Does YouTube have an API?
Yes — YouTube Data API v3 from Google, with API key or OAuth and quota measured in units. Public-data APIs like Social Fetch return channel, video, comment, and search JSON on flat per-request credits, no Google Cloud project.
What YouTube Data API v3 actually covers
First-party API for channel/video metadata, playlists, comments, search — plus uploads, channel management, and owner analytics with OAuth and sometimes app verification.
Public reads (channels.list, videos.list, search.list, commentThreads.list) work with an API key. Owner-scoped actions need OAuth from that channel owner.
The quota model, and why it bites
Usage is in units, not request counts — search.list commonly ~100 units against a default ~10,000/day. Naive search polling can exhaust a day's budget in hours.
Raising quota needs a Google Cloud audit request, not just buying a higher tier.
What it takes to get meaningful access
Google Cloud project, API enabled, API key or OAuth credentials — quota increase or verification for upload scopes or higher limits.
Reasonable for creator tools built on YouTube; overhead for one-off enrichment or agent lookups without a Cloud project.
What a public-data API adds on top
Social Fetch includes YouTube in the 21-platform catalog (165 ops) with the same { data, meta } envelope. Channels, videos, Shorts, playlists, comments, search, transcripts.
One sfk_… key via x-api-key — flat per-lookup credits on meta.creditsCharged, no unit table to memorize.
A concrete example
Channel lookup by handle → channelId, title, subscriberCount, thumbnails in data; transcript route → plainText + segments when captions exist (1 credit), not_found when none.
YouTube Data API can do similar via channels.list — but you spend units, watch daily budget, and normalize if you also pull TikTok/Instagram.
Common mistakes, and what Social Fetch doesn't do
Myth: no public API or OAuth for everything — public reads work with API key. Opposite mistake: quota throttles — exhausted budget fails calls until reset.
Social Fetch: public channels/videos only — no upload, private analytics, or owner login. That needs YouTube Data API OAuth.
FAQ
Does YouTube have a free API?
Yes up to project daily quota (~10,000 units/day commonly default). Social Fetch is separate paid public-data with flat credits.
What are YouTube API quota limits?
Units not request counts. search.list ~100 units/call; daily budget often ~10,000. Exceeding fails until reset unless Google approves increase.
Is Social Fetch the same as YouTube Data API?
No. Social Fetch: third-party, flat credits, no Cloud project. YouTube Data API: official, unit quotas, OAuth for owner scopes.
Do I need a Google Cloud project to get YouTube data?
Only for YouTube Data API directly. Social Fetch returns normalized JSON over sfk_… key.
Can I get any public channel without OAuth?
Yes for public read data on both paths. OAuth only for owner-scoped endpoints.
Do YouTube lookups cost credits on Social Fetch?
Yes on metered routes. Transcript documented at 1 credit. lookup_failed and 503 don't charge.
Where are Social Fetch's YouTube routes documented?
/platforms/youtube, /docs/api, /tools for smoke tests.