A ChatGPT Settings panel showing Developer Mode toggled on with the TubePull MCP server URL filled in, beside a Connected confirmation card listing the available tools and a chat preview where ChatGPT calls the download_youtube_video tool

How to Set Up TubePull MCP in ChatGPT (Developer Mode)

June 19, 2026 5 min read

Step-by-step guide: connect TubePull's hosted MCP server to ChatGPT using Developer Mode so you can ask ChatGPT to download YouTube videos as MP4 or MP3.

ChatGPT has no built-in ability to download a YouTube video — that changes the moment you attach a remote MCP server. This guide walks through every step to connect TubePull's hosted MCP server to ChatGPT using Developer Mode.

This is the ChatGPT-specific deep-dive from our six-assistant head-to-head test. Start there for the quick comparison across Claude, Perplexity, Grok, Cursor, and Gemini.

Why ChatGPT can't download YouTube natively — and what MCP changes

A language model has no download tool by default. It can fetch titles, write yt-dlp commands for you to run yourself — but none of that puts a file in your hands. The gap is an absent capability, not a policy decision.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) closes it by letting the model call an external tool mid-conversation. Attach TubePull's hosted MCP server and ChatGPT gains two tools: download_video and get_video_info. TubePull handles the fetching and returns a one-time signed link; ChatGPT passes it to you.

What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?

MCP is an open standard Anthropic published in late 2024. The Anthropic MCP announcement described it as a "USB-C port for AI" — one protocol that any client (Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Cursor) and any server (TubePull, databases, calendars) can speak without custom integration work.

OpenAI added MCP support to ChatGPT in September 2025 through Developer Mode. As of June 2026, Developer Mode is available on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education accounts. ChatGPT supports remote (HTTPS) MCP servers only — local stdio servers will not work here.

Prerequisites

A ChatGPT subscription that includes Developer Mode — Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education. Not available on Free or Team. See the OpenAI Developer Mode documentation for current eligibility.
ChatGPT on the web. Developer Mode is web-only; mobile apps do not expose it.
A TubePull account (optional for free tier). Free tier: 3 downloads per 24 hours, no account needed. Unlimited: TubePull Pro at $4.99/month. Authentication happens via OAuth inline during connector setup.

Step-by-step: enabling Developer Mode and connecting TubePull

Step 1 — Enable Developer Mode in ChatGPT settings

Open ChatGPT in a desktop browser.
Click your profile icon → Settings.
In the left sidebar, click Apps (or Apps & Connectors).
Scroll to Advanced settings and toggle Developer Mode (beta) on.
Acknowledge the warning about unverified connectors.

A Create button now appears under Settings → Apps (or Connectors).

Step 2 — Create a connector for TubePull's MCP server

In ChatGPT Settings → Apps (or Connectors), click Create.
Fill in the New Connector modal:

- Name: TubePull - Description: Download YouTube videos as MP4 or MP3 - MCP Server URL: https://tubepull.com/mcp - Authentication: OAuth

Click Create (or Scan tools).
ChatGPT discovers two tools: Download video or audio (MP4 / MP3 / M4A) and Get video or audio metadata.
Complete the OAuth prompt if it appears — you'll be redirected to TubePull to sign in or create a free account, then redirected back.

Step 3 — Select the connector in a conversation

Connectors do not auto-attach — you activate them per conversation:

Open a new chat.
Click + near the message composer → More.
Select TubePull from the tool list.
A small indicator confirms the tools are active.

Step 4 — Your first test prompt

Download this YouTube video as MP4 at 720p: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw

That's "Me at the zoo" — the first YouTube video ever uploaded, widely used for testing. ChatGPT should invoke download_video, return a signed download link, and show file size and duration. Links are valid for one hour.

If ChatGPT writes a yt-dlp command instead, the TubePull connector wasn't selected for this session (see Step 3).

Example prompts that work

"Download this YouTube video as MP4 720p: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..."
"Save this as an MP3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..."
"Pull the audio from this YouTube link and give me the MP3."
"What qualities are available for this video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..." (triggers get_video_info)
"Download the 1080p version of this lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..." (requires TubePull Pro)
"Get me the best-quality MP4 of this public-domain NASA video."

Tip: ChatGPT defaults to MP4. Say "as MP3" or "as M4A" explicitly for audio.

What TubePull's MCP server exposes

Two tools (visible in the connector settings after creation):

download_video — Accepts:

url (required): any YouTube URL — youtube.com/watch?v=... or youtu.be/...
format (optional, default mp4): mp4, mp3, m4a, or audio
quality (optional, default best): 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p, 1440p, or 4k (1440p+ require Pro)

Returns a signed download link valid for one hour, plus file size and duration. Free tier: 3 downloads per 24 hours. Pro removes the daily cap for normal personal use — not mass downloading, automated scripts, or integrating TubePull into another service. See Section 7 of TubePull's Terms.

get_video_info — Free metadata tool. Returns title, channel, duration, view count, upload date, thumbnail URL, available qualities, and license type. Does not consume your download quota. ChatGPT invokes it automatically for questions like "how long is this video?"

Troubleshooting common issues

"I don't see a Create button in Settings → Apps." Developer Mode isn't toggled on, or your plan (Free or Team) doesn't support it. Check Settings → Apps → Advanced Settings.

OAuth fails or loops. Clear cookies for chatgpt.com and tubepull.com and restart the connector creation flow. If TubePull's authorization page shows an error, contact TubePull support.

Tools not found after creating the connector. Open the TubePull connector in Settings and click Refresh. If that fails, open https://tubepull.com/mcp in a browser — you should see a JSON-RPC response, not a 404.

ChatGPT generates a yt-dlp command instead of invoking TubePull. The connector wasn't selected for this conversation. Click + in the composer and enable TubePull.

"Rate limit reached" or "Free tier quota exceeded." Free tier allows 3 downloads per 24 hours. Upgrade to Pro at $4.99/month on TubePull's pricing page.

The download link expired. Links are valid for one hour. Just ask ChatGPT to download again — it will generate a fresh link.

ChatGPT refuses before invoking the tool. It may add a Terms caveat first, then still complete the download. If it refuses outright, rephrase: "Download this Creative Commons lecture for offline study."

How this compares to Claude Desktop

The setup is structurally identical: add https://tubepull.com/mcp as a remote MCP server and the assistant gains the same two tools. Claude's config lives in a JSON file (claude_desktop_config.json) rather than a web UI — developers often prefer this because it's explicit and version-controllable.

Both assistants invoke download_video on natural-language requests and return the signed link. The main difference: ChatGPT requires the connector to be selected per session; Claude Desktop loads the MCP server at startup. For the full six-assistant comparison, see which AI assistant can actually download YouTube videos.

Download only content you have the right to use

The tools work on any public YouTube URL. Clear-cut permitted cases: videos you uploaded yourself, Creative Commons-licensed videos (license type visible in get_video_info output), and public-domain content such as NASA uploads. Standard-licensed commercial content is a different question — see our legality guide.

Ready to connect?

Steps 1–3 take under five minutes on any eligible account. Connect TubePull's MCP server now

Frequently asked questions

Does ChatGPT support MCP servers for downloading YouTube videos?

Yes, as of late 2025 ChatGPT supports remote MCP servers via Developer Mode, a beta feature available on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education accounts. You add TubePull's hosted MCP server at https://tubepull.com/mcp as a connector in Settings → Apps, enable it in a conversation, and ChatGPT can then return a signed download link for any YouTube URL you provide.

Which ChatGPT plan do I need to use MCP Developer Mode?

Developer Mode is available on ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education plans. It is not available on the Free tier or the Team plan as of June 2026. OpenAI's Developer Mode documentation lists current eligible plans — check there for the latest, since availability is still in beta and may change.

Where do I find Developer Mode in ChatGPT settings?

Go to Settings → Apps (or Apps & Connectors depending on your account type) → Advanced settings, then toggle Developer mode on. Once it's active, a Create button appears under Settings → Apps, where you can add TubePull's MCP server URL (https://tubepull.com/mcp) as a new connector.

What tools does TubePull expose through MCP in ChatGPT?

TubePull's MCP server exposes two tools: download_video, which accepts a YouTube URL plus optional format (mp4, mp3, m4a) and quality (360p through 4k) and returns a one-time signed download link valid for one hour; and get_video_info, a free metadata-only tool that returns the video title, channel, duration, upload date, available qualities, and YouTube license type without counting against your download quota.

Why does ChatGPT still refuse to download even after I added the TubePull connector?

The most common cause is that the TubePull connector was not selected for that specific conversation. In ChatGPT, MCP connectors have to be enabled per chat — click the + button near the message composer, click More, and choose TubePull from the tool list. Once selected, ChatGPT will invoke the download_video tool when you ask it to download a YouTube video.