Get Transcripts
Extract YouTube transcripts with or without timestamps. The endpoint that started it all. Clean, structured JSON. Zero blocks.
GET/api/v2/youtube/transcript
Clean transcripts · zero 429 errors · REST + MCP + Agent Skills
YouTube Transcript API.
Pull transcripts, search videos, browse channels, and extract playlists through one battle-tested REST API. Plug it into Claude, ChatGPT and your coding agent with the hosted MCP server. Predictable JSON. No scrapers. No 429s.
100 free credits. No credit card required.GET/api/v2/youtube/transcript200 OK
Building a Second Brain — Tiago Forte4 of 1,247
- 00:02In this video, I want to share the four-step CODE method for taking smart notes…
- 00:18The first step is capture — keeping only what resonates with you.
- 00:34Step two, organize by actionability, not by topic or category.
- 00:51Then we distill our notes progressively into something usable…
cachedEdge-cached · 1 credit · JSON
0429 errors. Clean responses every call.
StoredEvery transcript is kept, so repeat fetches are instant
7Endpoints. Everything YouTube.
Definition
What is a YouTube Transcript API?
A YouTube Transcript API is a managed HTTP endpoint that returns the caption track of a public YouTube video as structured JSON. Send a video ID with a bearer token, get back a title and an array of timestamped segments. No headless browsers, no DOM scraping, no proxy rotation. The official YouTube Data API v3 doesn’t expose transcript text, which is why teams usually end up running a brittle scraper of their own or reaching for a managed endpoint instead.
Everything you needOne API. Seven endpoints.
One API. Seven endpoints.
Zero YouTube headaches.
Same response shape forever. Bearer-token auth. Cached at the edge.
4 credits
Search YouTube
Query videos or channels with rich metadata.
- Content research
- Competitor analysis
- Topic discovery
20 credits (first page)
Browse Channel Videos
A channel's most recent uploads, up to 100 videos. Only the first page is served for now.
Free
Track New Uploads
RSS-based monitoring for the latest 15 uploads of a channel.
20 credits (first page)
Extract Playlist Videos
Up to 100 videos from any public YouTube playlist. Only the first page is served for now.
Free
Resolve Channel Handle
Convert any @handle, URL, or UC… ID to a canonical channel ID.
Three ways to connect
MCP setup guidesREST · MCP · Agent Skills
Drop into any backend over HTTPS, connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or VS Code to the hosted MCP server, or import a pre-built skill for Claude Code and OpenClaw.
- VS Code
Names and logos belong to their owners; ChatGPT and the OpenAI logo are trademarks of OpenAI. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Quickstart
Two lines and you’re shipping.
Bearer-token auth. Predictable JSON. Idempotent caching at the edge. The same shape your code expects today, tomorrow, and the next API version.
- Identical to the REST shape you already know
- Free endpoints for handle resolution and RSS
- Cache hits answer in milliseconds; fresh fetches take a few seconds
- Per-key rate limit headers on every response
Full guides for JavaScript & Node.js and cURL & REST.
// One bearer token. Predictable JSON. Same shape forever. const res = await fetch( "https://youtubetranscriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript?id=dQw4w9WgXcQ", { headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${apiKey}` } } ); const { title, transcript } = await res.json(); // → { title: "Building a Second Brain", // transcript: [{ start: 0, dur: 4.2, text: "In this video..." }] }
Pricing built for buildersSimple plans.
Simple plans.
Top-ups that never expire.
Start with 100 free credits. No card needed. Subscribe when you need more, and add top-up credits that stay on your account even if you cancel.
Free
$0
100 credits on signup
- No card required
- Free credits never expire
- All 7 endpoints, REST + MCP + Agent Skills
Monthly
$7/ month
1,000 credits every month
- Unused credits roll over, up to 2,000
- Top-ups $4.00 per 1K, never expire
- Cancel any time
Save 29%
Annual
$60/ year
15,000 credits up front
- Save 29% vs 12 months of Monthly
- 15,000 on day one vs 12,000 over a year
- Top-ups $3.50 per 1K, 12.5% cheaper
Transcripts cost 1 credit. Errors are never charged.Full pricing and FAQ
Ship YouTube features without the pain.
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