# youtube-api

This skill gives an agent YouTube search and data access through fetcher.sh. Use it for channel monitoring, video research, and trend tracking.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 3700 installs · ★ 2
- Author: fetcher-sh
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/youtube-api/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-05
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/youtube-api

## What it does

The skill queries YouTube over HTTP GET. It can search videos with upload-date, duration, and sort filters, find channels or playlists, resolve a channel by ID, handle, or custom path, and list its videos, shorts, or live streams. It also retrieves video and short details, comments, playlist contents, hashtag results, and region-based trending videos.

Requests use `https://youtube.fetcher.sh`. Payment can use prepaid credits with a Bearer key or x402 per-call settlement in USDC. An MCP endpoint is available at `https://youtube.fetcher.sh/mcp`; responses expose `status`, `message`, and `data` fields.

Prepaid access requires `FETCHER_API_KEY`, while an exhausted credit balance produces `402`; x402 can be used without that header. Data retrieval calls are paid, including calls made through MCP.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills --skill youtube-api -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/youtube-api/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/youtube-api/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills --skill youtube-api -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/youtube-api/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills --skill youtube-api -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/youtube-api/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills youtube-api
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/youtube-api/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills --skill youtube-api -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills --path skills/youtube-api
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/youtube-api/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills --skill youtube-api -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/youtube-api/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- search YouTube videos with filters
- look up a channel by ID or handle
- list a channel’s videos, shorts, or live streams
- retrieve comments for a video
- check regional trending videos

## Example prompts
- Use `youtube-api` to find AI agent videos uploaded this week.
- Look up channel handle `mkbhd`, then list its shorts and live streams.
- Fetch comments for video `dQw4w9WgXcQ` and sort them by popularity.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 67b93329bf20999e.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 67b93329bf20999e
````text
---
name: youtube-api
description: >-
  A YouTube API alternative on fetcher.sh — pay-per-call in USDC via x402, or
  prepaid credits with a Bearer key, no OAuth and no daily quota. Use when
  the user wants to search YouTube videos with filters for upload date,
  duration, or sort order, search channels or playlists, look up a channel by
  ID, @handle, or custom URL path, list a channel's videos, shorts, or live
  streams, fetch a video's or short's details and comments, list a
  playlist's videos, pull posts under a hashtag, or check trending videos by
  region. Also covers YouTube data pipelines, channel monitoring, video
  analytics input, and trend tracking without the official YouTube Data API's
  daily quota limits.
keywords:
  - youtube
  - youtube-api
  - youtube-api-alternative
  - youtube-data
  - video-search
  - x402
  - ai-agent
---

# YouTube API

YouTube data on demand: video/channel/playlist search with real filters
(upload date, duration, sort order), channel and video lookups, videos,
shorts, live streams, playlist contents, comments, hashtag feeds, and trending
— one plain HTTP GET per call, paid as you go. No developer console project,
no OAuth consent screen, no daily quota.

Base URL: `https://youtube.fetcher.sh`

## Authentication

Two ways to pay, same data — full mechanics in the [`fetcher`
skill](../fetcher/SKILL.md):

```bash
# 1. Prepaid credits (recommended — get a key at https://fetcher.sh/topup
#    or via POST /api/credits/topup, see the fetcher skill)
export FETCHER_API_KEY="bby_live_xxxxxxxxxxxx"
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $FETCHER_API_KEY" \
  "https://youtube.fetcher.sh/api/search/video?query=hello"

# 2. x402 pay-per-call — omit the header; a GET with no payment returns 402
#    with machine-readable payment requirements (USDC on Base, Polygon,
#    Arbitrum, Monad, or Solana). @x402/fetch signs and retries automatically.
```

Every response is `{ "status": number, "message": string, "data": ... }`; the
HTTP status mirrors `status`.

## Endpoints (15 — all GET, $0.005/call)

| Endpoint | What it returns |
| --- | --- |
| `/api/search/video` | Videos matching a query; upload date, duration, sort filters |
| `/api/search/channel` | Channels matching a query |
| `/api/search/playlist` | Playlists matching a query |
| `/api/channel/{id}` | Channel details by ID |
| `/api/channel/handle/{handle}` | Channel details by @handle |
| `/api/channel/path` | Channel details by custom URL path |
| `/api/channel/{id}/videos` | A channel's videos |
| `/api/channel/{id}/shorts` | A channel's shorts |
| `/api/channel/{id}/live-streams` | A channel's live streams |
| `/api/video/{id}` | Video (or short) details |
| `/api/video/{id}/comments` | A video's comments |
| `/api/shorts/{id}` | Short details |
| `/api/playlist/{id}/videos` | A playlist's videos |
| `/api/hashtag/{tag}` | Videos under a hashtag |
| `/api/trending` | Trending videos, optionally by region |

`{id}` / `{handle}` / `{tag}` are path parameters. Optional `cursor` /
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 67b93329bf20999e

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First 3022 of 7083 bytes. © fetcher-sh · MIT · https://github.com/fetcher-sh/fetcher-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/youtube-api/SKILL.md

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---
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