Get structured YouTube transcripts instantly.
Provide a video ID and receive the full transcript with timestamps. No OAuth management, Google Cloud quotas, or browser automation required.
Live demo
Try it live.
Change the parameters and run a real request against the endpoint. No account, no key.
Free to try, no account. Costs 15 credits on your own key.
Run the request to see a live response.
curl -X POST https://automatio.ai/api/v1/query \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $AUTOMATIO_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"tool":"youtube_transcript","params":{"videoId":"dQw4w9WgXcQ"}}'How it works
One request, one response.
- 1
Provide video ID
Send a POST request containing the target videoId to the query endpoint.
- 2
Extract transcript data
The server retrieves the available transcript track and parses it into a standardized JSON format.
- 3
Receive structured text
The API returns an array of segments including start times, durations, and the transcript text.
Capabilities
What you get.
Everything this endpoint does, without running the infrastructure yourself.
Timestamped segments
Returns text mapped to specific offsets, enabling precise navigation and clip generation.
Auto-generated support
Retrieves the default transcript regardless of whether it was manually uploaded or generated by speech-to-text.
LLM-ready output
Delivers clean text that can be passed directly to vector databases or summarization prompts.
No authentication overhead
Works on any public video without requiring OAuth permissions or API keys from the origin platform.
Cost of ownership
Build it yourself, or call this.
Both are real options. Here is what each one actually costs you.
The DIY path
- Research undocumented internal endpoints
- Manage residential proxy rotation to avoid IP blocks
- Maintain complex XML and JSON parsers
- Handle headless browser overhead and fingerprinting.
The Automatio Data API
- Single POST request with a consistent schema
- Infrastructure and proxy management handled internally
- Billed only for successful retrievals
- Zero maintenance as the tool adapts to platform updates.
Integrate
Built for the language you use.
One HTTP endpoint. Copy the call in your language and go.
curl -X POST https://automatio.ai/api/v1/query \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $AUTOMATIO_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{ "tool": "youtube_transcript", "params": { "videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ" } }'In production
What people build with it.
RAG for Video Content
Ingest transcripts into vector databases to allow users to query specific video content. The timestamped data allows the system to link answers directly to the relevant part of the video for immediate verification.
AI Video Summarization
Automate the creation of bulleted summaries or key takeaways from webinars and tutorials. The API provides the raw text needed to fill LLM context windows without manual copying or UI scraping.
Content Repurposing Tools
Convert video content into blog posts, newsletters, or social threads by extracting the spoken narrative. This allows marketing teams to scale content production from a single video source efficiently.
Choosing parameters
Which options matter.
The table below lists what exists. These are the calls worth making deliberately.
- videoId
Alternatives
When to use something else.
A page that pretends it has no alternatives reads as an advert. These are the other real options.
Official YouTube Data API
Better if you are already in the Google Cloud ecosystem and need to manage your own captions via OAuth, though it has high quota costs.
Open Source Python Libraries
Suitable for local scripts or low-volume tasks where you can manage your own IP reputation and handle frequent breakage from platform changes.
Before you integrate
What it does not do.
The boundaries are as useful as the features. These are the ones worth knowing up front.
No private videos
The endpoint cannot access transcripts for videos that require a login or are set to private. These requests will return a tool-level error rather than a transcript object.
Disabled transcripts
If a creator has explicitly turned off transcripts for a video, no data can be retrieved. The API only accesses information that is publicly available to a standard viewer.
Audio processing
This tool does not perform speech-to-text on the video audio itself. It only retrieves existing transcript tracks provided by the platform's internal speech-to-text or manual uploads.
Reference
15 credits per call- Endpoint
- POST https://automatio.ai/api/v1/query
- Tool ID
- youtube_transcript
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| videoId | string | YouTube video ID or URL |
The same endpoints are available over MCP, and the full machine-readable catalogue lives in the API documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about YouTube Transcript API
Same data source
Every YouTube endpoint.
One key, one endpoint shape. These all bill per successful call the same way.
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