Supported YouTube URL formats | TranscriptFetch docs

Accepted YouTube video, channel, and playlist URLs and IDs for the TranscriptFetch API.

Send the complete YouTube link or identifier. TranscriptFetch normalizes it server-side, so your integration does not need to extract video, channel, or playlist IDs first.

Accepted formats

Videos

Watch URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Short URL: https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
Shorts URL: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dQw4w9WgXcQ
Embed URL: https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQw4w9WgXcQ
Legacy /v/ URL: https://www.youtube.com/v/dQw4w9WgXcQ
Completed live URL: https://www.youtube.com/live/dQw4w9WgXcQ
Video ID: dQw4w9WgXcQ

Channels

Handle: @veritasium
Handle URL: https://www.youtube.com/@veritasium
Channel ID: UCHnyfMqiRRG1u-2MsSQLbXA
Channel ID URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHnyfMqiRRG1u-2MsSQLbXA
Custom channel URL: https://www.youtube.com/c/veritasium
Legacy user URL: https://www.youtube.com/user/veritasium

Playlists

Playlist URL: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9tY0BWXOZFuFEG_GtOBZ8-8wbkH-NVAr
Playlist ID: PL9tY0BWXOZFuFEG_GtOBZ8-8wbkH-NVAr

Search

Keyword query: how transformers work

Endpoints available for this source

POST/api/v2/transcripts/video

Fetch a transcript (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or file URL)

Accepted input: video

Open endpoint reference

POST/api/v2/transcripts/channel

List a channel's, profile's, show's, or feed's items

Accepted input: channel

Open endpoint reference

POST/api/v2/transcripts/playlist

List a playlist's videos

Accepted input: playlist

Open endpoint reference

POST/api/v2/transcripts/search

Search for videos

Accepted input: query

Open endpoint reference

Availability requirements

The source must be publicly accessible without signing in. Live URLs work after the broadcast has ended; active live streams, private or members-only videos, removed videos, and strongly restricted videos may not return a transcript.

Example request

Use the same input with REST or either official SDK.

curl -X POST https://transcriptfetch.com/api/v2/transcripts/video \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPTFETCH_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"video":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"}'