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 2 credits per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. YouTube Shorts recommendation sequence — fixed window per call (no cursor), not a global chart.

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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. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh.

Code example

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/youtube/trending-shorts?q=trending" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."

What the response looks like

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "platform": "youtube",
    "query": "trending",
    "totalReturned": 5,
    "shorts": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ggMTGsuaooU",
        "title": "GO CRAZY! 👀 2026 Group Dance Trend #Shorts #Dance #Squad #Trending #fypシ Kaido Gia Chowbaby & more",
        "viewCount": 121000
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/O07T9_5VIRI",
        "title": "who remembers this trend?😳 #trending #viral #tiktok #funny",
        "viewCount": 23000000
      }
    ]
  }
}

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
q	string	No	Optional topic seed for the Shorts recommendation sequence. Omit (or pass trending/shorts) for the default reel feed — not a keyword search.
limit	integer	No	Max items to return (default 20, max 100). Returns a single window; use limit to size it. No cursor. Flat 2 credits per call.
cache	boolean	No	Set true to serve from the 24h response cache (0 credits on hit). Default false — always fetch fresh. Envelope includes cached + cachedAt on hits.

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 Short using one GET request to /v1/youtube/trending-shorts. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.

How many credits does the YouTube Trending Shorts 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. Hits include cached + cachedAt. 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 Trending Shorts 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. Hits include cached + cachedAt. Selected profile endpoints also accept cacheMaxAge=1d|3d|7d|14d|30d. Use it for analytics, monitoring, and content automation.

Ready to get YouTube trending shorts?

Start free with 100 credits — no credit card required.

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