# YouTube Search API (`soilair/youtube-search-api`) Actor

Unofficial independent YouTube keyword search API. Return ranked public video, channel, view, publish-time, duration, thumbnail, and URL fields. No YouTube Data API key required.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/soilair/youtube-search-api.md
- **Developed by:** [Salih Can Kurnaz](https://apify.com/soilair) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, Social media
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.35 / 1,000 video results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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 Search API

> **Unofficial independent tool.** This Actor is not affiliated with, endorsed by,
> sponsored by, or maintained by YouTube or Google.

Search public YouTube videos by keyword and receive structured, deduplicated search results.

### What it returns

Each video row contains:

- search query and rank
- video ID, title, and watch URL
- channel name and channel ID when exposed
- public view-count text
- relative publish-time text
- duration text
- thumbnail URL
- UTC collection timestamp

### Input example

```json
{
  "searchQueries": ["wireless earbuds", "python tutorial"],
  "maxResultsPerQuery": 50,
  "country": "US",
  "language": "en"
}
```

`maxResultsPerQuery` is an upper bound, not a guarantee. Public YouTube result availability and response shapes can vary.

### Scope

This Actor is intentionally focused on **keyword video search**. It does not claim to provide transcripts, comments, channel crawling, downloads, or exhaustive YouTube inventory.

No YouTube Data API key is required from the user.

### Responsible use

Use only for lawful purposes and respect applicable platform terms, privacy obligations, and local law.

This Actor is an independent tool and is **not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or maintained by YouTube or Google**.

### Pricing

The intended Store pricing is pay per event:

- **Video result:** $0.50 per 1,000 results on the Free tier
- volume discounts may apply on paid tiers
- the standard synthetic Actor-start event can also apply

The Actor stops producing billable results when the run's maximum charge limit is reached.

Platform pricing configuration can change; always check the current pricing section in Apify before running.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchQueries` (type: `array`):

One or more YouTube keyword search phrases.

## `maxResultsPerQuery` (type: `integer`):

Return up to this many unique video results for each search query.

## `country` (type: `string`):

Two-letter YouTube region hint, for example US, GB, DE, or TR.

## `language` (type: `string`):

YouTube interface/search language hint, for example en, tr, de, or fr.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchQueries": [
    "wireless earbuds"
  ],
  "maxResultsPerQuery": 50,
  "country": "US",
  "language": "en"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("soilair/youtube-search-api").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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("soilair/youtube-search-api").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).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 soilair/youtube-search-api --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,soilair/youtube-search-api"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/lMLPyeImxbs3euccJ/builds/FII3ZdzHXq5KHh6Ix/openapi.json