---
name: YouTube API
slug: youtube-api-2
category: AI Engineering
description: YouTube API gets transcripts, video metadata, channel details, search results, and playlist items through TranscriptAPI without Google API quotas. Use it for YouTube link lookups, creator research, summaries, and channel browsing.
github: "https://github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills/tree/main/skills/youtube-api"
stars: 560
forks: 56
install: "npx degit https://github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills/tree/main/skills/youtube-api ~/.claude/skills/youtube-api"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/youtube-api
source_path: skills/youtube-api/SKILL.md
collection_size: 24
category_size: 2451
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills"
added: 2026-08-25T05:14:46.039Z
last_synced: 2026-08-25T05:14:46.039Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/youtube-api-2"
---

# YouTube API

YouTube API gets transcripts, video metadata, channel details, search results, and playlist items through TranscriptAPI without Google API quotas. Use it for YouTube link lookups, creator research, summaries, and channel browsing.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills/tree/main/skills/youtube-api ~/.claude/skills/youtube-api
```

## README

# YouTube API

YouTube data access via [TranscriptAPI.com](https://transcriptapi.com) — no Google API quota needed.

## Setup

If `$TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY` is not set, read [references/auth-setup.md](references/auth-setup.md) and follow the instructions there to get and store the key.

## Required Headers

Every request needs two headers:

- **Authorization:** `Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY`
- **User-Agent:** your agent's name and version if known (e.g. `HermesAgent/0.11.0`, `ClaudeCode/1.0`). Version is optional — agent name alone is fine. Do not omit this header or send a bare default — Cloudflare will return a 403 (error code 1010) and block the request.

## API Reference

Full OpenAPI spec: [transcriptapi.com/openapi.json](https://transcriptapi.com/openapi.json) — consult this for the latest parameters and schemas.

## Endpoint Reference

All endpoints: `https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/...`

Channel endpoints accept `channel` — an `@handle`, channel URL, or `UC...` ID. Playlist endpoints accept `playlist` — a playlist URL or ID.

| Endpoint                            | Method | Cost     |
| ----------------------------------- | ------ | -------- |
| `/transcript?video_url=ID`          | GET    | 1        |
| `/search?q=QUERY&type=video`        | GET    | 1        |
| `/channel/resolve?input=@handle`    | GET    | **free** |
| `/channel/latest?channel=@handle`   | GET    | **free** |
| `/channel/videos?channel=@handle`   | GET    | 1/page   |
| `/channel/search?channel=@handle&q=Q` | GET  | 1        |
| `/playlist/videos?playlist=PL_ID`   | GET    | 1/page   |

## Quick Examples

**Search videos:**

```http
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/search?q=python+tutorial&type=video&limit=10
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
```

**Get transcript:**

```http
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript?video_url=dQw4w9WgXcQ&format=text&include_timestamp=true&send_metadata=true
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
```

**Resolve channel handle (free):**

```http
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/resolve?input=@TED
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
```

**Latest videos (free):**

```http
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/latest?channel=@TED
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
```

**Browse channel uploads (paginated):**

```http
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/videos?channel=@NASA
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0

# Use continuation token from response for next pages
```

**Browse playlist (paginated):**

```http
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/playlist/videos?playlist=PL_PLAYLIST_ID
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
```

## Parameter Validation

| Field          | Rule                                                    |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| `channel`      | `@handle`, channel URL, or `UC...` ID                   |
| `playlist`     | Playlist URL or ID (`PL`/`UU`/`LL`/`FL`/`OL` prefix)   |
| `q` (search)   | 1-200 chars                                             |
| `limit`        | 1-50                                                    |
| `continuation` | non-empty string                                        |

## Why Not Google's API?

|             | Google YouTube Data API         | TranscriptAPI              |
| ----------- | ------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Quota       | 10,000 units/day (100 searches) | Credit-based, no daily cap |
| Setup       | OAuth + API key + project       | Single API key             |
| Transcripts | Not available                   | Core feature               |
| Pricing     | $0.0015/unit overage            | $5/1000 credits            |

## Errors

| Code     | Meaning           | Action                                         |
| -------- | ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| 401      | Bad API key       | Check key                                      |
| 402      | No credits        | transcriptapi.com/billing                      |
| 403/1010 | Cloudflare block  | Add or fix User-Agent header                   |
| 404      | Not found         | Resource doesn't exist                         |
| 408      | Timeout/retryable | Retry once after 2s                            |
| 422      | Validation error  | Check param format                             |
| 429      | Rate limited      | Wait, respect Retry-After                      |

Free tier: 100 credits, 300 req/min. Starter ($5/mo): 1,000 credits.

## Copy-paste examples

Every request in this file as a ready-to-run one-liner: [references/curl-examples.md](references/curl-examples.md)