YouTube

GET /v1/youtube/search

YouTube Search API

Search YouTube programmatically and get structured, ranked results.

TL;DR

The YouTube Search API (YouTube) returns search YouTube programmatically and get structured, ranked results. It's a single authenticated GET request to /v1/youtube/search that responds with clean JSON, costs 20 credits, and is cached for 24 hours (repeat calls are free). Start with 100 free credits — no credit card.

What is the YouTube Search API?

The YouTube Search API lets you search and return matching results from YouTube with a single REST call. No OAuth, no scraping infrastructure, and no platform SDKs — send the URL, get clean structured JSON back. Results are cached for 24 hours, so repeat lookups are instant and free.

What you get

Ranked, structured result list
Title, URL, author, and thumbnail per result
Engagement metrics where available
Configurable result limit

Try it

Fill in the parameters below and copy a ready-to-run request in your language of choice.

Parameters

q*stringSearch query or keywords (min 2 characters).limitoptionalintegerMax items to return (default 20, max 200). Billed per result.

API keyoptionalPaste your key to get a ready-to-run snippet. It stays in your browser.

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/youtube/search?q=structured%20data%20api" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."

Edit the parameters and the code updates instantly. Switch languages and hit copy.

Example response

{
  "success": true,
  "cached": false,
  "creditsUsed": 20,
  "data": {
    "query": "lofi hip hop",
    "totalReturned": 10,
    "results": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLeZyIID9Bo&list=RDCLeZyIID9Bo&start_radio=1",
        "title": "Chill Lofi Mix [chill lo-fi hip hop beats]",
        "channelName": "Settle",
        "viewCount": 33459572,
        "publishedAt": "2022-08-12T11:30:07.000Z",
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CLeZyIID9Bo/maxresdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCIAKENAF8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-CYAC0AWKAgwIABABGEMgZChlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDIwJBf3enz-v4OqrWuTikp5Wk7KA",
        "durationSeconds": null
      },
      {
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYwhisrQ-po&list=RDUYwhisrQ-po&start_radio=1",
        "title": "Work Lofi for Productivity & Focus - Smooth lofi hiphop/ neo soul beats",
        "channelName": "A Lofi Soul",
        "viewCount": 856339,
        "publishedAt": "2024-08-20T12:00:35.000Z",
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UYwhisrQ-po/maxresdefault.jpg",
        "durationSeconds": null
      }
    ]
  }
}

Response structure

A successful call returns success, cached, creditsUsed, and a data object with the following fields:

Result

totalNumber of results returned.

Each result

Each item in results contains:

titleResult title.
urlDirect URL to the content.
authorCreator handle.
viewsView count where available.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
q	string	Yes	Search query or keywords (min 2 characters).
limit	integer	No	Max items to return (default 20, max 200). Billed per result.

Authentication: send your key as Authorization: Bearer capt_live_.... A typical call costs 20 credits — billed per result, so the exact amount scales with how many items you request. Repeat calls for the same request are served from cache for free (metrics refresh within ~1 hour).

Using an AI agent? This endpoint is the MCP tool youtube_search via @captapi/mcp. Set it up →

How it works

1. Sign up — get 100 free credits, no card required.
2. Create a key from your dashboard.
3. Send one request to /v1/youtube/search and parse the JSON response.

Use cases

Trend Discovery

Find trending content by keyword or hashtag.

Content Sourcing

Build feeds and playlists programmatically.

Monitoring

Track topics, brands, and competitors.

Research

Sample large sets of content for analysis.

Frequently asked questions

What does the YouTube Search API do?+

The YouTube Search API lets you search and return matching results from a public YouTube query using one GET request to /v1/youtube/search. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or scraping setup required.

How many credits does the YouTube Search API cost?+

Each successful call costs 20 credits. Responses are cached for 24 hours, and cached results cost 0 credits. Failed or empty results are never charged.

Do I need a YouTube API key or OAuth?+

No. A single Captapi key works across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.

Is the YouTube Search API suitable for production use?+

Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON, automatic retries, and a shared 24-hour cache. Use it for RAG pipelines, analytics, monitoring, and content automation.

More YouTube APIs

YouTube Transcript API YouTube Summarizer API YouTube Video Details API YouTube Comments API YouTube Channel Details API YouTube Channel Videos API

Ready to use the YouTube Search API?

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