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Quick YouTube lookup via TranscriptAPI.com.
Setup
If $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY is not set, help the user create an account (100 free credits, no card):
Step 1 — Register: Ask user for their email.
node ./scripts/tapi-auth.js register --email USER_EMAIL
→ OTP sent to email. Ask user: "Check your email for a 6-digit verification code."
Step 2 — Verify: Once user provides the OTP:
node ./scripts/tapi-auth.js verify --token TOKEN_FROM_STEP_1 --otp CODE
API key saved to your shell profile and agent config. Ready to use.
Manual option: transcriptapi.com/signup → Dashboard → API Keys.
API Reference
Full OpenAPI spec: transcriptapi.com/openapi.json — consult this for the latest parameters and schemas.
Transcript — 1 credit
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript\
?video_url=VIDEO_URL&format=text&include_timestamp=true&send_metadata=true" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
Search — 1 credit
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/search?q=QUERY&type=video&limit=10" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
| Param | Default | Values |
|---|---|---|
q | — | 1-200 chars (required) |
type | video | video, channel |
limit | 20 | 1-50 |
Channel latest — FREE
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/latest?channel=@TED" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
Returns last 15 videos with exact view counts and publish dates. Accepts @handle, channel URL, or UC... ID.
Resolve handle — FREE
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/resolve?input=@TED" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
Use to convert @handle to UC... channel ID.
Errors
| Code | Action |
|---|---|
| 402 | No credits — transcriptapi.com/billing |
| 404 | Not found / no captions |
| 408 | Timeout — retry once |
Free tier: 100 credits. Search and transcript cost 1 credit. Channel latest and resolve are free.