How to get YouTube shorts comments
GET request to /v1/youtube/shorts/comments with your input. You get clean JSON back in seconds for 2 credits per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. Comments on a YouTube Short — rejects long-form videos (≤3 min only).How to get YouTube shorts comments (step by step)
- 1
Get a free API key
Create a free Captapi account (100 credits, no card) and generate an API key from the dashboard.
- 2
Call the YouTube Shorts Comments API
Send an authenticated GET request to /v1/youtube/shorts/comments with your input. No OAuth, no scraping setup.
- 3
Read the JSON response
Parse the clean JSON response. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh.
Code example
curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/youtube/shorts/comments?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fshorts%2FegvLKQe6I4I" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."What the response looks like
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/egvLKQe6I4I",
"videoId": "egvLKQe6I4I",
"totalReturned": 2,
"totalComments": 12000,
"nextCursor": null,
"hasMore": false,
"comments": [
{
"id": "Ugshortcomment001",
"author": "@MrBeast",
"authorAvatarUrl": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/nxYrc_1_2f77DoBadyxMTmv7ZpRZapHR5jbuYe7PlPd5cIRJxtNNEYyOC0ZsxaDyJJzXrnJiuDE=s88-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj",
"authorIsVerified": true,
"authorIsChannelOwner": true,
"text": "Did you pop it?",
"likeCount": 50000,
"replyCount": 1200,
"hasCreatorHeart": true,
"publishedTimeText": "1 year ago"
},
{
"id": "Ugshortcomment002",
"author": "@viewer123",
"authorAvatarUrl": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/default=s88-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj",
"authorIsVerified": false,
"authorIsChannelOwner": false,
"text": "I would have popped it instantly",
"likeCount": 8000,
"replyCount": 40,
"hasCreatorHeart": false,
"publishedTimeText": "1 year ago"
}
]
}
}Billing metadata (credits charged, cache hit/miss) is returned in the X-Captapi-Credits and X-Captapi-Cache response headers.
Request parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | string | Yes | Public YouTube Shorts URL, e.g. https://youtube.com/shorts/ID (≤3 min). Long-form videos return HTTP 422 — use the matching /v1/youtube/… endpoint instead. The URL platform must match this endpoint's platform. Do not pass cross-platform URLs, e.g. YouTube to TikTok, Instagram to Facebook, LinkedIn to X/Twitter, or Pinterest to Rumble. |
| limit | integer | No | Max items to return (default 50, max 500). Flat 2 credits per call. |
| cursor | string | No | Pagination cursor. Leave empty for the first page; then pass the nextCursor value returned in the previous response. |
| cache | boolean | No | Set true to serve from the 24h response cache (0 credits on hit). Default false — always fetch fresh. |
Frequently asked questions
What does the YouTube Shorts Comments API do?
The YouTube Shorts Comments API lets you pull comments with author, text, likes, and replies from a public YouTube Short using one GET request to /v1/youtube/shorts/comments. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.
How many credits does the YouTube Shorts Comments 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 YouTube 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 YouTube Shorts Comments 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.
Ready to get YouTube shorts comments?
Start free with 100 credits — no credit card required.
Get your free API key