> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one Social Fetch marketing page (markdown export). For API orientation start with [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); for auth and crawl rules use [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt); for every operation use [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt). ## This page - **On-site (HTML):** - **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** --- # What is a TikTok transcript API? A TikTok transcript API takes a public video URL and returns spoken or captioned text as structured data. Social Fetch: GET /v1/tiktok/videos/transcript — WebVTT in data.transcript.content when a caption track exists, optional useAiFallback for videos without one. ## What the response actually contains Pass public video URL (/@user/video/… or vm.tiktok.com). Returns { data, meta } with lookupStatus plus transcript when found. Check lookupStatus first. found → WebVTT in data.transcript.content. not_found → no caption and no fallback unless opted in. Photo carousels → transcript_target_not_video. ## The AI fallback, and why it's TikTok-specific Most TikTok clips lack native captions. Optional useAiFallback=true runs speech-to-text when no caption track exists. YouTube transcript endpoint has no equivalent — captions only. Leave fallback off for compliance scans that care about creator-added captions; turn on when you need spoken words regardless. ## What it costs 1 credit base for an existing caption track. With useAiFallback, +10 (11 total) only when AI transcribed the audio; caption reads and empty results stay at 1. allowLongTranscription lifts the 2-minute AI limit at 10 credits per started minute. Check meta.creditsCharged. found and not_found bill; lookup_failed and 503 don't. Retry only the latter. ## When teams reach for this RAG pipelines, brand-safety scans, repurposing tools needing WebVTT cue timing. Try /tools/tiktok-transcript (plain text, no WebVTT or useAiFallback) then API for production. ## Common mistakes Retrying not_found without useAiFallback — same billed answer. Use useAiFallback=true if you need text anyway. Photo carousel URLs → transcript_target_not_video, not lookupStatus. data.transcript.content is WebVTT for caption tracks (format: webvtt) and plain text for AI transcripts (format: text). Branch on format before parsing timestamps. ## How this compares to other ways of getting a TikTok transcript Unofficial scrapers: free, break often, no speech-to-text fallback. TikTok publishes no public transcript API. YouTube endpoint: same lookupStatus pattern, plainText + segments, no AI fallback. ## FAQ ### How do I get a TikTok transcript via API? GET /v1/tiktok/videos/transcript with x-api-key and url. Check lookupStatus, read WebVTT in data.transcript.content. ### Does the TikTok transcript API support videos without captions? Yes with useAiFallback=true — speech-to-text when no caption track. Without it → not_found. ### Does it always return captions? No. Most clips have no native track. useAiFallback generates from audio at added credit cost. ### What URL formats work? Public video URLs including vm.tiktok.com. Carousels → transcript_target_not_video. ### How much does the TikTok transcript endpoint cost? 1 credit for a caption read. useAiFallback adds 10 only when AI produced the transcript (11 total). found/not_found bill the base; lookup_failed/503 don't. ### Is this the same shape as YouTube transcripts? Same lookupStatus envelope. TikTok: WebVTT + useAiFallback. YouTube: plainText + segments, no fallback. ### Is there a free way to try the TikTok transcript API? /tools/tiktok-transcript — Turnstile-gated, plain text only, no useAiFallback. ### Can I get transcript text with timestamps for clipping? Yes via API — WebVTT carries per-cue timestamps. Free tool is plain text only. ## Related - [TikTok transcript API guide](https://www.socialfetch.dev/blog/tiktok-transcript-api) - [TikTok transcript endpoint](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/tiktok/videos-transcript) - [TikTok transcript tool](https://www.socialfetch.dev/tools/tiktok-transcript) - [TikTok platform hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/tiktok) - [YouTube transcript API](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/youtube-transcript-api) - [Does TikTok have an API?](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/does-tiktok-have-an-api) - [Lookup status](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/lookup-status) - [API credits](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/api-credits) - [Pricing](https://www.socialfetch.dev/pricing)