This skills solves the problem of neither Claude nor ChatGPT being able to watch a video directly.
While the skill lives in either Claude Code or ChatGPT Codex, it hands the YouTube link to Gemini to watch the video for you.
Claude or Codex then takes Gemini's analysis and shapes it into a playbook on how to implement learnings from the video — not just a generic summary of the video.
That handoff is faster than downloading a transcript and pasting it in either Claude or Codex.
How it works
Step 1: Paste a YouTube link
Paste the YouTube link in either Claude or Codex, and call the skill.
No download or transcript extraction is necessary, the link goes straight to Gemini to watch.
Caution: This skill only works on public videos. Private or unlisted links need to be downloaded first, which defeats the "no downloading" point of this skill.
Step 2: AI creates a usable playbook
This is the part that's different from a transcript summary. The output is structured into six pieces every time:
What's being taught: the subject of the video
The step-by-step breakdown: the sequence of actions to act on the video's learnings
What you need to act on it: accounts, tools, subscription tiers, or any considerations needed before you can act
A same-day checklist: the version of the steps you can actually execute today
Where this tip makes sense: the situation this applies to, so you're not forcing a fit
Caveats: scenarios where the video's advice breaks down
How to set up the skill
Step 1: Download 2 files
You will need 2 files: the actual skill and a Python script that allows Gemini to watch the video.
The skill tells your AI when to use it.
The second file connects Gemini to your AI of choice: Codex or Claude.
File 1 of 2. Save this file as video-watcher.md.
File 2 of 2. Save as video-watched.py in the same folder. The skill will call this Python script so there's nothing to install.
Step 2: Create 1 folder
Create a singular folder named watch-video that houses these 2 skills.
In Claude Code, the file path will be ~/.claude/skills/watch-video/.
In Codex, drop it into your project.
The folder name must match the name at the top of SKILL.md for your AI to find it.
If they live on separate parts of your computer, the skill and Python script won't be able to communicate.
Step 3: Get a free Gemini API key
Go to aistudio.google.com/apikey and generate a key.
Then in your preferred chat, tell AI to "Add my GEMINI_API_KEY to [your key]."
Note: This is completely free. The free tier is generous enough for regular use. As of publishing this article, Google says it allows roughly 8 hours of video processing per day, but quotas change.
Sometimes, too many people may be using this free service at a time. The traffic slow down accessing this free Gemini service.
Caution: this key is tied to your Google account and billing. Don't paste it into a shared account or commit it to a public repo.