NetShort 1080p Video URL Scraper – Batch Free Episodes

What does NetShort 1080p Video URL Scraper – Batch Free Episodes do?

NetShort 1080p Video URL Scraper batch-extracts the highest-quality playback links currently available for free episodes of a NetShort short drama. Enter one short_play_id and receive episode IDs, episode numbers, direct HTTPS video URLs, optional backup links, quality labels, subtitles, and supporting episode metadata in one structured Dataset result.

Availability limitation: this Actor only returns episodes that a free NetShort user can currently play. It does not unlock, bypass, or extract paid and subscriber-only episodes. playableEpisodeCount can therefore be lower than catalogEpisodeCount.

The Actor returns playback URLs and metadata only. It does not download, copy, or store video files.

Why use this NetShort 1080p video URL scraper?

• Collect the highest-quality available 1080p NetShort playback URLs in bulk for one drama.
• Replace manual episode-by-episode URL collection with one Actor run.
• Match every link to a precision-safe episodeId and episodeNo.
• Capture primary and backup playback links where NetShort provides both.
• Export subtitle metadata, including subtitle language, format, expiry, and URL.
• Connect results to licensed playback workflows, media QA, transcription, localization review, or availability monitoring.
• Run through the Apify API, schedules, webhooks, integrations, or MCP-compatible workflows.

What fields are included in the JSON output?

JSON field	Type	Meaning
short_play_id	string	NetShort drama ID supplied as input
success / error	boolean / string	Run result and safe failure message
response.data.shortPlayId	string	Confirmed NetShort short-drama ID
catalogEpisodeCount	integer	Number of episodes reported for the drama
playableEpisodeCount	integer	Number of free-user episodes with a usable URL
requestedPlayClarity	string	Requested highest quality, currently 1080p
episodes[].episodeId	string	NetShort episode ID
episodes[].episodeNo	integer	Episode number in the drama
episodes[].playUrl	string or null	Primary direct HTTPS playback URL
episodes[].backupPlayUrl	string or null	Optional alternative playback URL
episodes[].playClarity	string or null	Quality actually returned for the episode
episodes[].subtitleList	array	Subtitle language, format, expiry, ID, and URL data
episodes[].detail	object	Additional episode metadata returned with the playable link
response.data.drama	object	Available drama-level metadata

Signed playback and subtitle URLs can expire. Run the Actor again when you need fresh links.

Which NetShort episodes can be extracted?

Only episodes available to a free NetShort user are included in response.data.episodes. If a drama reports 57 total episodes but only 10 are freely playable, the output will show:

{
  "catalogEpisodeCount": 57,
  "playableEpisodeCount": 10
}

This difference is expected and is not treated as an error. Paid, locked, subscription-only, or otherwise unavailable episodes are omitted from the playable URL list.

How to batch-extract NetShort episode playback URLs

1. Obtain a NetShort shortPlayId from a search, recommendations, or drama metadata result.
2. Open the Actor Input tab.
3. Paste the ID into short_play_id.
4. Click Start and wait for the run to finish.
5. Open Output and read response.data.episodes.
6. Use playUrl as the primary link and backupPlayUrl when it is available.

No episode IDs, episode numbers, quality settings, or additional configuration are required.

Input

short_play_id is the only input. Supply it as a string containing 1–32 digits to preserve large NetShort identifiers correctly.

{
  "short_play_id": "1894649306163933185"
}

Output example based on a real Actor run

The following structure and counts come from a successful run. The signed URL is shortened because live playback links expire:

{
  "short_play_id": "1894649306163933185",
  "success": true,
  "error": null,
  "upstream_code": 200,
  "upstream_message": "操作成功",
  "response": {
    "code": 200,
    "data": {
      "shortPlayId": "1894649306163933185",
      "firstEpisodeId": "1894649306868576297",
      "catalogEpisodeCount": 57,
      "playableEpisodeCount": 10,
      "requestCount": 6,
      "stopReason": "no_new_playable_episodes",
      "codec": "h264",
      "requestedPlayClarity": "1080p",
      "episodes": [
        {
          "episodeId": "1894649306868576297",
          "episodeNo": 1,
          "episodeType": 1,
          "playUrl": "https://ns-aws-cdn.netshort.com/...",
          "backupPlayUrl": null,
          "playClarity": "1080p",
          "subtitleList": [
            {
              "subtitleLanguage": "...",
              "format": "...",
              "expireTime": "...",
              "url": "https://..."
            }
          ],
          "detail": {}
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel. JSON is recommended because episode details and subtitles are nested.

Can I use this as a NetShort playback URL API?

Yes. Run the Actor through Apify's HTTP API, JavaScript or Python client, CLI, OpenAPI specification, or MCP integration. The API tab provides ready-to-use examples for synchronous and asynchronous runs.

Use asynchronous runs for workflows that store the Dataset ID and process URLs later. Because links may expire, avoid long delays between extraction and authorized playback or analysis.

Common use cases

• Validate which episodes are currently available to free viewers.
• Prepare licensed media review or quality-assurance workflows.
• Collect subtitle URLs for authorized localization and accessibility checks.
• Enrich an internal short-drama catalog with episode-level availability.
• Refresh expired links before an approved playback or processing task.
• Compare catalogEpisodeCount with playableEpisodeCount over time.

Cost and responsible use

The Actor uses pay-per-event pricing and charges once for each successfully saved short_play_id result containing at least one free-user playback URL:

• Free Apify plan: $0.004 per successful drama playback result.
• Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond plans: $0.003 per successful result.
• Platform usage: runtime, storage, proxy, and data-transfer costs are paid separately by the user.

Failures, dramas with no free-user playback URLs, retries, and results blocked by the run's maximum charge limit are not charged. There is no separate start fee. Saving the Dataset row and charging the successful-drama-playback event are performed together so a successful event charge always corresponds to a stored result.

Playback URLs may provide access to copyrighted media. Use them only when you have the necessary authorization and in accordance with NetShort's terms, copyright law, privacy obligations, and other applicable rules. The Actor does not grant content rights.

FAQ and support

Why are fewer episodes returned than the drama's episode count?

catalogEpisodeCount describes the full drama, while playableEpisodeCount includes only episodes a free user can play. Locked and paid episodes are intentionally excluded.

Does the Actor always return 1080p?

The Actor requests the highest configured quality of 1080p. Check each episode's playClarity field to confirm the quality NetShort actually returned.

Does this Actor download NetShort videos?

No. It returns direct playback URLs and metadata but does not download or store video files.

Why did a previously working link expire?

NetShort playback and subtitle URLs can be signed and time-limited. Start a new run to obtain fresh URLs.

For reproducible problems, use the Actor Issues tab and include the input ID, run ID, and safe error message. Do not post active playback URLs or private credentials.