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YouTube Transcripts API

YouTube Transcripts API allows you to get the transcript/subtitles for a given YouTube video. It uses /api/v1/search?engine=youtube_transcripts API endpoint to scrape real-time search results.

API Parameters

Search Query

  • Name
    video_id
    Required
    Required
    Description

    Parameter defines the video_id you want to search. You can find these values in JSON responses in YouTube engine or in YouTube page that appears in URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=video_id.

Localization

  • Name
    lang
    Required
    Optional
    Description

    The parameter en sets the default language for transcripts. While a variety of languages are supported, often only a few are available. Review the list of known supported YouTube Transcript languages.

Filters

  • Name
    transcript_type
    Required
    Optional
    Description

    Defines the transcript preference when both auto-generated and manually uploaded transcripts are available.

    • auto - Prioritize YouTube's auto-generated transcript.
    • manual - Prioritize user-uploaded transcript.

Engine

  • Name
    engine
    Required
    Required
    Description

    Parameter defines an engine that will be used to retrieve real-time data. Current engine - youtube_transcripts.

API key

  • Name
    api_key
    Required
    Required
    Description

    The api_key authenticates your requests. Use it as a query parameter (https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?api_key=YOUR_API_KEY) or in the Authorization header (Bearer YOUR_API_KEY).

API Examples

Full Response

Full Response
GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=youtube_transcripts&video_id=0e3GPea1Tyg
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_transcripts",
  "video_id": "0e3GPea1Tyg"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "search_metadata": {
    "id": "search_xRvzEGkNolVqF6MLpj4Q9WJb",
    "status": "Success",
    "created_at": "2023-09-15T13:59:31Z",
    "request_time_taken": 1.79,
    "parsing_time_taken": 0.01,
    "total_time_taken": 1.8,
    "request_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e3GPea1Tyg",
    "html_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_xRvzEGkNolVqF6MLpj4Q9WJb.html",
    "json_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_xRvzEGkNolVqF6MLpj4Q9WJb"
  },
  "search_parameters": {
    "engine": "youtube_transcripts",
    "video_id": "0e3GPea1Tyg",
    "lang": "en"
  },
  "transcripts": [
    {
      "text": "- [Mr. Beast] I've recreated every single set",
      "start": 0.15,
      "duration": 1.773
    },
    {
      "text": "from Squid Game in real life,",
      "start": 1.923,
      "duration": 1.857
    },
    {
      "text": "and whichever one of these 456 people survives the longest,",
      "start": 3.78,
      "duration": 3.6
    },
    {
      "text": "wins 456 grand.",
      "start": 7.38,
      "duration": 2.1
    },
    {
      "text": "(contestants cheering)",
      "start": 9.48,
      "duration": 1.38
    },
    {
      "text": "The first game we're gonna play is red light, green light.",
      "start": 10.86,
      "duration": 2.37
    },
    ...
  ],
  "available_languages": [
    {
      "name": "Arabic",
      "lang": "ar"
    },
    {
      "name": "Chinese (Traditional)",
      "lang": "zh-Hant"
    },
    {
      "name": "Czech",
      "lang": "cs"
    },
    {
      "name": "English",
      "lang": "en"
    },
    {
      "name": "English (auto-generated)",
      "lang": "en"
    },
    ...
  ],
}

Transcripts Available in Other Languages

If the selected language is not available, the API will return available_languages with the list of options. You can then retry and use the language parameter to get the transcript in the desired language.

GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=youtube_transcripts&lang=hi&video_id=MVYrJJNdrEg
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_transcripts",
  "video_id": "MVYrJJNdrEg",
  "lang": "hi"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  ...,
  "search_parameters": {
    "engine": "youtube_transcripts",
    "video_id": "MVYrJJNdrEg",
    "lang": "hi"
  },
  "available_languages": [
    {
      "name": "English (auto-generated)",
      "lang": "en"
    },
    {
      "name": "English (United States)",
      "lang": "en-US"
    }
  ],
  "error": "Selected language hasn't been transcribed. Check `available_languages`."
}