Youtube Api

YouTube API access without the official API quota hassle — transcripts, search, channels, playlists, and metadata with no Google API key needed. Use when the user needs YouTube data programmatically, wants to avoid Google API quotas, or asks for "youtube api", "get video data", "youtube without api key", "no quota youtube".

Security Scan

The skill's requests and instructions line up with its stated purpose (using transcriptapi.com); it only needs node, a TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY, and writes that key to the declared OpenClaw config path.

Purpose & Capability

Name/description (YouTube data via TranscriptAPI) match the required pieces: node binary for the provided JS CLI and a TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY. Requiring ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json is consistent with the skill saving the API key there.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md instructs only: prompt user for email/OTP, run scripts/tapi-auth.js to register/verify, and call transcriptapi.com endpoints via curl. The instructions only reference TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY and ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (both declared). No unrelated file reads, environment access, or external endpoints are present.

Install Mechanism

No install spec (instruction-only) and one included CLI script. This is low-risk: nothing is downloaded from arbitrary URLs and no archives are extracted. Requiring node is proportionate to the shipped JS script.

Credentials

Only TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY is required and declared as the primary credential. The script stores that key in the declared OpenClaw config path. No other unrelated secrets or credentials are requested.

Persistence & Privilege

always is false and the skill only writes to its own OpenClaw config (~/.openclaw/openclaw.json), backing up the existing file to .bak. It does not request system-wide privileges or modify other skills' configs.

Assessment

This skill appears internally consistent, but note: it sends requests to transcriptapi.com (you must trust that third party), and the CLI will save your API key in plain JSON at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (the file is backed up to .openclaw/openclaw.json.bak). Before installing, verify TranscriptAPI's reputation and privacy policy, ensure your machine's ~/.openclaw directory is secure, and understand that any queries/transcripts you send go to transcriptapi.com rather than Google. If you prefer not to store keys in a local file, plan to set TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY manually in your environment instead of using the provided save flow.

YouTube data access via TranscriptAPI.com — no Google API quota needed.

Setup

If $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY is not set, help the user create an account (100 free credits, no card):

Step 1 — Register: Ask user for their email.

node ./scripts/tapi-auth.js register --email USER_EMAIL

→ OTP sent to email. Ask user: "Check your email for a 6-digit verification code."

Step 2 — Verify: Once user provides the OTP:

node ./scripts/tapi-auth.js verify --token TOKEN_FROM_STEP_1 --otp CODE

API key saved to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. See File Writes below for details. Existing file is backed up before modification.

Manual option: transcriptapi.com/signup → Dashboard → API Keys.

File Writes

The verify and save-key commands save the API key to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (sets skills.entries.transcriptapi.apiKey and enabled: true). Existing file is backed up to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak before modification.

To use the API key in terminal/CLI outside the agent, add to your shell profile manually: export TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY=<your-key>

API Reference

Full OpenAPI spec: transcriptapi.com/openapi.json — consult this for the latest parameters and schemas.

Endpoint Reference

All endpoints: https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/...

Channel endpoints accept channel — an @handle, channel URL, or UC... ID. Playlist endpoints accept playlist — a playlist URL or ID.

Endpoint	Method	Cost
/transcript?video_url=ID	GET	1
/search?q=QUERY&type=video	GET	1
/channel/resolve?input=@handle	GET	free
/channel/latest?channel=@handle	GET	free
/channel/videos?channel=@handle	GET	1/page
/channel/search?channel=@handle&q=Q	GET	1
/playlist/videos?playlist=PL_ID	GET	1/page

Quick Examples

Search videos:

curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/search\
?q=python+tutorial&type=video&limit=10" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"

Get transcript:

curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript\
?video_url=dQw4w9WgXcQ&format=text&include_timestamp=true&send_metadata=true" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"

Resolve channel handle (free):

curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/resolve?input=@TED" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"

Latest videos (free):

curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/latest?channel=@TED" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"

Browse channel uploads (paginated):

curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/videos?channel=@NASA" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
# Use continuation token from response for next pages

Browse playlist (paginated):

curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/playlist/videos?playlist=PL_PLAYLIST_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"

Parameter Validation

Field	Rule
channel	@handle, channel URL, or UC... ID
playlist	Playlist URL or ID (PL/UU/LL/FL/OL prefix)
q (search)	1-200 chars
limit	1-50
continuation	non-empty string

Why Not Google's API?

	Google YouTube Data API	TranscriptAPI
Quota	10,000 units/day (100 searches)	Credit-based, no daily cap
Setup	OAuth + API key + project	Single API key
Transcripts	Not available	Core feature
Pricing	$0.0015/unit overage	$5/1000 credits

Errors

Code	Meaning	Action
401	Bad API key	Check key
402	No credits	transcriptapi.com/billing
404	Not found	Resource doesn't exist
408	Timeout/retryable	Retry once after 2s
422	Validation error	Check param format
429	Rate limited	Wait, respect Retry-After

Free tier: 100 credits, 300 req/min. Starter ($5/mo): 1,000 credits.