> **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 YouTube transcript API? A YouTube transcript API takes a public video URL and returns caption text as structured JSON. Social Fetch: GET /v1/youtube/videos/transcript — on found, data.transcript.plainText and data.transcript.segments (text, startMs, endMs). ## What the response actually contains Pass watch, youtu.be, or Shorts URL as url. Optional language (ISO 639-1, e.g. en) prefers that track. Returns { data, meta } with lookupStatus plus transcript when found. Check data.lookupStatus before transcript fields — 200 alone doesn't mean text arrived. found → plainText + segments; not_found → no caption track. ## What it costs and what it doesn't do 1 credit per successful request — meta.creditsCharged is source of truth. found and not_found both bill; lookup_failed and 503 don't. Reads existing caption tracks only — no speech-to-text. No captions → lookupStatus not_found. ## When teams reach for this RAG/search indexes, brand-safety scans, repurposing tools that need spoken words or cue timestamps. Try /tools/youtube-transcript once, then API with x-api-key for batch jobs. Same YouTube tag and key as other routes. ## How this compares to other ways of getting a transcript Community scrapers: free but break without warning. YouTube Data API: no arbitrary public caption text without uploader OAuth. Social Fetch: stable typed response, metered by credit. TikTok transcript shares lookupStatus but returns WebVTT with optional useAiFallback — YouTube has no AI fallback. ## Common mistakes language param prefers a track — doesn't translate. Missing language → not_found or another available track. Retrying not_found — billed again, won't create captions. Expecting speech-to-text from audio — this endpoint reads existing tracks only. ## FAQ ### How do I get a YouTube transcript via API? GET /v1/youtube/videos/transcript with x-api-key and url param. Check lookupStatus, read plainText or segments. ### Does the YouTube transcript API need an API key? Yes — x-api-key on REST/SDK, or OAuth via hosted MCP. No anonymous access. ### Is this the same as the free YouTube transcript tool? /tools/youtube-transcript runs the same lookup for manual use. Production/batch → API with your key. ### How much does the YouTube transcript endpoint cost? 1 credit per successful request (found or not_found). lookup_failed and 503 don't charge. ### Can I request a transcript in a specific language? Optional language as ISO 639-1 — prefers that track if it exists. No translation. ### Does this work on any YouTube video, or only ones I own? Any public video with an existing caption track — no uploader auth required. ### Does it generate captions if a video has none? No — reads existing tracks only. No captions → not_found. ### How is this different from Social Fetch's TikTok transcript API? Same lookupStatus envelope. YouTube: plainText + segments from existing captions only. TikTok: WebVTT + optional useAiFallback. ## Related - [YouTube transcript endpoint](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/youtube/videos-transcript) - [YouTube transcript tool](https://www.socialfetch.dev/tools/youtube-transcript) - [YouTube platform hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/platforms/youtube) - [TikTok transcript API](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/tiktok-transcript-api) - [Does YouTube have an API?](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/does-youtube-have-an-api) - [Lookup status](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/lookup-status) - [Pricing](https://www.socialfetch.dev/pricing) - [Unified schema](https://www.socialfetch.dev/glossary/unified-schema)