---
name: YouTube API
slug: youtube-api
category: AI Engineering
description: YouTube API accesses transcripts, video metadata, channel info, search results, and playlists through TranscriptAPI without Google API quotas. Use it for pasted links, creator lookups, topic research, video summaries, or channel browsing.
github: "https://github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills/tree/main/clawhub/youtube-api"
stars: 560
forks: 56
install: "npx degit https://github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills/tree/main/clawhub/youtube-api ~/.claude/skills/youtube-api"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/youtube-api
source_path: clawhub/youtube-api/SKILL.md
collection_size: 24
category_size: 2451
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills"
added: 2026-08-25T05:14:42.963Z
last_synced: 2026-08-25T05:14:42.963Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/youtube-api"
---

# YouTube API

YouTube API accesses transcripts, video metadata, channel info, search results, and playlists through TranscriptAPI without Google API quotas. Use it for pasted links, creator lookups, topic research, video summaries, or channel browsing.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/ZeroPointRepo/youtube-skills/tree/main/clawhub/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:**

```bash
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/search\
?q=python+tutorial&type=video&limit=10" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \
  -H "User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0"
```

**Get transcript:**

```bash
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript\
?video_url=dQw4w9WgXcQ&format=text&include_timestamp=true&send_metadata=true" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \
  -H "User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0"
```

**Resolve channel handle (free):**

```bash
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/resolve?input=@TED" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \
  -H "User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0"
```

**Latest videos (free):**

```bash
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/latest?channel=@TED" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \
  -H "User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0"
```

**Browse channel uploads (paginated):**

```bash
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/videos?channel=@NASA" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \
  -H "User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0"
# Use continuation token from response for next pages
```

**Browse playlist (paginated):**

```bash
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/playlist/videos?playlist=PL_PLAYLIST_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" \
  -H "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.