Logo SearchApi

YouTube Video API Documentation

The YouTube Video API offers developers access to YouTube video information. It allows scraping video metadata such as titles, descriptions, view counts, likes, and more, using the /api/v1/search?engine=youtube_video endpoint.

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
    gl
    Required
    Optional
    Description

    The default parameter us defines the country of the search. Check the full list of supported YouTube gl countries.

  • Name
    hl
    Required
    Optional
    Description

    The default parameter en defines the interface language of the search. Check the full list of supported YouTube hl languages.

Engine

  • Name
    engine
    Required
    Required
    Description

    Parameter defines the engine that will be used to retrieve real-time data. To retrieve YouTube video details, it must be set to youtube_video.

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_video&video_id=RcYjXbSJBN8
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_video",
  "video_id": "RcYjXbSJBN8"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "search_metadata": {
    "id": "search_ZD40AeqmorqVs15gkyw25lR8",
    "status": "Success",
    "created_at": "2024-02-12T16:24:01Z",
    "request_time_taken": 1.41,
    "parsing_time_taken": 0.02,
    "total_time_taken": 1.43,
    "request_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcYjXbSJBN8",
    "html_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_ZD40AeqmorqVs15gkyw25lR8.html",
    "json_url": "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/searches/search_ZD40AeqmorqVs15gkyw25lR8"
  },
  "search_parameters": {
    "engine": "youtube_video",
    "video_id": "RcYjXbSJBN8"
  },
  "video": {
    "id": "RcYjXbSJBN8",
    "title": "Joe Rogan Experience #1470 - Elon Musk",
    "length_seconds": 7209,
    "views": 33064421,
    "likes": 611000,
    "author": "PowerfulJRE",
    "category": "People & Blogs",
    "published_time": "May 7, 2020",
    "description": "Elon Musk is a business magnet, entrepreneur and engineer.",
    "keywords": [
      "Joe Rogan Experience",
      ...
    ],
    "is_family_safe": true,
    "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RcYjXbSJBN8/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCNACELwBSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLAMtuVD13MLfs3OQzeLNz7sOKFKmA",
    "formats": [
      {
        "itag": 137,
        "mime_type": "video/mp4; codecs=\"avc1.640028\"",
        "bitrate": 2356878,
        "width": 1920,
        "height": 1080,
        "last_modified_unix": "1698285206906238",
        "last_modified": "2023-10-26 01:53:26 UTC",
        "content_length": "1070488138",
        "quality": "hd1080",
        "fps": 30,
        "quality_label": "1080p",
        "projection_type": "RECTANGULAR"
      },
      ...
    ]
  },
  "channel": {
    "id": "UCzQUP1qoWDoEbmsQxvdjxgQ",
    "name": "PowerfulJRE",
    "link": "http://www.youtube.com/@joerogan",
    "subscribers": 16100000,
    "featured_channel": {
      "id": "UCzQUP1qoWDoEbmsQxvdjxgQ",
      "name": "PowerfulJRE",
      "link": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQUP1qoWDoEbmsQxvdjxgQ"
    },
    "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIf8zZQeMugPC9V7YtS8-B6j7b0pF4lkgEIHHFJ5yB1W0A=s176-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
  },
  "comment": {
    "total": 92000,
    "teaser_avatar": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIf8zZSyOM0tTulbXgCxFv49btxe7m5261fBLWAgrw=s176-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj",
    "teaser_name": "Korbyn Johnson",
    "teaser_text": "Elon Musk CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and “Yeah, for sure”."
  },
  "key_moments": [
    {
      "title": "Essential Elements of an Ai Neural Net",
      "start_seconds": 250,
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RcYjXbSJBN8/hqdefault_278066.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCNACELwBSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLCM_fH9pDF6URipNUwUjqAb1ysouw"
    },
    ...
  ],
  "available_transcripts_languages": [
    {
      "name": "English (auto-generated)",
      "lang": "en"
    }
  ],
  "recommended_videos": {
    "videos": [
      {
        "position": 1,
        "id": "JN3KPFbWCy8",
        "title": "Elon Musk: War, AI, Aliens, Politics, Physics, Video Games, and Humanity | Lex Fridman Podcast #400",
        "link": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN3KPFbWCy8",
        "views": 8306214,
        "channel": {
          "id": "UCSHZKyawb77ixDdsGog4iWA",
          "title": "Lex Fridman",
          "link": "https://www.youtube.com/@lexfridman",
          "is_verified": true,
          "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIf8zZRPXFF1l1EPjxogHsozet1vHM_hPaiqWCkKI8cJCG0=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
        },
        "length": "2:16:47",
        "published_time": "3 months ago",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIf8zZRPXFF1l1EPjxogHsozet1vHM_hPaiqWCkKI8cJCG0=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      ...
    ]
  }
}

Video & Channel

Video & Channel
GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=youtube_video&video_id=mBoX_JCKZTE
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_video",
  "video_id": "mBoX_JCKZTE"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "video": {
    "id": "rfscVS0vtbw",
    "title": "Learn Python - Full Course for Beginners [Tutorial]",
    "length_seconds": 16012,
    "views": 43187199,
    "likes": 1000000,
    "author": "freeCodeCamp.org",
    "category": "Education",
    "published_time": "Jul 11, 2018",
    "description": "This course will give you a full introduction into all of the core concepts in python. Follow along with...",
    "keywords": [
      "python",
      ...
    ],
    "is_family_safe": true,
    "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rfscVS0vtbw/maxresdefault.jpg",
    "formats": [
      {
        "itag": 136,
        "mime_type": "video/mp4; codecs=\"avc1.4d401f\"",
        "bitrate": 889708,
        "width": 1280,
        "height": 720,
        "last_modified_unix": "1697291303745621",
        "last_modified": "2023-10-14 13:48:23 UTC",
        "content_length": "166424058",
        "quality": "hd720",
        "fps": 30,
        "quality_label": "720p",
        "projection_type": "RECTANGULAR"
      },
      ...
    ]
  },
  "channel": {
    "id": "UC8butISFwT-Wl7EV0hUK0BQ",
    "name": "freeCodeCamp.org",
    "link": "http://www.youtube.com/@freecodecamp",
    "subscribers": 9060000,
    "featured_channel": {
      "id": "UC8butISFwT-Wl7EV0hUK0BQ",
      "name": "freeCodeCamp.org",
      "link": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8butISFwT-Wl7EV0hUK0BQ"
    },
    "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIf8zZTDkajQxPa4sjDOW-c3er1szXkSAO-H9TiF4-8u_Q=s176-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
  }
}

Recommended Videos

Recommended Videos
GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=youtube_video&video_id=qiMcXzfm9Mg
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_video",
  "video_id": "qiMcXzfm9Mg"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "recommended_videos": {
    "videos": [
      {
        "position": 1,
        "id": "Y8oAFBLaSpc",
        "title": "Mozart | Requiem",
        "link": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8oAFBLaSpc",
        "views": 1337464,
        "channel": {
          "id": "UC7blx1NmDfturiNHJtV9cHA",
          "title": "Crying Piano",
          "link": "https://www.youtube.com/@cryingPian0",
          "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIf8zZQtIhLGKhOSJIlmO4uojbqXLMLR6WUccuDp7V6L=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
        },
        "length": "52:00",
        "published_time": "1 year ago",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIf8zZQtIhLGKhOSJIlmO4uojbqXLMLR6WUccuDp7V6L=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      ...
    ],
    "playlists": [
      {
        "position": 14,
        "id": "RDqiMcXzfm9Mg",
        "title": "Mix - Mozart- Requiem In D Minor, K 626 - Requiem",
        "link": "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=RDqiMcXzfm9Mg",
        "video_count": 50,
        "description": "Antonio Vivaldi, Franz Schubert, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and more",
        "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qiMcXzfm9Mg/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEwCKgBEF5IWvKriqkDIwgBFQAAiEIYAfABAfgB_gSAAuADigIMCAAQARh_IC8oEzAP&rs=AOn4CLCKP9afD3RYCmLeZhuBslF3qctMmA"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Merchant Items

Merchant Items
GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=youtube_video&video_id=krsBRQbOPQ4
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_video",
  "video_id": "krsBRQbOPQ4"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "merchant_items": [
    {
      "title": "Milk Chocolate",
      "link": "https://feastables.com/products/milk-chocolate?variant=48735276433568&currency=USD&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOopcpXHMDE5F6IzhpCh6Giy6tRMaSfGDbnwcq1DyNS9a_v5HAgISGxo&utm_term=UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA&utm_medium=product_shelf&utm_source=youtube&utm_content=YT-APM2gMCDdXQUgS4S3sJbCOvqPPjv8F6Znl_Rpnexn3o5ty1BbztbSQwy9IxzZR3CJe2UXKOEqRTRvrDwe-3GOCL59erHJExqbzW8MM9ugBj3t59_Sik3Eh854hY54_DbAVA2K1iGannoYPZeIgKLHiFhcs8PKDHeadVttQxcfMNYs96DJFDI",
      "description": "Tastes like a glass of chocolate milk A burst of velvety chocolate texture Deliciously creamy Simple ingredients! Perfect ratio of sweetness and cocoa",
      "price": "$29.99",
      "extracted_price": 29.99,
      "seller": "Feastables",
      "availability": "Out of stock",
      "thumbnail": "https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcQn76pJa2nmqheo23Zpffz9MyWsNAEs26rfFVk_S6P5PMGRiVZFuVmJE01T61HhskVxX-co6twF"
    },
    ...
  ]
}

Chapters

Chapters
GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=youtube_video&video_id=rfscVS0vtbw
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_video",
  "video_id": "rfscVS0vtbw"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "chapters": [
    {
      "title": "Part 1 - Scrapy & Course Introduction",
      "timestamp": "0:00",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mBoX_JCKZTE/hqdefault_13266.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEjCNACELwBSFryq4qpAxUIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJDeAE=&rs=AOn4CLBJJYMzzidudIoYqa3zewb6w3WUng"
    },
    ...
  ]
}

Key Moments

Key Moments
GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=youtube_video&video_id=G2fqAlgmoPo
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_video",
  "video_id": "G2fqAlgmoPo"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "key_moments": [
    {
      "title": "Hallucinations",
      "start_seconds": 854,
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G2fqAlgmoPo/hqdefault_859000.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEjCNACELwBSFryq4qpAxUIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJDeAE=&rs=AOn4CLB3r_4bANLNZV2sOWZeTw6v78aS2w"
    },
    ...
  ]
}

Context

Context

Context panels are a feature implemented to provide users with reliable background information on topics susceptible to misinformation, such as the moon landing. These panels appear at the top of search results or beneath videos related to such topics.

They offer basic facts sourced from independent, third-party partners, improving the context around the subject matter. Additionally, these panels include links to the websites of the third-party partners for users seeking further details.

It's important to note that information panels are displayed irrespective of the opinions or viewpoints presented in a video. However, their availability may vary across different countries, regions, and languages.

GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=youtube_video&video_id=BEWz4SXfyCQ
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_video",
  "video_id": "BEWz4SXfyCQ"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "context": {
    "title": "Area 51",
    "link": "https://www.britannica.com/place/Area-51",
    "source": "Encyclopedia Britannica",
    "snippet": "Area 51, secret U.S. Air Force military installation located at ...",
    "thumbnail": "https://www.gstatic.com/youtube/img/information_panels/Area_51-EB.png"
  }
}

Available Transcripts Languages

Available Transcripts Languages

The available_transcripts_languages key provides lang values, which are used in the YouTube Transcripts API to retrieve video transcripts in the chosen language.

GET
https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search?engine=youtube_video&video_id=tnTPaLOaHz8
Request
import requests

url = "https://www.searchapi.io/api/v1/search"
params = {
  "engine": "youtube_video",
  "video_id": "tnTPaLOaHz8"
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)
print(response.text)
Response
{
  "available_transcripts_languages": [
    {
      "name": "Arabic",
      "lang": "ar"
    },
    ...
  ]
}