youtube-api

Q: How do I install youtube-api?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills --skill youtube-api in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/youtube-api/ (personal) or .claude/skills/youtube-api/ (project).

by fetcher-shBackend & APIs

A YouTube API alternative on fetcher.sh — pay-per-call in USDC via x402, or prepaid credits with a Bearer key, no OAuth and no daily quota. Use when the user wants to search YouTube videos with filters for upload date, duration, or sort order, search channels or playlists, look up a channel by ID, @handle, or custom URL path, list a channel's videos, shorts, or live streams, fetch a video's or short's details and comments, list a playlist's videos, pull posts under a hashtag, or check trending videos by region. Also covers YouTube data pipelines, channel monitoring, video analytics input, and trend tracking without the official YouTube Data API's daily quota limits.

Installs: 3.8K
Last 24h: +66
Trending rank: #2791
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills --skill youtube-api

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads youtube-api automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

YouTube API

YouTube data on demand: video/channel/playlist search with real filters (upload date, duration, sort order), channel and video lookups, videos, shorts, live streams, playlist contents, comments, hashtag feeds, and trending — one plain HTTP GET per call, paid as you go. No developer console project, no OAuth consent screen, no daily quota.

Base URL: https://youtube.fetcher.sh

Authentication

Two ways to pay, same data — full mechanics in the fetcher skill:

# 1. Prepaid credits (recommended — get a key at https://fetcher.sh/topup
#    or via POST /api/credits/topup, see the fetcher skill)
export FETCHER_API_KEY="bby_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/search/video?query=hello"

# 2. x402 pay-per-call — omit the header; a GET with no payment returns 402
#    with machine-readable payment requirements (USDC on Base, Polygon,
#    Arbitrum, Monad, or Solana). @x402/fetch signs and retries automatically.

Every response is { "status": number, "message": string, "data": ... }; the HTTP status mirrors status.

Endpoints (15 — all GET, $0.005/call)

Endpoint	What it returns
`/api/search/video`	Videos matching a query; upload date, duration, sort filters
`/api/search/channel`	Channels matching a query
`/api/search/playlist`	Playlists matching a query
`/api/channel/{id}`	Channel details by ID
`/api/channel/handle/{handle}`	Channel details by @handle
`/api/channel/path`	Channel details by custom URL path
`/api/channel/{id}/videos`	A channel's videos
`/api/channel/{id}/shorts`	A channel's shorts
`/api/channel/{id}/live-streams`	A channel's live streams
`/api/video/{id}`	Video (or short) details
`/api/video/{id}/comments`	A video's comments
`/api/shorts/{id}`	Short details
`/api/playlist/{id}/videos`	A playlist's videos
`/api/hashtag/{tag}`	Videos under a hashtag
`/api/trending`	Trending videos, optionally by region

{id} / {handle} / {tag} are path parameters. Optional cursor / lang / geo refine results; query (search) and channelPath (path lookup) are required where they appear.

Scenarios

Uploaded this week:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "query=ai agents" -G \
  --data-urlencode "uploadDate=week" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/search/video"

Most viewed, long-form only:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "query=x402 protocol" -G \
  --data-urlencode "sortBy=view_count" \
  --data-urlencode "duration=long" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/search/video"

Newest first:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "query=stablecoin payments" -G \
  --data-urlencode "sortBy=upload_date" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/search/video"

Other uploadDate values: hour, today, month, year. Other duration values: short, medium. Other sortBy values: relevance, rating.

Search channels or playlists:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "query=lofi hip hop" -G \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/search/channel"

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "query=lofi hip hop" -G \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/search/playlist"

A channel by ID, handle, or custom path — then its videos, shorts, and live streams:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/channel/handle/mkbhd"

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" -G \
  --data-urlencode "channelPath=@mkbhd" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/channel/path"

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/channel/UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ/videos"

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/channel/UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ/shorts"

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/channel/UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ/live-streams"

A video's details and comments, or a short's details:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/video/dQw4w9WgXcQ"

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "sort=top" -G \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/video/dQw4w9WgXcQ/comments"

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/shorts/abc123XYZ90"

A playlist's videos, videos under a hashtag, and trending (by region):

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/playlist/PLFgquLnL59alCl_2TQvOiD5Vgm1hCaGSI/videos"

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/hashtag/shorts"

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "geo=US" -G \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/trending"

MCP

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "youtube": {
      "url": "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer bby_live_..." }
    }
  }
}

Free: search_endpoints, describe_endpoint, check_balance. Paid: fetch_data (any endpoint above), topup_credits, plus the named shortcut youtube_search_video. Drop the headers block to pay per call with x402 instead — see the fetcher skill for the full flow.

Errors

400 — missing/invalid parameter (message names it)
401 — unknown or rotated key
402 — payment required (x402 challenge) or topup_required (credits exhausted)
404 — not a priced path
No rate limits; no refunds on upstream failures (settlement precedes delivery)

Reference

Full agent setup: https://youtube.fetcher.sh/skill.md
OpenAPI 3.1 contract: https://youtube.fetcher.sh/openapi.json
Condensed catalog: https://youtube.fetcher.sh/llms.txt
Payment, credits, and MCP deep dive: fetcher skill
Site: https://youtube.fetcher.sh

FAQ

What does the youtube-api skill do?

How do I install youtube-api?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills --skill youtube-api in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/youtube-api/ (personal) or .claude/skills/youtube-api/ (project).

Which AI agents can use youtube-api?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is youtube-api safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains youtube-api?

It is published by fetcher-sh in fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills. It has 3,792 recorded installs.

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youtube-api

Install

Install

Describe the task

Review the result

SKILL.md

YouTube API

Authentication

Endpoints (15 — all GET, $0.005/call)

Scenarios

MCP

Errors

Reference

FAQ

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