Youtube Data

# YouTube Data

YouTube data access via [TranscriptAPI.com](https://transcriptapi.com) — lightweight alternative to Google's YouTube Data API.

## 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.

```bash 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:

```bash node ./scripts/tapi-auth.js verify --token TOKEN_FROM_STEP_1 --otp CODE ```

> API key saved to `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`. See **File Writes** below for details. Existing file is backed up before modification.

Manual option: [transcriptapi.com/signup](https://transcriptapi.com/signup) → Dashboard → API Keys.

## File Writes

The verify and save-key commands save the API key to `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` (sets `skills.entries.transcriptapi.apiKey` and `enabled: true`). **Existing file is backed up to `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak` before modification.**

To use the API key in terminal/CLI outside the agent, add to your shell profile manually: `export TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY=<your-key>`

## API Reference

Full OpenAPI spec: [transcriptapi.com/openapi.json](https://transcriptapi.com/openapi.json) — consult this for the latest parameters and schemas.

## Video Data (transcript + metadata) — 1 credit

```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript\ ?video_url=VIDEO_URL&format=json&include_timestamp=true&send_metadata=true" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" ```

**Response:**

```json { "video_id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ", "language": "en", "transcript": [ { "text": "We're no strangers to love", "start": 18.0, "duration": 3.5 } ], "metadata": { "title": "Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up", "author_name": "Rick Astley", "author_url": "https://www.youtube.com/@RickAstley", "thumbnail_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dQw4w9WgXcQ/maxresdefault.jpg" } } ```

## Search Data — 1 credit

```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/search?q=QUERY&type=video&limit=20" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" ```

**Video result fields:** `videoId`, `title`, `channelId`, `channelTitle`, `channelHandle`, `channelVerified`, `lengthText`, `viewCountText`, `publishedTimeText`, `hasCaptions`, `thumbnails`

**Channel result fields** (`type=channel`): `channelId`, `title`, `handle`, `url`, `description`, `subscriberCount`, `verified`, `rssUrl`, `thumbnails`

## Channel Data

Channel endpoints accept `channel` — an `@handle`, channel URL, or `UC...` ID. No need to resolve first.

**Resolve handle to ID (free):**

```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/resolve?input=@TED" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" ```

Returns: `{"channel_id": "UCsT0YIqwnpJCM-mx7-gSA4Q", "resolved_from": "@TED"}`

**Latest 15 videos with exact stats (free):**

```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/latest?channel=@TED" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" ```

Returns: `channel` info, `results` array with `videoId`, `title`, `published` (ISO), `viewCount` (exact number), `description`, `thumbnail`

**All channel videos (paginated, 1 credit/page):**

```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/videos?channel=@NASA" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" ```

Returns 100 videos per page + `continuation_token` for pagination.

**Search within channel (1 credit):**

```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/search\ ?channel=@TED&q=QUERY&limit=30" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" ```

## Playlist Data — 1 credit/page

Accepts `playlist` — a YouTube playlist URL or playlist ID.

```bash curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/playlist/videos?playlist=PL_ID" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY" ```

Returns: `results` (videos), `playlist_info` (`title`, `numVideos`, `ownerName`, `viewCount`), `continuation_token`, `has_more`

## Credit Costs

| Endpoint | Cost | Data returned | | --------------- | -------- | -------------------------- | | transcript | 1 | Full transcript + metadata | | search | 1 | Video/channel details | | channel/resolve | **free** | Channel ID mapping | | channel/latest | **free** | 15 videos + exact stats | | channel/videos | 1/page | 100 videos per page | | channel/search | 1 | Videos matching query | | playlist/videos | 1/page | 100 videos per page |

## Errors

| Code | Action | | ---- | -------------------------------------- | | 402 | No credits — transcriptapi.com/billing | | 404 | Not found | | 408 | Timeout — retry once | | 422 | Invalid param format |

Free tier: 100 credits, 300 req/min.