Real-time YouTube & Shorts data, one API call.
Extract transcripts, summaries, stats, comments, and more from YouTube videos and Shorts.
The YouTube & Shorts API from Captapi gives developers reliable access to public YouTube & Shorts data without building or maintaining scrapers — send one authenticated request and get clean, structured JSON back.
curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/youtube/transcript?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdQw4w9WgXcQ" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."What is the YouTube & Shorts API?
Extract transcripts, summaries, stats, comments, and more from YouTube videos and Shorts. Every endpoint is a single authenticated GET request that responds with predictable JSON, so the data drops straight into dashboards, AI pipelines, RAG systems, and no-code automations. AI agents can call the same endpoints as MCP tools via @captapi/mcp.
Endpoints
What you can do with the YouTube & Shorts API
Transcript
GET /v1/youtube/transcript
Extract timestamped transcripts from any public YouTube video in a single request.
2 credits
Summarizer
GET /v1/youtube/summarize
Turn any YouTube video into an AI summary with key points, topics, and sentiment.
4 credits
Video Details
GET /v1/youtube/video-details
Get full YouTube video metadata — title, views, likes, duration, and more.
1 credit
Comments
GET /v1/youtube/comments
Pull YouTube comments at scale with author, text, likes, and reply threads.
20 credits · billed per result
Channel Details
GET /v1/youtube/channel-details
Fetch YouTube profile data — follower counts, bio, verification, and stats.
1 credit
Search
GET /v1/youtube/search
Search YouTube programmatically and get structured, ranked results.
20 credits · billed per result
Channel Videos
GET /v1/youtube/channel-videos
Bulk-list YouTube content with full metadata for each item.
20 credits · billed per result
Playlist Videos
GET /v1/youtube/playlist-videos
Bulk-list YouTube content with full metadata for each item.
50 credits · billed per result
Playlist
GET /v1/youtube/playlist
Bulk-list YouTube content with full metadata for each item.
50 credits · billed per result
Video Download
GET /v1/youtube/video-download
Get a direct, watermark-free download URL for any public YouTube video.
3 credits
Shorts Transcript
GET /v1/youtube/shorts/transcript
Extract timestamped transcripts from any public YouTube video in a single request.
2 credits
Shorts Summarizer
GET /v1/youtube/shorts/summarize
Turn any YouTube video into an AI summary with key points, topics, and sentiment.
4 credits
Shorts Stats
GET /v1/youtube/shorts/video-details
Get full YouTube video metadata — title, views, likes, duration, and more.
1 credit
Shorts Comments
GET /v1/youtube/shorts/comments
Pull YouTube comments at scale with author, text, likes, and reply threads.
20 credits · billed per result
Channel Shorts
GET /v1/youtube/channel-shorts
Bulk-list YouTube content with full metadata for each item.
20 credits · billed per result
Trending Shorts
GET /v1/youtube/trending-shorts
Bulk-list YouTube content with full metadata for each item.
28 credits · billed per result
Channel Streams
GET /v1/youtube/channel-streams
Bulk-list YouTube content with full metadata for each item.
20 credits · billed per result
Hashtag Search
GET /v1/youtube/hashtag-search
Search YouTube programmatically and get structured, ranked results.
20 credits · billed per result
Comment Replies
GET /v1/youtube/comment-replies
Pull YouTube comments at scale with author, text, likes, and reply threads.
20 credits · billed per result
Channel Playlists
GET /v1/youtube/channel-playlists
Bulk-list YouTube content with full metadata for each item.
20 credits · billed per result
Community Posts
GET /v1/youtube/community-posts
Bulk-list YouTube content with full metadata for each item.
10 credits · billed per result
Community Post Details
GET /v1/youtube/community-post-details
Get full YouTube video metadata — title, views, likes, duration, and more.
7 credits
Video Sponsors
GET /v1/youtube/video-sponsors
Get full YouTube video metadata — title, views, likes, duration, and more.
1 credit
How it works
- 1. Sign up — get 100 free credits, no card required.
- 2. Create a key from your dashboard.
- 3. Call any endpoint above with
Authorization: Bearer capt_live_...and parse the JSON response. Repeat calls are served from cache for free.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube & Shorts API?+
The YouTube & Shorts API is a REST API from Captapi that returns public YouTube & Shorts data as clean, structured JSON. It covers 23 endpoints — Transcript, Summarizer, Video Details, Comments, Channel Details, Search, and more — behind one Bearer API key, with no OAuth flow and no scrapers to build or maintain.
What data can I get from the YouTube & Shorts API?+
Extract transcripts, summaries, stats, comments, and more from YouTube videos and Shorts. Each endpoint is a single GET request that responds with predictable JSON fields, so the data is ready for dashboards, AI pipelines, and automations.
Do I need a YouTube & Shorts developer account or OAuth?+
No. You only need a Captapi key (capt_live_...), sent as an Authorization: Bearer header. The same key works across all 29 platforms Captapi supports. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and parsing for you.
How much does the YouTube & Shorts API cost?+
YouTube & Shorts endpoints cost between 1 and 50 credits per call, depending on the endpoint and how many results you request. New accounts start with 100 free credits (no credit card), and repeat calls are served from a 24-hour cache for 0 credits.
Can AI agents use the YouTube & Shorts API?+
Yes. Every YouTube & Shorts endpoint is exposed as a tool in the official MCP server (@captapi/mcp) for Claude, Cursor, and VS Code, and is also available through the @captapi/cli CLI, an n8n community node, a Make.com app, and an Apify Actor.
Is the YouTube & Shorts API suitable for production use?+
Yes. It is a stable REST API with predictable JSON, automatic retries, upstream fallbacks, and a shared 24-hour cache. Only successful responses consume credits — failed or empty results are never charged.
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Start using the YouTube & Shorts API in sixty seconds
Sign up, grab your API key, and make your first request. 100 credits on the house — no credit card.