Buy credits once and use them when you need them. There are no monthly tiers, and credits do not expire.
YouTube API YouTube Search API for creator and content research
Use SocialListeningAPI to find public YouTube videos, Shorts, and live streams around a topic. Build reviewer lists, study content demand, and keep normalized titles, channel details, views, duration, publication time, and source URLs.
- Find reviewers, educators, and niche creators
- Research video demand before making content
- Keep channel, view, duration, and source URL data
{
"success": true,
"platform": "youtube",
"endpoint": "/api/v1/youtube/search",
"data": {
"items": [
{
"id": "BzSzwqb-OEE",
"platform": "youtube",
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzSzwqb-OEE",
"content": {
"title": "How to use social listening",
"text": null,
"media_urls": [],
"thumbnail_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BzSzwqb-OEE/hq720.jpg"
},
"author": {
"id": "UCoRR6OLuIZ2-5VxtnQIaN2w",
"username": "sociallistening",
"display_name": "Social Listening",
"avatar_url": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/example=s88-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj",
"verified": null
},
"engagement": {
"views": 14860541,
"likes": null,
"comments": null,
"shares": null,
"saves": null
},
"published_at": "2026-08-05T01:30:00.000Z",
"ext": {
"content_type": "video",
"duration_seconds": 254,
"duration_text": "4:14",
"published_time_text": "1 day ago",
"badges": [
"4K"
]
}
}
]
},
"pagination": {
"next_cursor": null,
"has_more": false,
"page_size": 1
},
"raw": {
"videos": [],
"channels": [],
"playlists": [],
"shorts": [],
"shelves": [],
"lives": [],
"continuationToken": null
},
"request_id": "req_example123",
"credits_used": 1,
"credits_remaining": 99
}What does the YouTube Search API do?
The YouTube Search API finds public videos, Shorts, and live streams that match a keyword or phrase and returns JSON. Each result can include its title, description, thumbnail, channel, view count, publication time, content type, duration, badges, and original YouTube URL.
Send a GET request with your API key and a specific query. SocialListeningAPI maps each result into the same core structure used for LinkedIn, X, Reddit, Facebook, Hacker News, and TikTok. A provider cursor can show another page, but this public endpoint currently accepts only the search query.
Use SocialListeningAPI when YouTube is one part of a multi-source search product. Use YouTube's official search.list endpoint when you need filters for date, region, language, content type, order, channels, or playlists. The official route needs a Google Cloud project, YouTube Data API enablement, and credentials.
Try the YouTube Search API
Choose cURL, Axios, or fetch. Add your API key, change the query, and send the request.
curl --get 'https://api.sociallisteningapi.com/api/v1/youtube/search' \
--data-urlencode 'query=social listening' \
--data-urlencode 'raw=true' \
--header 'x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY'Why use SocialListeningAPI for YouTube search?
Search YouTube with the same API key, credit balance, and normalized response structure you use for LinkedIn, X, Reddit, Facebook, Hacker News, TikTok, and Google results.
Each API returns the same core response shape, so you do not need separate parsing code for every source.
Search public social posts, videos, profiles, Google results, and Discourse forums with one API key.
Failed requests do not use credits. A successful response uses the endpoint's listed credit cost.
Keep available post URLs beside results for review, citations, and follow-up work.
Use normalized fields in your app and inspect the raw provider response when you need more detail.
Playbooks
Use YouTube search to find creators and partners
Search public videos for reviewers, educators, and hosts who already cover your topic. These playbooks show how to build sourced outreach lists for launches, affiliates, and partnerships.
Choose the right route
SocialListeningAPI vs YouTube's official Data API
SocialListeningAPI is easier when YouTube is one source in a broader public-search product. YouTube's official Data API is the better route for advanced filters, private user data, publishing, channel or playlist search, and direct platform control.
SocialListeningAPI
Search public YouTube videos by keyword with one server-side API key.
- Search videos, Shorts, and live streams
- Skip Google Cloud project and YouTube key setup
- Get a normalized schema shared with seven other search sources
- Pay 1 credit for a successful YouTube search
YouTube's official Data API
YouTube offers a detailed native search API for videos, channels, and playlists.
- Create a Google Cloud project and enable YouTube Data API v3
- Use an API key for public data and OAuth for private user data
- Search with date, region, language, type, and order filters
- Work within YouTube's search quota or request more access
MCP integration
Give social listening powers to your chat app
Connect SocialListeningAPI to Claude or ChatGPT. Ask a question in plain language, get actual, realtime results from social media platforms, forums and serps - with source links.
Use it to get brand mentions, scope out competitors, find leads and more - all from within your chat app.
See how the MCP worksClaude · SocialListeningAPI connected
MCP toolsearch_social_posts
reddit · "social listening API cost"Public posts returned with source URLs · 1 credit
Simple credit pricing
Buy a one-time credit pack and use it across every API. Credits do not expire.
Starter
$20one time
5,000 credits A simple pack for testing the API and smaller projects.
- $0.0040 per credit
- Use credits across every API endpoint
- Credits never expire
Growth Best value
$100one time
40,000 credits More credits at a lower cost for apps making regular calls.
- $0.0025 per credit
- Use credits across every API endpoint
- Credits never expire
YouTube Search API questions
Can I search YouTube videos by keyword through an API?
Does the YouTube Search API return Shorts and live streams?
Do I need a Google Cloud project or YouTube API key?
What does one YouTube search request cost?
What fields does the YouTube Search API return?
Does the endpoint return likes, comments, transcripts, or video files?
Should I use SocialListeningAPI or YouTube's official Data API?
Make your first YouTube search request
Create an account, copy your API key, and use 100 free credits to test video search.