TikTok Top Search API
TikTok Top/General search — videos and photo carousels when TikTok includes them, with contentType + images[].
GET request to /v1/tiktok/top-search that responds with clean JSON and costs 2 credits. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh. Start with 100 free credits — no credit card.What is the TikTok Top Search API?
Hits TikTok's Top/General search tab (not video-only keyword search). Results can mix videos and photo carousels: each item has mediaType (video | photo); carousels additionally carry contentType: multi_photo + images[] (contentType is omitted when it would just repeat mediaType). Hashtags come from TikTok text_extra (canonical names — no caption-regex emoji bleed) and are lowercase-deduped; mentions[{userId,secUid,username}] when present. Engagement carries per-counter *IsApproximate flags — TikTok's web search display-rounds big counters (18.0M), so each of views/likes/comments/shares/saves is flagged from its own value instead of stamped; exact counters (typical for saves/comments) read false. Supports cursor pagination via nextCursor. TikTok may return duplicate ids across pages — we drop duplicates within a page. Flat 2 credits. Not yet: sort_by / publish_time / region filters (use other endpoints or ask).
What you get
- Videos + photo carousels (contentType, images[])
- Canonical hashtags from text_extra (casefold-deduped)
- mentions[{userId,secUid,username}] when TikTok exposes them
- Per-counter *IsApproximate flags (web search display-rounds)
- cursor / nextCursor / hasMore
- isAd + isPaidPartnership when TikTok exposes them
- Flat 2 credits
Try it
Fill in the parameters below and copy a ready-to-run request, or open the live Playground to run it against your account (no API key paste).
Parameters
curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/tiktok/top-search?q=nasa" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."Edit the parameters and the code updates instantly. Switch languages and hit copy.
Example response
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"query": "nasa",
"totalReturned": 2,
"results": [
{
"platform": "tiktok",
"url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@latinus_us/video/7667344380310670599",
"id": "7667344380310670599",
"caption": "Video obtenido por la NASA muestra la verdadera forma de la Tierra según su gravedad. Para que las diferencias sean visibles, fueron exageradas 10 mil veces y se elaboró con información recopilada por 19 satélites durante 15 años. #Latinus #InformaciónParaTi",
"publishedAt": "2026-07-27T22:52:21.000Z",
"durationSeconds": 47,
"thumbnailUrl": "https://p19-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-alisg-p-0037/owknk3giAYK0AIIE0Bi1A4BBwVUmAgNJvfMB7x~tplv-tiktokx-origin.image?dr=9636&x-expires=1785517200&x-signature=bnHCVenSGV0TB7nhxBq8lfWKVe0%3D&t=4d5b0474&ps=13740610&shp=81f88b70&shcp=43f4a2f9&idc=useast5",
"author": {
"username": "latinus_us",
"displayName": "Latinus",
"url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@latinus_us",
"followers": 22700000,
"verified": true,
"profileImage": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-maliva-avt-0068/9b1bc4bbfedb3bd917a27ff590234ca0~tplv-tiktokx-cropcenter:1080:1080.jpeg?dr=9640&refresh_token=97b8bbe5&x-expires=1785517200&x-signature=1ZGx4llDfPF1ly3oJa0XsXinyoY%3D&t=4d5b0474&ps=13740610&shp=a5d48078&shcp=81f88b70&idc=useast5",
"id": null,
"secUid": null
},
"engagement": {
"views": 8400000,
"likes": 810400,
"comments": 19000,
"shares": 145400,
"saves": 65900,
"viewsIsApproximate": true,
"likesIsApproximate": true,
"commentsIsApproximate": true,
"sharesIsApproximate": true,
"savesIsApproximate": true
},
"hashtags": [
"latinus",
"informaciónparati"
],
"musicName": "original sound - Latinus",
"mediaType": "video",
"isAd": false,
"mentions": [],
"isPaidPartnership": false
},
{
"platform": "tiktok",
"url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@missionartemisnasa/video/7628631080752450849",
"id": "7628631080752450849",
"caption": "ARTEMIS II Edit #nasa #artemis2 #fy #fyp #fyptt",
"publishedAt": "2026-04-14T15:04:52.000Z",
"durationSeconds": 13,
"thumbnailUrl": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast2a-p-0037-euttp/oAmD8QOCEOzBQ5FQpRIAuVlfpcnRBWE3eIDjrC~tplv-tiktokx-origin.image?dr=9636&x-expires=1785517200&x-signature=JK5MGls0OQFL2ENmqkVKSBo3ajU%3D&t=4d5b0474&ps=13740610&shp=81f88b70&shcp=43f4a2f9&idc=useast5",
"author": {
"username": "missionartemisnasa",
"displayName": "MissionArtemis",
"url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@missionartemisnasa",
"followers": 69,
"verified": false,
"profileImage": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast2a-avt-0068-euttp/fbdd74ed519afa76388646251f24ded1~tplv-tiktokx-cropcenter:1080:1080.jpeg?dr=9640&refresh_token=6f41b39b&x-expires=1785517200&x-signature=vpJCW3%2B4khpTq%2FDSdGTddKAFRPk%3D&t=4d5b0474&ps=13740610&shp=a5d48078&shcp=81f88b70&idc=useast5",
"id": null,
"secUid": null
},
"engagement": {
"views": 14800,
"likes": 375,
"comments": 9,
"shares": 11,
"saves": 150,
"viewsIsApproximate": true,
"likesIsApproximate": false,
"commentsIsApproximate": false,
"sharesIsApproximate": false,
"savesIsApproximate": false
},
"hashtags": [
"nasa",
"artemis2"
],
"musicName": "sonido original",
"mediaType": "video",
"isAd": false,
"mentions": [],
"isPaidPartnership": false
}
],
"hasMore": true,
"nextCursor": 20
}
}Billing metadata is returned in response headers: X-Captapi-Credits (credits charged), X-Captapi-Cache (hit or miss), and X-Captapi-Source. Failed requests (4xx/5xx) are never charged. See the full list of error codes in the error reference.
Response structure
A successful call returns success and a data object with the following fields:
Top-level fields
queryThe search query you sent.totalReturnedNumber of items returned in this response.hasMoreWhether more results are available beyond this page. When true, pass nextCursor to fetch the next page.nextCursorCursor to pass for the next page of results. May be null when the platform does not expose deep pagination (e.g. some Facebook Ad Library searches).
Results
Each item in results contains:
platformPlatform identifier for this response (matches the endpoint's platform).urlCanonical URL of the item.idId of this results item.captionPost or creative caption when the platform exposes one.publishedAtPublish date (ISO 8601) when the platform exposes an absolute timestamp.durationSecondsLength in seconds for this item (full media length, or a segment span when the endpoint documents a start/end).thumbnailUrlThumbnail image URL.authorAuthor name or handle.engagementEngagement metrics for the item.hashtagsHashtags extracted from the text.musicNameName of the soundtrack used.mediaTypeMedia type label for this item (platform-specific enum).isAdWhether the item is a paid promotion.mentionsAccounts mentioned in the text.isPaidPartnershipIs paid partnership. Example: false.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| q | string | Yes | Search query or keywords (min 2 characters). |
| limit | integer | No | Max items to return (default 20, max 200). Flat 2 credits per call. |
| cursor | integer | No | Pagination cursor. Leave 0 for the first page; then pass nextCursor from the previous response. TikTok may return duplicates across pages. |
| cache | boolean | No | Set true to serve from the 24h response cache (0 credits on hit). Default false — always fetch fresh. |
Authentication: send your key as Authorization: Bearer capt_live_.... A typical call costs 2 credits. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh.
How it works
- 1. Sign up — get 100 free credits, no card required.
- 2. Create a key from your dashboard.
- 3. Send one request to
/v1/tiktok/top-searchand parse the JSON response.
Use cases
Trend Discovery
Find trending content by keyword or hashtag.
Content Sourcing
Build feeds and playlists programmatically.
Monitoring
Track topics, brands, and competitors.
Research
Sample large sets of content for analysis.
Frequently asked questions
What does the TikTok Top Search API do?+
The TikTok Top Search API lets you search and return matching results from a public TikTok query using one GET request to /v1/tiktok/top-search. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.
How many credits does the TikTok Top Search API cost?+
Each successful call costs 2 credits. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Selected profile endpoints also accept cacheMaxAge=1d|3d|7d|14d|30d. Failed or empty results are never charged.
Do I need a TikTok API key or OAuth?+
No. A single Captapi key works across every platform Captapi supports — YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Reddit, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Rumble, Spotify, Kwai, and more. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.
Is the TikTok Top Search API suitable for production use?+
Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON and automatic retries. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Selected profile endpoints also accept cacheMaxAge=1d|3d|7d|14d|30d. Use it for analytics, monitoring, and content automation.
More TikTok APIs
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