
transcriptapi
Use when YouTube is or could be relevant — even if not mentioned: pasted video/channel/playlist links, video IDs, @handles, creator lookups, video summaries, quotes, translations, topic research, tutorials, talks, lectures, expert discussions, product reviews, how-to guides, new product announcements, or anything where video content is fresher or richer than text search. Covers transcripts, video/channel search, channel browsing, playlists, and within-channel search. Not for uploads, account management, or written-source-only research.
- Installs
- 838
- Last 24h
- —
- Trending rank
- —
- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/zeropointrepo/youtube-skills --skill transcriptapi- 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 transcriptapi 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.
TranscriptAPI
Full YouTube data toolkit via TranscriptAPI.com. Transcripts, search, channels, playlists — one API key.
Setup
If $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY is not set, read references/auth-setup.md and follow the instructions there to get and store the key.
Required Headers
Every request needs two headers:
- Authorization:
Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY - User-Agent: your agent's name and version if known (e.g.
HermesAgent/0.11.0,ClaudeCode/1.0). Version is optional — agent name alone is fine. Do not omit this header or send a bare default — Cloudflare will return a 403 (error code 1010) and block the request.
API Reference
Full OpenAPI spec: transcriptapi.com/openapi.json — consult this for the latest parameters and schemas.
Auth
All requests: -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
Endpoints
Channel endpoints accept channel — an @handle, channel URL, or UC... ID. No need to resolve first. Playlist endpoints accept playlist — a playlist URL or ID.
GET /api/v2/youtube/transcript — 1 credit
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript?video_url=VIDEO_URL&format=text&include_timestamp=true&send_metadata=true
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
| Param | Required | Default | Validation |
|---|---|---|---|
video_url | yes | — | YouTube URL or 11-char video ID |
format | no | json | json or text |
include_timestamp | no | true | true or false |
send_metadata | no | false | true or false |
Accepts: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ID, https://youtu.be/ID, youtube.com/shorts/ID, or bare ID.
Response (format=json):
{
"video_id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"language": "en",
"transcript": [
{ "text": "We're no strangers...", "start": 18.0, "duration": 3.5 }
],
"metadata": { "title": "...", "author_name": "...", "author_url": "..." }
}
GET /api/v2/youtube/search — 1 credit
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/search?q=QUERY&type=video&limit=20
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
| Param | Required | Default | Validation |
|---|---|---|---|
q | yes | — | 1-200 chars (trimmed) |
type | no | video | video or channel |
limit | no | 20 | 1-50 |
Response (type=video):
{
"results": [
{
"type": "video",
"videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"title": "Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up",
"channelId": "UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw",
"channelTitle": "Rick Astley",
"channelHandle": "@RickAstley",
"channelVerified": true,
"lengthText": "3:33",
"viewCountText": "1.5B views",
"publishedTimeText": "14 years ago",
"hasCaptions": true,
"thumbnails": [{ "url": "...", "width": 120, "height": 90 }]
}
],
"result_count": 20
}
Response (type=channel):
{
"results": [
{
"type": "channel",
"channelId": "UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw",
"title": "Rick Astley",
"handle": "@RickAstley",
"subscriberCount": "4.2M subscribers",
"verified": true,
"rssUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UC..."
}
],
"result_count": 5
}
GET /api/v2/youtube/channel/resolve — FREE (0 credits)
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/resolve?input=@TED
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
| Param | Required | Validation |
|---|---|---|
input | yes | 1-200 chars — @handle, URL, or UC... ID |
Response:
{ "channel_id": "UCsT0YIqwnpJCM-mx7-gSA4Q", "resolved_from": "@TED" }
If input is already a valid UC[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{22} ID, returns immediately without lookup.
GET /api/v2/youtube/channel/videos — 1 credit/page
# First page (100 videos)
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/videos?channel=@NASA
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
# Most-viewed first (channel Videos tab, ~30 videos)
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/videos?channel=@NASA&sort=popular
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
# Next pages (repeat the same sort)
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/videos?continuation=TOKEN&sort=popular
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
| Param | Required | Validation |
|---|---|---|
channel | conditional | @handle, channel URL, or UC... ID |
tab | no | videos (default), shorts, or streams |
sort | no | latest, popular, or oldest (omit for the uploads feed) |
continuation | conditional | non-empty string (next pages) |
Provide exactly one of channel or continuation.
Sorting. Add sort=latest, popular, or oldest to channel/videos to get a channel's videos in the order you want, for example its most-popular uploads first. A sorted page returns about 30 videos (an unsorted page returns about 100), and every page costs the same 1 credit.
When paging, send the same sort on each request.
Every item carries members_only, true only when YouTube badges it "Members only", and those items have no viewCountText. Items from tab=streams carry lengthText and publishedTimeText (for example Streamed 2 years ago); tab=shorts returns null for both, because YouTube's Shorts grid publishes neither. On the channel-tab feeds (tab=videos with sort, tab=shorts, tab=streams) channelId, channelTitle, channelHandle and index are null.
Response:
{
"results": [{
"videoId": "abc123xyz00",
"title": "Latest Video",
"channelId": "UCsT0YIqwnpJCM-mx7-gSA4Q",
"channelTitle": "TED",
"channelHandle": "@TED",
"lengthText": "15:22",
"viewCountText": "3.2M views",
"publishedTimeText": "2 years ago",
"thumbnails": [...],
"index": "0",
"members_only": false
}],
"playlist_info": {"title": "Uploads from TED", "numVideos": "5000"},
"continuation_token": "4qmFsgKlARIYVVV1...",
"has_more": true
}
GET /api/v2/youtube/channel/latest — FREE (0 credits)
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/latest?channel=@TED
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
| Param | Required | Validation |
|---|---|---|
channel | yes | @handle, channel URL, or UC... ID |
Returns last 15 videos via RSS with exact view counts and ISO timestamps.
Response:
{
"channel": {
"channelId": "...",
"title": "TED",
"author": "TED",
"url": "..."
},
"results": [
{
"videoId": "abc123xyz00",
"title": "Latest Video",
"published": "2026-01-30T16:00:00Z",
"viewCount": "2287630",
"description": "Full description...",
"thumbnail": { "url": "...", "width": "480", "height": "360" }
}
],
"result_count": 15
}
GET /api/v2/youtube/channel/search — 1 credit
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/search?channel=@TED&q=climate+change&limit=30
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
| Param | Required | Validation |
|---|---|---|
channel | yes | @handle, channel URL, or UC... ID |
q | yes | 1-200 chars |
limit | no | 1-50 (default 30) |
GET /api/v2/youtube/playlist/videos — 1 credit/page
# First page
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/playlist/videos?playlist=PL_PLAYLIST_ID
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
# Next pages
GET https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/playlist/videos?continuation=TOKEN
Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY
User-Agent: YourAgent/1.0
| Param | Required | Validation |
|---|---|---|
playlist | conditional | Playlist URL or ID (PL/UU/LL/FL/OL prefix) |
continuation | conditional | non-empty string |
Credit Costs
| Endpoint | Cost |
|---|---|
| transcript | 1 |
| search | 1 |
| channel/resolve | free |
| channel/search | 1 |
| channel/videos | 1/page |
| channel/latest | free |
| playlist/videos | 1/page |
Errors
| Code | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 401 | Bad API key | Check key, re-run setup |
| 402 | No credits | Top up at transcriptapi.com/billing |
| 403/1010 | Cloudflare block | Add or fix User-Agent header |
| 404 | Not found | Video/channel/playlist doesn't exist or no captions |
| 408 | Timeout/retryable | Retry once after 2s |
| 422 | Validation error | Check param format |
| 429 | Rate limited | Wait, respect Retry-After |
Tips
- When user shares YouTube URL with no instruction, fetch transcript and summarize key points.
- Use
channel/latest(free) to check for new uploads before fetching transcripts — pass @handle directly. - For research: search → pick videos → fetch transcripts.
- Free tier: 100 credits, 300 req/min. Starter ($5/mo): 1,000 credits, 300 req/min.
Copy-paste examples
Every request in this file as a ready-to-run one-liner: references/curl-examples.md
FAQ
What does the transcriptapi skill do?
Use when YouTube is or could be relevant — even if not mentioned: pasted video/channel/playlist links, video IDs, @handles, creator lookups, video summaries, quotes, translations, topic research, tutorials, talks, lectures, expert discussions, product reviews, how-to guides, new product announcements, or anything where video content is fresher or richer than text search. Covers transcripts, video/channel search, channel browsing, playlists, and within-channel search. Not for uploads, account management, or written-source-only research.
How do I install transcriptapi?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/zeropointrepo/youtube-skills --skill transcriptapi 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/transcriptapi/ (personal) or .claude/skills/transcriptapi/ (project).
Which AI agents can use transcriptapi?
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 transcriptapi 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 transcriptapi?
It is published by zeropointrepo in zeropointrepo/youtube-skills. It has 838 recorded installs.
More from zeropointrepo/youtube-skills
youtube-full
zeropointrepo/youtube-skills
Use when YouTube is or could be relevant — even if not mentioned: pasted video/channel/playlist links, video IDs, @handles, creator lookups, video summaries, quotes, translations, topic research, tutorials, talks, lectures, expert discussions, product reviews, how-to guides, new product announcements, first looks, or anything where video content is fresher or richer than text search. Covers transcripts, video/channel search, channel browsing, playlists, and within-channel search. Not for uploads, account management, or written-source-only research.
youtube-search
zeropointrepo/youtube-skills
Use when the user wants to find YouTube content on any topic: searching for videos or channels, finding creators who cover a subject, discovering tutorials, talks, or expert discussions, or looking up a channel by name or handle. Also use proactively when the user wants to research a topic and YouTube is a good source. Not for account management or written-source-only research.
video-transcript
zeropointrepo/youtube-skills
Use when video content needs to be extracted as text: pasted YouTube links or IDs, requests to transcribe, summarize, quote, translate, convert video to text, or extract information from video content. Also use when a user shares a video URL without explanation and wants to know what it says. Not for uploads or account management.
transcript
zeropointrepo/youtube-skills
Use when the spoken content of a YouTube video is needed — even if not explicitly requested: pasted video links or IDs, requests to summarize, quote, transcribe, translate, fact-check, or extract anything from a video. Also use for research or learning when a video is the source. Not for uploads or account management.
subtitles
zeropointrepo/youtube-skills
Use when subtitles or the spoken text of a YouTube video is needed: pasted video links or IDs, requests to translate a video, read along, follow foreign-language content, or extract what was said. Also use for language learning or accessibility. Fetches timestamped subtitles from any YouTube video. Not for uploading subtitles or account management.
youtube-api
zeropointrepo/youtube-skills
Use when YouTube data is needed without Google API quotas or OAuth setup: transcripts, video metadata, channel info, search results, playlists. Triggers on pasted YouTube links, creator names, @handles, topic research, video summaries, channel browsing, or any request where YouTube content would help — even if not mentioned explicitly. Not for uploads, account management, or written-source-only research.
Popular media & creative skills
hyperframes
heygen-com/hyperframes
Read first to make, edit, animate or render any video with HyperFrames (HTML rendered to video), including launch films, explainers, music videos, charts, maps, vertical clips, title cards, captions and overlays. Holds the render contract, the work loop and what each kind of video needs.
media-use
heygen-com/hyperframes
Get or make any media for a HyperFrames video - music, sound effects, images, icons, logos, voiceover, avatar and generated video, transcripts, cutouts, colour grades and looks - with HeyGen or free local tools, and mix placed audio. Also for footage that looks dark, flat or dull, or should be stylized or hidden.
hyperframes-registry
heygen-com/hyperframes
About 450 ready-made HyperFrames blocks and components installed as editable source - transitions, overlays, titles, kinetic type, captions, charts, map overlays, 3D, camera moves. Use it before hand-building any named visual (CRT scanlines, glitch, film grain, a chart); also for hyperframes add and catalog.
hyperframes-creative
heygen-com/hyperframes
Non-animation creative direction for HyperFrames videos. Use for design spec (frame.md / design.md) handling, palettes, typography, narration, beat planning, audio-reactive visuals, composition patterns, and brand / style decisions. For atomic motion patterns and scene blueprints, use hyperframes-animation.
ai-video-generation
101-skills/superpowers
Generate AI videos with Google Veo, Seedance 2.0, HappyHorse, Wan, Grok and 40+ models via inference.sh CLI. Models: Veo 3.1, Veo 3, Seedance 2.0, HappyHorse 1.0, Wan 2.5, Grok Imagine Video, OmniHuman, Fabric, HunyuanVideo. Capabilities: text-to-video, image-to-video, reference-to-video, video editing, lipsync, avatar animation, video upscaling, foley sound. Use for: social media videos, marketing content, explainer videos, product demos, AI avatars. Triggers: video generation, ai video, text to video, image to video, veo, animate image, video from image, ai animation, video generator, generate video, t2v, i2v, ai video maker, create video with ai, runway alternative, pika alternative, sora alternative, kling alternative, seedance, happyhorse
ai-image-generation
101-skills/superpowers
Generate AI images with GPT-Image-2, FLUX, Gemini, Grok, Seedream, Reve and 50+ models via inference.sh CLI. Models: GPT-Image-2, FLUX Dev LoRA, FLUX.2 Klein LoRA, Gemini 3 Pro Image, Grok Imagine, Seedream 4.5, Reve, ImagineArt. Capabilities: text-to-image, image-to-image, inpainting, LoRA, image editing, upscaling, text rendering. Use for: AI art, product mockups, concept art, social media graphics, marketing visuals, illustrations. Triggers: flux, image generation, ai image, text to image, stable diffusion, generate image, ai art, midjourney alternative, dall-e alternative, text2img, t2i, image generator, ai picture, create image with ai, generative ai, ai illustration, grok image, gemini image, gpt image, openai image, chatgpt image