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How to get a YouTube shorts transcript

TL;DR
To get a YouTube shorts transcript, sign up for a free Captapi key, then send one GET request to /v1/youtube/shorts/transcript with your input. You get clean JSON back in seconds for 2 credits per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. Extract timestamped transcripts from any public YouTube video in a single request.
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How to get a YouTube shorts transcript (step by step)

  1. 1

    Get a free API key

    Create a free Captapi account (100 credits, no card) and generate an API key from the dashboard.

  2. 2

    Call the YouTube Shorts Transcript API

    Send an authenticated GET request to /v1/youtube/shorts/transcript with your input. No OAuth, no scraping setup.

  3. 3

    Read the JSON response

    Parse the clean JSON response. Results are cached for 24 hours, so repeat calls are free.

Code example

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/youtube/shorts/transcript?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdQw4w9WgXcQ" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."

What the response looks like

{
  "success": true,
  "cached": false,
  "creditsUsed": 2,
  "data": {
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXVHmGoCTco",
    "videoId": "DXVHmGoCTco",
    "title": null,
    "transcript": "I just TRAPPED 50 OF THE BIGGEST STREAMERS IN THIS CUBE AND WHOEVER LEAVES LAST WINS A MILLION DOLLARS. THESE ARE THE BIGGEST STREAMERS in the universe and the last one of them to leave wins it all. >> in together. We're locked in together. All right. Do we have like a Spanish alliance going? >> Yeah, it's the power of friendship. >> it's all about strategy in here. Me, I'm willing to do anything. You want me to get on the floor and start twerking, I'll do it. I don't. Just s ...",
    "transcriptSegments": [
      {
        "text": "I just TRAPPED 50 OF THE BIGGEST",
        "start": 0,
        "duration": 3.6,
        "timestamp": "00:00"
      },
      {
        "text": "STREAMERS IN THIS CUBE AND WHOEVER",
        "start": 1.84,
        "duration": 3.76,
        "timestamp": "00:01"
      }
    ],
    "wordCount": 7312,
    "segments": 1273,
    "language": "English"
  }
}

Request parameters

NameTypeRequiredDescription
urlstring YesPublic YouTube Shorts URL, e.g. https://youtube.com/shorts/ID.
languagestringNoPreferred caption language as an ISO code, e.g. "en". Defaults to auto-detect.

Frequently asked questions

What does the YouTube Shorts Transcript API do?

The YouTube Shorts Transcript API lets you extract the full, timestamped transcript from a public YouTube video using one GET request to /v1/youtube/shorts/transcript. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or scraping setup required.

How many credits does the YouTube Shorts Transcript API cost?

Each successful call costs 2 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.

What if the YouTube video has no captions?

When no captions are available, Captapi transcribes the audio with AI (Whisper) automatically, so you still get a usable transcript.

Is the YouTube Shorts Transcript 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.

Ready to get a YouTube shorts transcript?

Start free with 100 credits — no credit card required.

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