YouTube · Guide

How to get YouTube trending shorts

TL;DR

To get YouTube trending shorts, sign up for a free Captapi key, then send one GET request to /v1/youtube/trending-shorts with your input. You get clean JSON back in seconds for 28 credits per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. Bulk-list YouTube content with full metadata for each item.

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How to get YouTube trending shorts (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 Trending Shorts API
Send an authenticated GET request to /v1/youtube/trending-shorts with your input. No OAuth, no scraping setup.
3
Read the JSON response
Parse the clean JSON response. Results are cached for 24 hours, so repeat calls are free.

Code example

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/youtube/trending-shorts?q=structured%20data%20api" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."

What the response looks like

{
  "success": true,
  "cached": false,
  "creditsUsed": 28,
  "data": {
    "total": 2,
    "items": [
      {
        "title": "Latest upload",
        "url": "https://example.com/a",
        "views": 90120,
        "publishedAt": "2025-01-12"
      },
      {
        "title": "Previous upload",
        "url": "https://example.com/b",
        "views": 75230,
        "publishedAt": "2025-01-04"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Request parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
q	string	No	Seed keyword for trending Shorts. Defaults to trending.
limit	integer	No	Max items to return (default 20, max 100). Billed per result.

Frequently asked questions

What does the YouTube Trending Shorts API do?

The YouTube Trending Shorts API lets you list items in bulk with metadata from a public YouTube video using one GET request to /v1/youtube/trending-shorts. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or scraping setup required.

How many credits does the YouTube Trending Shorts API cost?

Each successful call costs 28 credits. Responses are cached for 24 hours, and cached results cost 0 credits. 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, and Rumble. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.

Is the YouTube Trending Shorts API suitable for production use?

Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON, automatic retries, and a shared 24-hour cache. Use it for RAG pipelines, analytics, monitoring, and content automation.

Ready to get YouTube trending shorts?

Start free with 100 credits — no credit card required.

Get your free API key