> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one page from the Social Fetch docs (markdown export). The sections below mirror the orientation block in [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); use [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) when you need a structured operation inventory. The catalog covers documented operations with on-site reference pages.

## This page

- **On-site (HTML):** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/youtube/videos/transcript/get](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/youtube/videos/transcript/get)
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/youtube/videos/transcript/get.mdx](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/youtube/videos/transcript/get.mdx)

## API base URL and authentication

- **API origin (from OpenAPI `servers`):** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`
- **Authentication:** send `x-api-key: sfk_...` on `/v1/**` routes unless the operation is explicitly anonymous (check OpenAPI `security`, the [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx), [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt), or [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) for each route).
- **OpenAPI JSON:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/openapi.json](https://www.socialfetch.dev/openapi.json)

## Recommended docs entrypoints (this site)

- [Documentation overview](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs.mdx) — top-level orientation (markdown).
- [Quickstart](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/quickstart.mdx) — authenticate with `x-api-key`, validate auth with `whoami`, and understand the JSON envelope.
- [SDK](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk.mdx) — official TypeScript SDK guide, including `SocialFetchClient`, `Result`, and `unwrap()`.
- [SDK reference](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk-reference.mdx) — exhaustive SDK method inventory and route mapping for agents, tooling, and power users.
- [Choose the right endpoint](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/choose-endpoint.mdx) — task-oriented route selection for smoke tests, profiles, list endpoints, and single-item lookups.
- [Capability matrix](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/capability-matrix.mdx) — fast comparison of identifiers, pagination, outcomes, media download, and SDK coverage.
- [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) — structured machine-readable operation inventory with parameter names, pagination, outcomes, credits, and SDK mapping.
- [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx) — human-friendly index of operations with links into generated pages.
- [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) — shared error envelope and HTTP status guidance.
- [Credits](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/credits.mdx) — metering, `402`, and planning batch jobs.
- Outcome semantics such as `found`, `not_found`, and `private` are documented in [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) and on operation pages when present in the OpenAPI contract.

## Markdown docs convention

- Every docs page has a markdown twin: append **`.mdx`** to the docs pathname (for example `/docs/quickstart` → `/docs/quickstart.mdx`).
- Agents that send `Accept: text/markdown` on `/docs/**` HTML URLs may receive markdown directly (same URL, `Vary: Accept`).

---
# Get YouTube video transcript (https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/youtube/videos/transcript/get)

## Summary

Returns structured captions for a YouTube video when available. Pass `url` as a standard watch link (or equivalent). Optional `language` requests a preferred caption language when multiple tracks exist.

**Tags:** `YouTube`

## HTTP

- **Method:** GET
- **Path:** `/v1/youtube/videos/transcript`
- **Base URL:** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`

## Capability summary

- **SDK mapping:** `client.youtube.getVideoTranscript({ url, language? })`
- **Accepted identifiers:** `url` (query)
- **Pagination:** none
- **Business outcome field:** `data.lookupStatus` with values `found`, `not_found`, `lookup_failed`

## Credits

- **Base:** 1 credit per successful lookup.
- **Maximum on success (200):** 1 credit.
- **Authoritative field:** `meta.creditsCharged`.

## Authentication

- **`x-api-key`**: API key (`sfk_...`)

## Parameters

### `url` (query)

- **Required:** yes
- **Constraints:** type `string`; minLength: 1; maxLength: 4096
- **Description:** Link to the YouTube video whose transcript should be returned.

### `language` (query)

- **Required:** no
- **Constraints:** type `string`; minLength: 2; maxLength: 2
- **Description:** Optional ISO 639-1 language code (two letters) to prefer when multiple transcripts exist.

## Responses (status codes)

- **200**: Transcript lookup result. Inspect `data.lookupStatus` for found, not found, or lookup_failed.
- **400**: Invalid request
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key
- **402**: Insufficient credits
- **500**: Unexpected or billing error
- **502**: Lookup could not be completed from the response (unexpected or invalid data).
- **503**: Service temporarily unavailable; safe to retry with backoff.

## Response body (200)

Transcript lookup result. Inspect `data.lookupStatus` for found, not found, or lookup_failed.

### Field outline

- **data** (required) — type `object`. Endpoint-specific response payload.
  - **lookupStatus** (required) — type `string`; enum: found, not_found, lookup_failed. Outcome of the transcript lookup: resolved video, not found, or lookup could not be completed.
  - **video** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Video identity when the lookup resolved.
    - **id** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. YouTube video id.
    - **url** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Canonical public URL for the video.
  - **transcript** (required) — type `object`; nullable. Transcript content when available for the resolved video.
    - **segments** (required) — type `array`. Timed transcript segments.
      - _items:_
        - **text** (required) — type `string`. Transcript segment text.
        - **startMs** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Segment start offset in milliseconds.
        - **endMs** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Segment end offset in milliseconds.
    - **plainText** (required) — type `string`. Full transcript text, typically derived from captions.
    - **language** (required) — type `string`. Human-readable transcript language label when reported by the lookup.
- **meta** (required) — type `object`. Metadata describing the request and billing outcome.
  - **requestId** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Unique request identifier for tracing this API call.
  - **creditsCharged** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Credits charged for this request.
  - **version** (required) — type `string`; enum: v1. Public API version that served the response.

### Example JSON (found)

```json
{
  "data": {
    "lookupStatus": "found",
    "video": {
      "id": "ByGJQzlzxQg",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByGJQzlzxQg"
    },
    "transcript": {
      "segments": [
        {
          "text": "Example segment.",
          "startMs": 0,
          "endMs": 5940
        }
      ],
      "plainText": "Example segment.",
      "language": "English"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_01example",
    "creditsCharged": 1,
    "version": "v1"
  }
}
```

### Example JSON (not_found)

```json
{
  "data": {
    "lookupStatus": "not_found",
    "video": null,
    "transcript": null
  },
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_01example_nf",
    "creditsCharged": 1,
    "version": "v1"
  }
}
```

### Example JSON (no_transcript)

```json
{
  "data": {
    "lookupStatus": "found",
    "video": {
      "id": "1JPwiLeo4WY",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JPwiLeo4WY"
    },
    "transcript": null
  },
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_01example_null",
    "creditsCharged": 1,
    "version": "v1"
  }
}
```

### Example JSON (lookup_failed)

```json
{
  "data": {
    "lookupStatus": "lookup_failed",
    "video": null,
    "transcript": null
  },
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_01example_lf",
    "creditsCharged": 1,
    "version": "v1"
  }
}
```

### Machine-readable error codes

When an error JSON body is returned, it may include one of these `error.code` values (derived from the OpenAPI schemas for this operation; additional codes may exist at runtime):

- `bad_request`

## Error handling & retries

Interpret HTTP status codes using the descriptions below. Do not assume a JSON body unless the OpenAPI schema defines one for that status.

- **400**: Invalid request **Retry:** Fix the request; retrying the same invalid payload will not help.
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key **Retry:** Fix the API key first; retrying without changes will not help.
- **402**: Insufficient credits **Retry:** Do not retry without resolving billing/credits (retrying the same request will not help).
- **500**: Unexpected or billing error
- **502**: Lookup could not be completed from the response (unexpected or invalid data). **Retry:** May be transient; a few retries with backoff are reasonable.
- **503**: Service temporarily unavailable; safe to retry with backoff. **Retry:** Usually safe to retry with exponential backoff and jitter.

### Suggested client defaults

- Send the API key using the `x-api-key` header on every request.
- On `503` (and sometimes `502`), retry with backoff; cap retries and surface a clear error to the user.
- On `402`, surface an actionable billing message rather than blind retries.

## Examples

### TypeScript SDK

```typescript
import { SocialFetchClient } from "@socialfetch/sdk";

const client = new SocialFetchClient({
  apiKey: process.env.SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY!,
});

const result = await client.youtube.getVideoTranscript({
  url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
});

if (!result.ok) {
  console.error(result.error);
} else {
  console.log(result.value.data);
}
```

### Node.js

```javascript
const response = await fetch(
  "https://api.socialfetch.dev/v1/youtube/videos/transcript?url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  {
    headers: {
      "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    }
  }
);

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);
```

### cURL

```bash
curl "https://api.socialfetch.dev/v1/youtube/videos/transcript?url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

### Python

```python
import requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.socialfetch.dev/v1/youtube/videos/transcript?url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
    headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)
data = response.json()
print(data)
```