YouTube scraper
YouTube Scraper API for Developers
Channels, videos, Shorts, comments, transcripts, and trending data via one API. No Google OAuth dance. Transcripts included.
The official YouTube Data API v3 gives new projects 100 search.list calls per day alongside a separate 10,000-unit general quota pool. Its captions workflow requires OAuth, and captions.list returns metadata rather than transcript text. CreatorCrawl reads public YouTube data plus transcripts under simple pay-as-you-go credits. No Google Cloud quota planning or OAuth flow for read-only access.
What you get
No quota math
New Google Cloud projects receive 100 search.list calls per day plus a separate 10,000-unit pool for general operations. CreatorCrawl charges 1 credit per standard call, so capacity is tied to the credit pack you choose rather than separate Google quota buckets.
Transcript text without the captions OAuth workflow
The official captions resource requires OAuth and captions.list does not return the caption text. CreatorCrawl returns plain-text transcripts and timestamped segments for supported public videos.
Channel, video, comment, search, and trending data
Pull channel stats, channel videos, channel Shorts, video metadata, video comments, playlists, search results, and trending Shorts. Ten endpoints covering 95% of YouTube read use cases.
Native MCP for AI agents
Every YouTube endpoint is exposed as an MCP tool. Your Claude or Cursor agent reads YouTube channels and transcripts in natural language without writing HTTP code.
Code example
Pass your API key in the x-api-key header. Get structured JSON back.
# Get a YouTube channel
curl "https://app.creatorcrawl.com/api/youtube/channel?handle=mrbeast" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
# Get a video transcript
curl "https://app.creatorcrawl.com/api/youtube/video/transcript?url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
# Search YouTube
curl "https://app.creatorcrawl.com/api/youtube/search?query=tiktok+api+tutorial" \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"How it works
Sign up for 50 free credits
No credit card required, no Google Cloud Console setup, no quota application. Your API key is generated instantly.
Pass a channel or video URL
Pass a YouTube URL or handle. Get back structured JSON in 2 seconds with channel stats, video metadata, or comment threads.
Get transcripts the official API hides
Pass a video URL to the transcript endpoint. Get the full plain-text transcript plus timestamped segments. Perfect for AI summarization and content repurposing.
Scale without quota math
No 10K-unit daily cap. No commercial review. Process tens of thousands of videos per hour with concurrent requests.
Endpoints
Every endpoint below is part of the CreatorCrawl YouTube API and is also exposed as a native MCP tool.
GETChannel/youtube/channelGETChannel Videos/youtube/channel/videosGETChannel Shorts/youtube/channel/shortsGETVideo/youtube/videoGETVideo Transcript/youtube/video/transcriptGETVideo Comments/youtube/video/commentsGETSearch/youtube/searchGETTrending Shorts/youtube/shorts/trendingFrequently asked questions
How is this different from the YouTube Data API v3?
New Google Cloud projects receive 100 search.list calls per day and a separate 10,000-unit general quota pool. Official caption listing and downloads require OAuth, and captions.list does not include caption text. CreatorCrawl reads public data plus transcripts through one API key and bills per call.
Can I get YouTube transcripts via the API?
Yes. CreatorCrawl returns plain-text transcripts plus timestamped segments for supported public videos. The official YouTube captions workflow can download authorised caption tracks, but it requires OAuth and captions.list itself returns metadata rather than the caption text.
Do I need OAuth or a Google Cloud project?
No. CreatorCrawl uses your CreatorCrawl API key. No Google OAuth flow, no Google Cloud Console setup, no quota application, no commercial review.
What about rate limits?
CreatorCrawl has no rate limits. Run as many concurrent requests as your application needs. Customers regularly process tens of thousands of YouTube URLs per hour.
Is scraping YouTube legal?
Reading publicly available YouTube data is generally considered legal. Specifics depend on jurisdiction and use case. Review YouTube Terms of Service and applicable copyright rules against your downstream use before going live.