# YouTube Debate Transcript & Argument Map (`vanheelsing/youtube-debate-argument-map`) Actor

Extract public YouTube debate captions into timestamped topics, claims-to-verify, and transparent argument scorecards.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/vanheelsing/youtube-debate-argument-map.md
- **Developed by:** [Rodolfo Martins](https://apify.com/vanheelsing) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 85.7% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$150.00 / 1,000 analyzed debate videos

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/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 Debate Transcript & Argument Map

Turn public, captioned YouTube debates into structured research—not an opaque “winner” claim.

This Actor extracts available captions and produces timestamped chapters, core topics, claims that need fact-checking, and a transparent heuristic scorecard for the proposition and opposition.

### Who it is for

- debate societies, educators, and students
- journalists and researchers
- communications and public-affairs teams
- podcast and news-analysis workflows

### What it returns

For each analyzable video:

- clean caption-backed transcript statistics
- timestamped topic chapters
- recurring topic terms
- timestamped evidence/citation claims to verify
- proposition/opposition scorecard covering claim clarity, evidence-specificity, and rebuttal coverage
- a cautious `evidence_weighted_edge` and confidence label

> **Important:** Scores are automated, transparent transcript heuristics. They do **not** determine factual truth, audience voting, or an authoritative debate winner. Side attribution is inferred from captions and can be incomplete.

### Input

- `video_urls` — public YouTube video URLs or video IDs. Videos must have accessible captions.
- `languages` — preferred captions, e.g. `["en", "en-GB"]`.
- `topic_window_seconds` — chapter granularity; default 300 seconds.
- `max_videos` — safety cap of up to 10 videos per run.

### Example

```json
{
  "video_urls": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRJBZrlT2kw"],
  "languages": ["en"],
  "topic_window_seconds": 300,
  "max_videos": 1
}
```

### Use responsibly

Use this Actor for research and editorial assistance. Check source claims before publication, respect YouTube’s terms and creators’ rights, and obtain any permissions required for your use case. Videos without public captions cannot be analyzed.

### Pricing event

One successfully extracted and analyzed public captioned debate video.

# Actor input Schema

## `video_urls` (type: `array`):

One or more public YouTube watch, short, embed, or youtu.be URLs with available captions.

## `languages` (type: `array`):

Preferred caption languages in fallback order, for example en, en-GB, es.

## `topic_window_seconds` (type: `integer`):

Approximate chapter grouping window, from 30 to 1800 seconds.

## `max_videos` (type: `integer`):

Safety cap for input URLs per run; maximum 10.

## `proxy_url` (type: `string`):

Optional approved HTTP(S) proxy URL. If blank, the Actor requests the platform proxy configuration.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "video_urls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRJBZrlT2kw"
  ],
  "languages": [
    "en"
  ],
  "topic_window_seconds": 300,
  "max_videos": 5,
  "proxy_url": ""
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Caption-backed debate analysis records.

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

Analyzed videos, warnings, and heuristic disclaimer.

# 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 = {
    "video_urls": [
        "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRJBZrlT2kw"
    ],
    "languages": [
        "en"
    ],
    "topic_window_seconds": 300,
    "max_videos": 5,
    "proxy_url": ""
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("vanheelsing/youtube-debate-argument-map").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 = {
    "video_urls": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRJBZrlT2kw"],
    "languages": ["en"],
    "topic_window_seconds": 300,
    "max_videos": 5,
    "proxy_url": "",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("vanheelsing/youtube-debate-argument-map").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 '{
  "video_urls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRJBZrlT2kw"
  ],
  "languages": [
    "en"
  ],
  "topic_window_seconds": 300,
  "max_videos": 5,
  "proxy_url": ""
}' |
apify call vanheelsing/youtube-debate-argument-map --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,vanheelsing/youtube-debate-argument-map"
        }
    }
}

```

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/zfYozRaIsUvshXwbI/builds/X6VoSuTbB4Gm7tV1E/openapi.json