YouTube

GET /v1/youtube/shorts/summarize

YouTube Shorts Summarizer API

Turn any YouTube video into an AI summary with key points, topics, and sentiment.

TL;DR

The YouTube Shorts Summarizer API (YouTube) returns turn any YouTube video into an AI summary with key points, topics, and sentiment. It's a single authenticated GET request to /v1/youtube/shorts/summarize that responds with clean JSON, costs 4 credits, and is cached for 24 hours (repeat calls are free). Start with 100 free credits — no credit card.

What is the YouTube Shorts Summarizer API?

The YouTube Shorts Summarizer API lets you generate an AI summary with key points and topics 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

2–3 paragraph AI summary of the video
4–8 bullet key points and detected topics
Overall sentiment and tone
Powered by the transcript under the hood

Try it

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

Parameters

url*stringPublic YouTube Shorts URL, e.g. https://youtube.com/shorts/ID.languageoptionalstringPreferred caption language as an ISO code, e.g. "en". Defaults to auto-detect.

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

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/youtube/shorts/summarize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdQw4w9WgXcQ" \
  -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": 4,
  "data": {
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXVHmGoCTco",
    "videoId": "DXVHmGoCTco",
    "title": null,
    "summary": "In an intense and entertaining competition, 50 of the biggest streamers are trapped in a cube, competing for a chance to win a million dollars. The challenges range from paintball elimination rounds to blindfolded games involving a Lamborghini, and eventually culminate in a series of strategic video game battles. Throughout the competition, alliances form and rivalries ignite as streamers navigate the high-stakes environment, showcasing their gaming skills and personalities.  ...",
    "keyPoints": [
      "50 top streamers are locked in a cube competing for a million dollars.",
      "Challenges include paintball elimination, blindfolded Lamborghini competition, and Fortnite battles."
    ],
    "topics": [
      "streamers",
      "competition"
    ],
    "sentiment": "positive"
  }
}

Response structure

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

Summary

summaryAI-generated summary of the video (2–3 paragraphs).
sentimentOverall tone of the content (positive, neutral, negative).

Structured output

keyPointsArray of the most important takeaways.
topicsArray of detected topics and themes.

Parameters

Name	Type	Required	Description
url	string	Yes	Public YouTube Shorts URL, e.g. https://youtube.com/shorts/ID.
language	string	No	Preferred caption language as an ISO code, e.g. "en". Defaults to auto-detect.

Authentication: send your key as Authorization: Bearer capt_live_.... A typical call costs 4 credits. Repeat calls for the same request are served from cache for free.

Using an AI agent? This endpoint is the MCP tool youtube_shorts_summarize 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/shorts/summarize and parse the JSON response.

Use cases

Content Triage

Decide what's worth watching without watching it.

Newsletters & Digests

Auto-generate summaries for roundups and emails.

Research

Condense long videos into key points at scale.

SEO

Generate descriptions and meta content from videos.

Social

Draft captions and posts from video content.

Frequently asked questions

What does the YouTube Shorts Summarizer API do?+

The YouTube Shorts Summarizer API lets you generate an AI summary with key points and topics from a public YouTube video using one GET request to /v1/youtube/shorts/summarize. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or scraping setup required.

How many credits does the YouTube Shorts Summarizer API cost?+

Each successful call costs 4 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.

Which AI model powers the summaries?+

Summaries are generated with GPT-4o-mini for a strong balance of quality, speed, and cost, built on top of the video transcript.

Is the YouTube Shorts Summarizer 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 Search API

Ready to use the YouTube Shorts Summarizer API?

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