How do I pass my API Key in requests?

Pass it via the standard HTTP Authorization header: `Authorization: Bearer ` or using the `x-api-key: ` header.

What are the response rate limit headers?

Every response returns: `X-RateLimit-Limit`, `X-RateLimit-Remaining`, and `X-RateLimit-Reset`. If throttled (HTTP 429), a `Retry-After: ` header indicates wait time.

Is CORS enabled for frontend browser apps?

Yes, all `/api/v1/*` endpoints include `Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *` headers and support `OPTIONS` preflight requests.

Developer API v1 & MCP Protocol

YouTube Transcript REST API & SDKs

The fastest developer platform for extracting clean YouTube transcripts, closed captions, and video knowledge into AI models, agents, and applications.

View Pricing & Quotas Explore Endpoints

Sub-Millisecond Cache

Deterministic local cache serves identical video transcripts instantly with 99.9% uptime.

Native MCP Protocol

Plug-and-play Model Context Protocol server for Claude Desktop, Cursor, and autonomous AI agents.

Sliding Window Limits

Tiered quotas, CORS support, cryptographic API key authentication, and predictable headers.

Interactive API Reference

Endpoints & Live Code Examples

Request Implementation (CURL)

# 1. Simple GET Request
curl "https://tubetotranscript.com/api/v1/transcript?url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

# 2. POST with Language Fallback
curl -X POST "https://tubetotranscript.com/api/v1/transcript" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
    "language": "en"
  }'

JSON Response Schema (HTTP 200 OK)

{
  "language": "en",
  "language_name": "English",
  "is_generated": false,
  "length_seconds": 213,
  "lengthText": "03:33",
  "metadata": {
    "videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
    "title": "Never Gonna Give You Up",
    "channel": "Rick Astley",
    "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dQw4w9WgXcQ/hqdefault.jpg"
  },
  "transcript": [
    {
      "text": "We're no strangers to love",
      "start": 18.5,
      "duration": 3.2
    },
    {
      "text": "You know the rules and so do I",
      "start": 22.8,
      "duration": 4.1
    }
  ],
  "available_languages": [
    {
      "code": "en",
      "name": "English",
      "is_generated": false
    }
  ]
}

Standard Response Codes

Status Code	Meaning	Description
200 OK	Success	Transcript successfully retrieved and formatted.
400 Bad Request	Invalid Input	Missing or malformed YouTube URL or parameter.
404 Not Found	No Subtitles	Video exists but contains no creator or automatic caption tracks.
429 Too Many Requests	Rate Limited	Quota exceeded for active tier. Check `Retry-After` header.