YouTube
GET /v1/youtube/video-details

YouTube Video Details API

Get YouTube video details as structured JSON — key fields, stats, and metadata.

1 credit per request
TL;DR
Get YouTube video details as structured JSON — key fields, stats, and metadata. The YouTube Video Details API (YouTube) is a single authenticated GET request to /v1/youtube/video-details that responds with clean JSON and costs 1 credit. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh. Start with 100 free credits — no credit card.

What is the YouTube Video Details API?

The YouTube Video Details API lets you fetch full metadata and key stats for YouTube video details with a single REST call. No OAuth, no infrastructure to maintain, and no platform SDKs — send the request, get clean structured JSON back. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h shared cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh.

What you get

  • Video Details fields as clean structured JSON
  • IDs, URLs, and titles where the platform exposes them
  • Engagement or popularity signals when available
  • Stable IDs for joining with other endpoints

Try it

Open in Playground

Fill in the parameters below and copy a ready-to-run request, or open the live Playground to run it against your account (no API key paste).

Parameters

Sign in to run live
curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/youtube/video-details?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdQw4w9WgXcQ" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."

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

Example response

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
    "id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
    "title": "Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (Official Video) (4K Remaster)",
    "description": "The official video for “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley. \n\nNever: The Autobiography 📚 OUT NOW! \nFollow this link to get your copy and listen to Rick’s ‘Never’ playlist ❤️ #RickAstleyNever\nhttps://linktr.ee/rickastleynever\n\n“Never Gonna Give You Up” was a global smash on its release in July 1987, topping the charts in 25 countries including Rick’s native UK and the US Billboard Hot 100.  It also won the Brit Award for Best single in 1988. Stock Aitken and Waterman wrote and produced the track which was the lead-off single and lead track from Rick’s debut LP “Whenever You Need Somebody”.  The album was itself a UK number one and would go on to sell over 15 million copies worldwide.\n\nThe legendary video was directed by Simon West – who later went on to make Hollywood blockbusters such as Con Air, Lara Croft – Tomb Raider and The Expendables 2.  The video passed the 1bn YouTube views milestone on 28 July 2021.\n\nSubscribe to the official Rick Astley YouTube channel: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/YTSubID\n\nFollow Rick Astley:\nFacebook: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/FBFollowID \nTwitter: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/TwitterID \nInstagram: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/InstagramID \nWebsite: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/storeID \nTikTok: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/TikTokID\n\nListen to Rick Astley:\nSpotify: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/SpotifyID \nApple Music: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/AppleMusicID \nAmazon Music: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/AmazonMusicID \nDeezer: https://RickAstley.lnk.to/DeezerID \n\nLyrics:\nWe’re no strangers to love\nYou know the rules and so do I\nA full commitment’s what I’m thinking of\nYou wouldn’t get this from any other guy\n\nI just wanna tell you how I’m feeling\nGotta make you understand\n\nNever gonna give you up\nNever gonna let you down\nNever gonna run around and desert you\nNever gonna make you cry\nNever gonna say goodbye\nNever gonna tell a lie and hurt you\n\nWe’ve known each other for so long\nYour heart’s been aching but you’re too shy to say it\nInside we both know what’s been going on\nWe know the game and we’re gonna play it\n\nAnd if you ask me how I’m feeling\nDon’t tell me you’re too blind to see\n\nNever gonna give you up\nNever gonna let you down\nNever gonna run around and desert you\nNever gonna make you cry\nNever gonna say goodbye\nNever gonna tell a lie and hurt you\n\n#RickAstley #NeverGonnaGiveYouUp #WheneverYouNeedSomebody #OfficialMusicVideo",
    "channelName": "Rick Astley",
    "channelId": "UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw",
    "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw",
    "publishedAt": "2009-10-24T23:57:33-07:00",
    "durationSeconds": 213,
    "viewCount": 1797826473,
    "likeCount": 19283915,
    "commentCount": 2400000,
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/dQw4w9WgXcQ/sddefault.webp",
    "genre": "Music",
    "tags": [
      "rick astley",
      "Never Gonna Give You Up",
      "nggyu",
      "never gonna give you up lyrics",
      "rick rolled"
    ],
    "durationFormatted": "00:03:33"
  }
}

Billing metadata is returned in response headers: X-Captapi-Credits (credits charged), X-Captapi-Cache (hit or miss), and X-Captapi-Source. Failed requests (4xx/5xx) are never charged. See the full list of error codes in the error reference.

Response structure

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

Top-level fields

  • urlCanonical URL of the item.
  • idStable platform ID for the item.
  • titleTitle of the item.
  • descriptionDescription text.
  • channelNameName of the channel.
  • channelIdID of the channel.
  • channelUrlURL of the channel.
  • publishedAtPublish date (ISO 8601).
  • durationSecondsLength in seconds.
  • viewCountView count.
  • likeCountLike count.
  • commentCountComment count.
  • thumbnailUrlThumbnail image URL.
  • genreMusic genre.
  • tagsTags attached to the item.
  • durationFormattedHuman-readable duration.

Parameters

NameTypeRequiredDescription
urlstringYesPublic YouTube video URL, e.g. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ID. Not a TikTok/Instagram/Facebook URL. The URL platform must match this endpoint's platform. Do not pass cross-platform URLs, e.g. YouTube to TikTok, Instagram to Facebook, LinkedIn to X/Twitter, or Pinterest to Rumble.
cachebooleanNoSet true to serve from the 24h response cache. Default false — always fetch fresh data.

Authentication: send your key as Authorization: Bearer capt_live_.... A typical call costs 1 credit. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh.

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

How it works

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

Use cases

Analytics

Track views, likes, and engagement over time.

Competitor Monitoring

Benchmark the performance of other creators.

Dashboards

Power reporting and BI with real metadata.

Content Curation

Filter and rank videos by performance.

Frequently asked questions

What does the YouTube Video Details API do?+

The YouTube Video Details API lets you fetch full metadata and key stats from a public YouTube video using one GET request to /v1/youtube/video-details. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.

How many credits does the YouTube Video Details API cost?+

Each successful call costs 1 credit. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h shared cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Failed or empty results are never charged.

Do I need a YouTube API key or OAuth?+

No. A single Captapi key works across every platform Captapi supports — YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Reddit, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Rumble, Spotify, Kwai, and more. We handle proxies, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.

Is the YouTube Video Details API suitable for production use?+

Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON and automatic retries. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h shared cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Use it for analytics, monitoring, and content automation.

More YouTube APIs

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