YouTube Shorts AI Transcript & Metadata Extractor 🚀

Extract AI-generated transcripts, complete metadata, AND related videos from YouTube Shorts in one API call. Get VTT, SRT, JSON transcripts + 60+ data fields + related content connections. Perfect for content creators, SEO pros, agencies.

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📋 Overview

The YouTube Shorts AI Transcript & Metadata Extractor delivers the complete YouTube data package: AI-generated transcripts + 60+ metadata fields + related videos in one API call. No need for multiple tools or API integrations.

Our Unique Value Proposition:

• ✅ Transcripts: VTT, SRT, XML, plain text, JSON formats with segment-level timestamps
• ✅ Metadata: Engagement metrics (with calculated ratios), channel analytics, keywords, thumbnails, categories, geographic data
• ✅ Related Videos: Discover connected content and viral trends
• ✅ One API Call: Get everything in seconds - no multiple requests, no complex setup

Perfect for content creators, researchers, SEO professionals, data scientists, and accessibility specialists who need transcripts, metadata, and related content connections simultaneously. Just paste URLs, run, and get the complete data package.

✨ Features

• 🎯 Zero Learning Curve: Paste URLs or upload .txt/.csv file, click Run, get results instantly
• ⚡ Triple Data Extraction: Get transcripts, metadata, AND related videos in one API call - no multiple tools needed
• 🔄 Automatic Everything: No setup, no API keys, no configuration, no headaches
• 📁 Easy File Upload: Upload .txt or .csv files with hundreds of URLs - auto-detected
• 📊 Smart CSV Support: Auto-detects URL column from common names (url, link, video_url, etc.)
• 📊 60+ Data Fields: Complete metadata including engagement metrics, channel analytics, thumbnails, keywords
• 🎬 Related Videos: Discover connected content and viral trends
• 💎 Multiple Export Formats: VTT, SRT, XML, plain text, JSON with segment-level timestamps
• 🌍 Multi-Language Support: Auto-detect and extract transcripts in 15+ languages
• 💰 Smart Tier System: FREE tier (5 videos) for testing, PAID tier (unlimited) for production
• 📦 Bulk Processing: Process hundreds of YouTube Shorts in one run

🎬 Quick Start

So simple, no training needed! Just paste YouTube Shorts URLs and click Run.

Option 1: Single YouTube Short

{
  "shortUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8"
}

Option 2: Multiple YouTube Shorts (Array)

{
  "bulkUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8",
    "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nuyxQgvzrAA",
    "BoZuXYvGFu8"
  ]
}

Option 3: Upload .txt or .csv File (Easiest for Bulk!)

Option A: .txt file Create a file urls.txt:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nuyxQgvzrAA
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TxdEQYDleA8

Option B: .csv file (NEW!) Create a file urls.csv:

url,category,title
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8,tech,AI Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nuyxQgvzrAA,gaming,Game Clip
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TxdEQYDleA8,news,Breaking News

The actor automatically detects the URL column (looks for common names like 'url', 'link', 'video_url', etc.).

Then upload via "📋 Multiple YouTube Shorts URLs" field in the input form.

Option 4: Use API - One Line

# Set API token
API_TOKEN=<YOUR_API_TOKEN>

# Prepare Actor input
cat > input.json <<'EOF'
{
  "shortUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8"
}
EOF

# Run the Actor
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/S8ouiYPkW95h6vzz2/runs?token=$API_TOKEN" \
  -X POST \
  -d @input.json \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json'

📥 Input Configuration

Field	Type	Required	Description
shortUrl	string	No*	YouTube Shorts URL (e.g., https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID or just VIDEO_ID)
urls	array	No*	Multiple YouTube Shorts URLs for batch processing
File Upload	file upload	No*	Upload .txt or .csv files with YouTube URLs - easiest for large lists!

*At least one field is required

Supported File Formats:

• .txt: One URL per line (with optional comma-separated URLs)
• .csv: Auto-detects URL column from common names (url, link, video_url, youtube_url, video)

Option 1: Single URL

{
  "shortUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8"
}

Option 2: Multiple URLs (Array)

{
  "bulkUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8",
    "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nuyxQgvzrAA",
    "BoZuXYvGFu8"
  ]
}

Option 3: Upload .txt or .csv File (Recommended for Bulk!)

Option A: .txt file Create a .txt file with one URL per line:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TxdEQYDleA8
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fBjo6ocdztM
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IGHpmb4Rurw
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZFJHMfVoLWk

Option B: .csv file (NEW!) Create a .csv file with headers:

url,category,title
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TxdEQYDleA8,tech,AI Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fBjo6ocdztM,gaming,Game Clip
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IGHpmb4Rurw,news,Breaking News

Smart CSV Features:

• Auto-detects URL column (looks for: url, link, video_url, youtube_url, video)
• Fallback: Finds first column containing YouTube URLs
• Supports multiple columns - extracts only URLs
• Works with CSV exports from spreadsheets/Excel

Then upload it via the "📋 Multiple YouTube Shorts URLs" field in the actor input.

This is the easiest method for processing hundreds of URLs!

📤 Output

Each YouTube Short returns comprehensive data with AI-generated transcripts, complete metadata, and related videos:

Transcript Data (5 Formats)

Field	Type	Description
fullTranscript	string	Complete plain text transcript
segments	array	Segment-level timestamps (text, start, end, duration, formatted)
vtt	string	WebVTT format caption file
srt	string	SRT format caption file
totalWords	number	Total Word Count in Transcript
totalSegments	number	Total Number of Transcript Segments

Video Metadata (20+ Fields)

Field	Type	Description
videoId	string	YouTube Video ID
url	string	Original Video URL
title	string	Video Title
description	string	Video Description
lengthSeconds	string	Video Duration (seconds)
keywords	array	Video Keywords/Tags Array
thumbnail	array	Thumbnail Images Array (url, width, height)
category	string	Video Category
publishDate	string	Publication Date (ISO 8601)
uploadDate	string	Upload Date (ISO 8601)
relatedVideos	object	Related Videos Object (continuation token, data array)

Channel Analytics (5 Fields)

Field	Type	Description
channelTitle	string	Channel Title
channelId	string	Channel ID
channelThumbnail	array	Channel Avatar Images Array (url, width, height)
subscriberCount	number	Subscriber Count (Integer, e.g., 524000)
subscriberCountText	string	Subscriber Count Formatted String

Engagement Metrics (6 Fields)

Field	Type	Description
viewCount	string	View Count (string)
likeCount	string	Like Count (string)
commentCount	string	Comment Count (string, e.g., "8")
commentCountText	string	Comment Count Formatted String
likesPerViewPercentage	string	Likes to Views Ratio (e.g., "3.46%")
commentsPerViewPercentage	string	Comments to Views Ratio (e.g., "0.04%")

Video Status (10 Fields)

Field	Type	Description
isPrivate	boolean	Is Private Video
isUnlisted	boolean	Is Unlisted Video
isLiveContent	boolean	Is Live Content
isFamilySafe	boolean	Is Family Safe
isShortsEligible	boolean	Is YouTube Shorts Eligible
playableInEmbed	boolean	Is Playable in Embed
hasCaption	boolean	Has Captions Available
allowRatings	boolean	Ratings Enabled

Geographic & Technical Data (10+ Fields)

Field	Type	Description
availableCountries	array	Array of Country Codes Where Video is Available (150+ countries)
subtitles	object	Captions Object (subtitles array, format, translationLanguages)
storyboards	array	Storyboard Thumbnails Array
relatedVideos	object	Related Videos Object (continuation token, data array)
formats	array	Video Formats Array
adaptiveFormats	array	Adaptive Formats Array

Complete Example Output:

{
  "status": "success",
  "videoId": "BoZuXYvGFu8",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8",
  "title": "How to use Claude 10x better",
  "description": "For founders doing $50k+ MRR+: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/offline-mode...",
  "lengthSeconds": "47",
  "keywords": ["startup ideas", "AI Code", "claude opus 4.5", "prompt engineering"],
  "fullTranscript": "In this video, I'll show you how to use Claude 10x better...",
  "segments": [
    {
      "text": "In this video, I'll show you how to use Claude 10x better",
      "start": 0.0,
      "end": 3.5,
      "duration": 3.5,
      "startFormatted": "0:00",
      "endFormatted": "0:03"
    }
  ],
  "vtt": "WEBVTT\n\n00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.500\nIn this video...",
  "srt": "1\n00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,500\nIn this video...",
  "totalWords": 140,
  "totalSegments": 22,
  "channelTitle": "Greg Isenberg",
  "channelId": "UCPjNBjflYl0-HQtUvOx0Ibw",
  "subscriberCount": 524000,
  "subscriberCountText": "524K subscribers",
  "viewCount": "17854",
  "likeCount": "618",
  "commentCount": "8",
  "commentCountText": "8",
  "likesPerViewPercentage": "3.46%",
  "commentsPerViewPercentage": "0.04%",
  "thumbnail": [
    {
      "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BoZuXYvGFu8/hqdefault.jpg",
      "width": 480,
      "height": 360
    }
  ],
  "availableCountries": ["US", "GB", "DE", "FR", "ES", "IT", "..."],
  "category": "Science & Technology",
  "isShortsEligible": true,
  "hasCaption": true,
  "processedAt": "2025-01-19T12:00:00.000Z",
  "metadata": {
    "runId": "abc123",
    "actorId": "S8ouiYPkW95h6vzz2",
    "userTier": "PAID",
    "mode": "single"
  }
}

💼 Use Cases & Examples

1. Content Analysis & Repurposing

Transform YouTube Shorts into blog posts, articles, newsletters

Input: 50 YouTube Shorts URLs Output: JSON with transcripts, keywords, engagement metrics Use: Analyze content performance, identify viral patterns, repurpose text content

Example Workflow:

1. Extract transcripts from trending Shorts in your niche
2. Identify common keywords and topics
3. Repurpose high-performing content into blog posts
4. Save 10+ hours of manual transcription work

2. Competitor Research

Analyze competitors' video performance and content strategies

Input: Competitor channel Shorts URLs Output: Engagement data, transcript analysis, keyword density Use: Reverse-engineer viral content, track competitor growth

Example Workflow:

1. Extract all Shorts from top 5 competitors
2. Analyze transcripts for topic trends
3. Compare engagement metrics (views, likes, comments)
4. Identify content gaps and opportunities

3. SEO Optimization

Access keywords, descriptions, and engagement metrics for search ranking

Input: 100 YouTube Shorts URLs Output: Keywords, descriptions, tags, view counts Use: Optimize your own content, discover high-volume keywords

Example Workflow:

1. Extract metadata from top-ranking Shorts
2. Identify common keywords in titles and descriptions
3. Apply insights to your own content strategy
4. Track keyword performance over time

4. Accessibility Compliance

Generate captions for deaf/hard-of-hearing audiences

Input: YouTube Shorts URLs Output: VTT, SRT, plain text transcripts Use: Add captions to videos, meet accessibility standards

Example Workflow:

1. Extract transcripts in VTT/SRT formats
2. Upload captions to video platforms
3. Comply with ADA and WCAG guidelines
4. Reach wider audience with accessibility features

5. AI/ML Model Training

Build datasets for training speech recognition and content analysis models

Input: Thousands of YouTube Shorts URLs Output: Transcripts + complete metadata Use: Train custom models for content classification, sentiment analysis

Example Workflow:

1. Bulk extract 10,000+ Shorts with transcripts and metadata
2. Create labeled datasets for ML training
3. Train models for content classification, virality prediction
4. Validate models with real-world data

6. Trend Tracking & Social Media Monitoring

Monitor engagement metrics and related videos for trend identification

Input: Hashtag or channel URLs Output: View counts, engagement ratios, related videos Use: Identify viral trends early, track content performance

Example Workflow:

1. Daily extraction of trending Shorts
2. Track engagement metrics over time
3. Identify viral patterns before competitors
4. Adjust content strategy based on data

🔗 Integration Examples

JavaScript/Node.js

const { ApifyClient } = require('apify-client');
const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_TOKEN' });

const run = await client.actor('S8ouiYPkW95h6vzz2').call({
  shortUrl: 'https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8'
});

// Get results
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items[0].fullTranscript);
console.log(items[0].timestampedWords); // Word-level timestamps

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient('YOUR_TOKEN')

run = client.actor('S8ouiYPkW95h6vzz2').call(
    run_input={
        'bulkUrls': [
            'https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8',
            'https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nuyxQgvzrAA'
        ]
    }
)

# Get results
for item in client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).iterate_items():
    print(f"Title: {item['title']}")
    print(f"Transcript: {item['fullTranscript']}")
    print(f"Engagement: {item['viewCount']} views, {item['likeCount']} likes")

cURL

curl -X POST 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/S8ouiYPkW95h6vzz2/runs?token=YOUR_TOKEN' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
  "shortUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BoZuXYvGFu8"
}'

Zapier Integration

1. Trigger: Manual/schedule/webhook
2. Action: Call this actor's API via HTTP Request
3. Process: Handle JSON results with transcripts and metadata
4. Action: Save to database, generate reports, send notifications

Make.com (formerly Integromat) Integration

1. Trigger: Manual/schedule/webhook
2. HTTP Request: Call this actor's API with YouTube Shorts URLs
3. Process: Parse JSON response with transcripts, metadata, related videos
4. Action: Save to Google Sheets, post to Slack, send email reports

N8N Workflow Integration

1. Trigger: Manual/schedule/webhook
2. HTTP Request: Call this actor's API
3. Process: Handle JSON results with transcripts and metadata
4. Action: Save to database, generate reports, send notifications

📊 Performance & Limits

• Speed: 100+ shorts/minute (PAID tier)
• Free tier: 5 videos/run with throttled processing
• Pro plan: Unlimited videos with fastest processing
• Concurrency: 1 concurrent run (FREE), unlimited (PAID)
• Memory: 128 MB (optimized for data processing)

💰 Pricing

FREE Tier (Testing & Learning)

• 5 videos per run
• 1 concurrent run max
• Perfect for: Testing, small one-off tasks
• No credit card required

PAID Tier (Production Ready)

• Unlimited videos
• Fastest processing (100+ shorts/minute)
• Unlimited concurrent runs
• Priority processing
• Perfect for: Daily operations, bulk extraction, production workflows

⚙️ Advanced Configuration

The actor automatically detects your tier (FREE/PAID) and applies appropriate limits. No configuration needed!

Tier Features:

• FREE: Test with 5 videos, experience full feature set
• PAID: Unlimited processing, no delays, maximum throughput

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many YouTube Shorts can I extract? A: Free plan includes 5 videos per run for testing. Pro plan has unlimited access with bulk processing support.

Q: What transcript formats are available? A: We provide 5 formats: plain text, XML with timestamps, segment-level timestamps, WebVTT (.vtt), and SRT (.srt). Plus 60+ metadata fields including engagement metrics, channel analytics, keywords, thumbnails, related videos, and more.

Q: What are related videos and why are they useful? A: Related videos show connected content that YouTube associates with each Short. This helps you discover viral trends, content clusters, and competitor strategies - perfect for content research and trend tracking.

Q: Can I extract transcripts in multiple languages? A: Yes! We auto-detect and extract transcripts in 15+ languages including English, German, French, Spanish, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and Indonesian.

Q: What if a YouTube Short has no captions? A: Most YouTube Shorts have AI-generated captions. If captions aren't available, you'll still receive all 60+ metadata fields including related videos, title, description, keywords, thumbnails, engagement metrics, channel info, and more.

Q: Can I export to Excel or CSV? A: Yes! Export results as CSV and open in Excel. The dataset includes all transcript formats and metadata fields.

Q: How fast is it? A: PAID tier processes 100+ shorts per minute. FREE tier has throttled processing for fair usage.

Q: Does it work with private videos? A: Only public YouTube Shorts content is accessible. No authentication required. Verify URLs work in browser without login.

Q: Can I use this for commercial purposes? A: Yes! Public data extraction is generally legal for research, accessibility, and business intelligence. Always respect YouTube's Terms of Service and copyright laws.

Q: What's the difference between FREE and PAID tiers? A: FREE tier: 5 videos per run with throttled processing for testing. PAID tier: Unlimited videos, fastest processing (100+ shorts/minute), priority support, unlimited concurrent runs.

🐛 Troubleshooting

No results returned

• Check YouTube Shorts URLs are valid and public
• Verify videos haven't been deleted or made private
• Try with different URLs to test
• Ensure URLs work in browser without login

Transcript missing or incomplete

• Most YouTube Shorts have AI-generated captions (auto-created by YouTube)
• Check if the video has captions enabled in YouTube player
• Try different videos to compare transcript availability
• You'll still receive all 60+ metadata fields even if transcripts aren't available

Rate limiting or capacity issues

• Upgrade to PAID tier for unlimited concurrent runs and priority processing
• FREE tier has 1 concurrent run limit (prevents abuse)
• Process in smaller batches if experiencing timeouts

Processing speed

• PAID tier: Fastest processing (100+ shorts/minute)
• FREE tier: Throttled processing for fair usage
• Upgrade to PAID for maximum throughput

Access denied errors

• Only public YouTube Shorts are supported
• Verify URLs work in browser without login
• Check for geographic restrictions
• Ensure video hasn't been deleted or made private

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🤝 Support

• 📱 Telegram Support Group - Join our active community for quick help and discussions
• 📧 Email: support@sian-agency.online
• 🐛 Issues: Report bugs and feature requests in Apify Actor issues
• 📚 Documentation: Apify SDK Documentation

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