported result
- The author reports a working Telegram summariser and links its workflow JSON and setup instructions. The implementation caps long transcripts at five parts and restricts access to the author's chat ID.
- Human involvement
- The developer configured the workflow, access allowlist and five-part cap. A person chooses each video to request. The post does not describe human accuracy checks on the returned summaries.
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How the agent did it
- Receive a YouTube request through a Telegram trigger and extract the video ID.
- Fetch the transcript with TranscriptAPI and split long text into chunks using a Code node.
- Run GPT and Telegram reply nodes per chunk, labelling the resulting summary parts.
Reddit user u/MiveClor built a private Telegram bot after repeatedly saving long videos without watching them. The bot uses n8n to fetch a YouTube transcript and send GPT-generated summaries back to Telegram. The author links workflow JSON and setup instructions in a public repository.
A Telegram trigger receives the request, the workflow extracts the video ID, and TranscriptAPI provides the text. GPT-5.4-mini supplies the substantive AI step by turning that transcript into a summary and key points. Long transcripts go through a Code node that splits them into chunks. n8n runs the model and reply nodes once per chunk, returning labelled parts rather than forcing an entire podcast into one request.
The author capped the output at five parts to limit credit use. Error handling also changed after the first version silently failed when captions were missing or an API request broke. The reported version retries and sends a failure explanation. An allowlist restricts requests to the author's Telegram chat ID.
This is an AI-enabled workflow, not a planning agent. The routing and safeguards are programmed; the language model performs the summarisation. In a returned comment, the developer discusses a final combined summary as a possible next change, not an existing capability. Who it's for: people who want private, bounded video summaries without claiming they have watched or verified every detail.
Prompt
Suggested prompt (written by Agents In Use, not the author's)
Source: Reddit · u/MiveClor
Frequently asked questions
How does the bot handle long YouTube transcripts?
A Code node splits the transcript into chunks. The workflow summarises and replies once per chunk, labels the parts and caps the output at five parts.
Does the bot autonomously choose videos to watch?
No. A person sends a request through Telegram. The workflow retrieves and summarises the transcript, with programmed routing, retry handling and an allowlist.
More details
Remaining steps
- Limit output to five parts, retry failures and restrict requests to an allowed chat ID.
About this account
GPT summarises transcript chunks within an n8n workflow. Routing, chunking, retries and access checks are programmed steps, not autonomous planning by an agent.
Firsthand account by u/MiveClor: https://www.reddit.com/r/n8n/comments/1x8yrwx/built_a_telegram_bot_that_summarizes_youtube/. Public RSS post and returned comments captured on 20 October 2026; RSS coverage is partial. Body eligibility passed at 1.0. Results are author-reported, not independently reproduced. Suggested prompt by Agents In Use, not the author's original prompt.
Credit: u/MiveClor on Reddit
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Tools and topics
n8n · Telegram · TranscriptAPI · GPT-5.4-mini
YouTube · Telegram · summaries
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.