API ReferenceYouTube Search API

YouTube Search API

The YouTube Search API allows you to search for YouTube videos by keyword or phrase, returning detailed information about matching videos including metadata, channel information, view counts, and video URLs.

Endpoint

https://api.socialkit.dev/youtube/search

Example Request

GET https://api.socialkit.dev/youtube/search?access_key=<your-access-key>&query=funny%20cats&limit=2&sortBy=relevance&uploadDate=month&type=video

Response

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "query": "funny cats",
    "results": [
      {
        "videoId": "hY7m5jjJ9mM",
        "title": "FUNNY CATS Compilation - Most See Funny Cat Videos 2024",
        "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hY7m5jjJ9mM/hq720.jpg",
        "channelName": "Tiger FunnyWorks",
        "channelId": "UCJnOm7pVBKFbHCNz2wBQRg",
        "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@TigerFunnyWorks",
        "publishedTime": "3 months ago",
        "duration": "15:32",
        "views": 48500000,
        "viewsFormatted": "48.5M views",
        "description": "The funniest cat videos of 2024! Watch these hilarious cats doing the most unexpected things...",
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY7m5jjJ9mM",
        "verified": true
      },
      {
        "videoId": "tpiyEe_CqB4",
        "title": "Try Not To Laugh - Funny Cat Videos Compilation",
        "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tpiyEe_CqB4/hq720.jpg",
        "channelName": "MeoWoof",
        "channelId": "UCw5VJXP2j3s7a90KFKQ4Cjg",
        "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@MeoWoof",
        "publishedTime": "1 month ago",
        "duration": "12:08",
        "views": 12300000,
        "viewsFormatted": "12.3M views",
        "description": "Try not to laugh at these adorable and funny cat moments! The best cat compilation you'll see today...",
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpiyEe_CqB4",
        "verified": false
      }
    ]
  }
}

Parameters

query string Required
The search query to find YouTube videos. Can include keywords, hashtags, or phrases.

access_key string Required
Your API access key. Can be provided via the access_key query parameter, x-access-key header, or request body.

limit number Optional Defaults to 10
Number of search results to return. Maximum value is 100.

Credit cost: 1 credit per 50 results (e.g., up to 50 results = 1 credit, 51-100 = 2 credits)

sortBy string Optional Defaults to relevance
How to sort search results. Available options:

  • relevance — Most relevant results (default)
  • date — Sort by upload date (newest first)
  • views — Sort by view count (most viewed first)
  • rating — Sort by rating

uploadDate string Optional Defaults to all time
Filter results by upload date. Available options:

  • hour — Last hour
  • today — Today
  • week — This week
  • month — This month
  • year — This year

If not specified, results from all time are returned.

type string Optional Defaults to video
The type of YouTube content to search for. Available options:

  • video — Regular videos (default)
  • shorts — YouTube Shorts only

cache boolean Optional Defaults to false
Cache the response for faster subsequent requests.

cache_ttl number Optional Defaults to 2592000
Cache the response for a custom TTL (in seconds). Maximum 2592000 seconds (1 month), minimum 3600 seconds (1 hour).

Response Fields

Each result in the results array contains:

  • videoId: Unique YouTube video identifier
  • title: Video title
  • thumbnail: URL to the video thumbnail image
  • channelName: Name of the channel that uploaded the video
  • channelId: Unique identifier of the channel
  • channelUrl: URL to the channel page
  • publishedTime: Relative time when the video was published (e.g., “3 months ago”)
  • duration: Video duration in HH:MM:SS or MM:SS format
  • views: Number of video views (number)
  • viewsFormatted: Human-readable view count (e.g., “48.5M views”)
  • description: Video description text
  • url: Direct URL to the YouTube video
  • verified: Whether the channel is verified

Use Cases

  • Content Discovery: Find trending videos by topic or keyword
  • Market Research: Analyze content trends and popular themes on YouTube
  • Competitor Analysis: Monitor competitor content and engagement
  • Influencer Research: Discover creators in specific niches
  • Trend Analysis: Track viral content and emerging trends
  • Content Curation: Build collections of videos around specific topics
  • Campaign Research: Find successful content strategies for marketing campaigns
  • Social Listening: Monitor brand mentions and user-generated content
YouTube Channel Stats APIYouTube Videos API