# YouTube Shorts Trend Analyzer (`delightful_unicorn/youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer`) Actor Extract YouTube Shorts data and transcripts, then analyze viral patterns, hook structures, engagement ratios, and posting rhythms for any niche. Built for content creators and growth agencies. - **URL**: https://apify.com/delightful\_unicorn/youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer.md - **Developed by:** [Alessandro Amato](https://apify.com/delightful_unicorn) (community) - **Categories:** Videos, Automation, Social media - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.50 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## YouTube Shorts Trend Analyzer **Turn YouTube Shorts data into viral format intelligence.** Unlike generic scrapers (44K–69K users), this actor extracts Shorts, transcribes them, and surfaces **hook patterns, duration sweet spots, engagement ratios, and posting rhythms** for any niche. Built for content creators, growth agencies, and social-media strategists. ### Features - **Shorts scraping** — Search by keyword/niche or channel handle; auto-filters videos ≤ 60 seconds - **Transcript extraction** — Pulls captions with timestamps for any video/short - **Trend analysis** ⭐ — Identifies viral hooks, title patterns, keyword clouds, optimal duration, and best posting times - **Channel audit** — Ranks a channel’s Shorts by views and engagement; surfaces top/worst performers and consistency score - **Viral forecast** — Compares a specific video against niche averages and gives an optimization score + actionable tips - **YouTube Data API integration** — Uses official YouTube Data API v3 for reliable metadata (free key with 10,000 quota/day). Transcript extraction works without any key. ### Actions #### `scrapeShorts` Search and extract Shorts metadata by keyword. **Input:** ```json { "action": "scrapeShorts", "query": "fitness motivation", "limit": 25 } ```` **Output fields per video:** - `videoId`, `title`, `author`, `views`, `likes`, `comments` - `duration`, `publishedAt`, `url`, `thumbnail`, `transcript` #### `getTranscript` Extract transcript/captions for a video URL. **Input:** ```json { "action": "getTranscript", "videoUrl": "https://youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID" } ``` #### `trendAnalyze` ⭐ (Recommended) Run full niche intelligence on a batch of Shorts. **Input:** ```json { "action": "trendAnalyze", "query": "crypto tips", "limit": 30 } ``` **Output example:** ```json { "videosAnalyzed": 30, "topHooks": [ { "hook": "this is why", "count": 5 }, { "hook": "wait for", "count": 4 } ], "avgDurationSec": 42, "viralDurationSec": 28, "titlePatterns": ["Number + Hook (6)", "Question (4)", "POV: (3)"], "keywordCloud": [ { "word": "bitcoin", "count": 12 }, { "word": "trading", "count": 9 } ], "bestPostDay": "Tuesday", "bestPostHour": 18, "avgEngagementRatio": 0.038, "viralThresholdRatio": 0.071, "topPerformers": [...], "emergingFormats": ["Ultra-short (<30s) punch", "Transcript-rich storytelling"] } ``` #### `channelAudit` Analyze all recent Shorts from a channel. **Input:** ```json { "action": "channelAudit", "channelHandle": "@MrBeast", "limit": 30 } ``` **Output:** - `totalVideos`, `totalViews`, `avgViews` - `consistencyScore` (0–100) - `topByViews`, `topByEngagement`, `worstByEngagement` - Full `trends` breakdown #### `viralForecast` Score a video’s viral potential against its niche. **Input:** ```json { "action": "viralForecast", "videoUrl": "https://youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID", "query": "fitness shorts", "limit": 25 } ``` **Output:** ```json { "viralPotentialScore": 78, "nicheComparison": { "yourEngagementRatio": 0.052, "nicheAvgRatio": 0.038, "nicheViralThreshold": 0.071, "yourDuration": 34, "nicheViralDuration": 28, "nicheAvgDuration": 42 }, "optimizationTips": [ "Optimal duration in this niche is ~28s. Consider trimming to match the sweet spot.", "Video aligns well with niche viral patterns. Boost with consistent posting at peak hours." ] } ``` ### Trend Analysis Methodology | Metric | How it’s calculated | |--------|---------------------| | **Engagement ratio** | `(likes + comments × 2) / views` | | **Viral threshold** | Engagement ratio of the top 20% performers in the sample | | **Hook detection** | Most frequent first 3 words across titles | | **Title patterns** | Regex detection: numbers, questions, POV:, I + verb, emoji, etc. | | **Duration sweet spot** | Median duration of the top 20% by engagement | | **Temporal patterns** | Average views grouped by upload day/hour (UTC) | | **Keyword cloud** | Word frequency in titles (English stop-words removed) | ### Input Parameters | Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description | |-----------|------|----------|---------|-------------| | `action` | string | yes | — | One of the 5 actions above | | `query` | string | no | `fitness shorts` | Keyword/niche to search | | `videoUrl` | string | no | — | YouTube URL for transcript/forecast | | `channelHandle` | string | no | — | Channel handle (e.g. `@MrBeast`) | | `limit` | integer | no | `25` | Max videos (1–50) | | `apiKey` | string | no | — | Optional YouTube Data API v3 fallback key | ### Resilience & API Key - **Metadata actions** (`scrapeShorts`, `trendAnalyze`, `channelAudit`, `viralForecast`) require a **free YouTube Data API v3 key**. Get one at [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials) in 2 minutes. Quota: 10,000 units/day — enough for ~100 niche analyses. - **Transcript action** (`getTranscript`) works **without any API key** via public caption endpoints. - **Transcripts:** If captions are disabled on a video, transcript will be `null` but all other data is returned. ### Pricing **Pay Per Event** - Start event: **$0.0005** - Result event: **$0.0005** Approx. **$1 per 1,000 Shorts analyzed**. ### Use Cases - **Content Creators:** Discover which hooks and durations are winning in your niche before you shoot - **Growth Agencies:** Audit client channels and benchmark against competitors - **Product Marketers:** Find viral Shorts formats to repurpose for product demos - **Trend Hunters:** Spot emerging patterns before they saturate ### Disclaimer This actor uses the official YouTube Data API v3 and public caption endpoints. Always comply with YouTube’s [Terms of Service](https://www.youtube.com/t/terms) and Google API [Terms](https://developers.google.com/terms). The viral scores and trend insights are algorithmic estimates based on engagement ratios and should be validated with your own audience data. # Actor input Schema ## `action` (type: `string`): What do you want to do? ## `query` (type: `string`): Keyword or niche to search (e.g. 'fitness shorts', 'crypto tips'). ## `videoUrl` (type: `string`): YouTube Shorts or video URL (for getTranscript or viralForecast). ## `channelHandle` (type: `string`): YouTube channel handle or ID (e.g. '@MrBeast') for channelAudit. ## `limit` (type: `integer`): Max videos to fetch per request (1-50). ## `apiKey` (type: `string`): Required for scrapeShorts, trendAnalyze, channelAudit, and viralForecast. Get a free key at https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials. Not needed for getTranscript. ## Actor input object example ```json { "action": "trendAnalyze", "query": "fitness shorts", "limit": 25 } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = {}; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("delightful_unicorn/youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = {} # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("delightful_unicorn/youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{}' | apify call delightful_unicorn/youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=delightful_unicorn/youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube Shorts Trend Analyzer", "description": "Extract YouTube Shorts data and transcripts, then analyze viral patterns, hook structures, engagement ratios, and posting rhythms for any niche. Built for content creators and growth agencies.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "sVdQSHyxxOa01AdSI" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/delightful_unicorn~youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-delightful_unicorn-youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/delightful_unicorn~youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-delightful_unicorn-youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/delightful_unicorn~youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-delightful_unicorn-youtube-shorts-trend-analyzer", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "action" ], "properties": { "action": { "title": "Action", "enum": [ "scrapeShorts", "getTranscript", "trendAnalyze", "channelAudit", "viralForecast" ], "type": "string", "description": "What do you want to do?", "default": "trendAnalyze" }, "query": { "title": "Query / Niche", "type": "string", "description": "Keyword or niche to search (e.g. 'fitness shorts', 'crypto tips').", "default": "fitness shorts" }, "videoUrl": { "title": "Video URL", "type": "string", "description": "YouTube Shorts or video URL (for getTranscript or viralForecast)." }, "channelHandle": { "title": "Channel Handle", "type": "string", "description": "YouTube channel handle or ID (e.g. '@MrBeast') for channelAudit." }, "limit": { "title": "Limit", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 50, "type": "integer", "description": "Max videos to fetch per request (1-50).", "default": 25 }, "apiKey": { "title": "YouTube Data API Key", "type": "string", "description": "Required for scrapeShorts, trendAnalyze, channelAudit, and viralForecast. Get a free key at https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials. Not needed for getTranscript." } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```