youtube-searchSearch YouTube for videos and channels, search within specific channels, then fetch transcripts. Use when the user asks to "find videos about X", "search YouTube for", "look up a channel", "who makes videos about", "find on youtube", or wants to discover YouTube content on a topic.
Install via ClawdBot CLI:
clawdbot install therohitdas/youtube-searchSearch YouTube and fetch transcripts via TranscriptAPI.com.
If $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY is not set, help the user create an account (100 free credits, no card):
Step 1 ā Register: Ask user for their email.
node ./scripts/tapi-auth.js register --email USER_EMAILā OTP sent to email. Ask user: _"Check your email for a 6-digit verification code."_
Step 2 ā Verify: Once user provides the OTP:
node ./scripts/tapi-auth.js verify --token TOKEN_FROM_STEP_1 --otp CODEAPI key saved to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. See File Writes below for details. Existing file is backed up before modification.
Manual option: transcriptapi.com/signup ā Dashboard ā API Keys.
The verify and save-key commands save the API key to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (sets skills.entries.transcriptapi.apiKey and enabled: true). Existing file is backed up to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak before modification.
To use the API key in terminal/CLI outside the agent, add to your shell profile manually:
export TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY=
Full OpenAPI spec: transcriptapi.com/openapi.json ā consult this for the latest parameters and schemas.
Search YouTube globally for videos or channels.
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/search?q=QUERY&type=video&limit=20" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"| Param | Required | Default | Validation |
| ------- | -------- | ------- | --------------------- |
| q | yes | ā | 1-200 chars (trimmed) |
| type | no | video | video or channel |
| limit | no | 20 | 1-50 |
Video search response:
{
"results": [
{
"type": "video",
"videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"title": "Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up",
"channelId": "UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw",
"channelTitle": "Rick Astley",
"channelHandle": "@RickAstley",
"channelVerified": true,
"lengthText": "3:33",
"viewCountText": "1.5B views",
"publishedTimeText": "14 years ago",
"hasCaptions": true,
"thumbnails": [{ "url": "...", "width": 120, "height": 90 }]
}
],
"result_count": 20
}Channel search response (type=channel):
{
"results": [{
"type": "channel",
"channelId": "UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw",
"title": "Rick Astley",
"handle": "@RickAstley",
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/@RickAstley",
"description": "Official channel...",
"subscriberCount": "4.2M subscribers",
"verified": true,
"rssUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UC...",
"thumbnails": [...]
}],
"result_count": 5
}Search videos within a specific channel. Accepts channel ā an @handle, channel URL, or UC... ID.
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/search\
?channel=@TED&q=climate+change&limit=30" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"| Param | Required | Validation |
| --------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| channel | yes | @handle, channel URL, or UC... ID |
| q | yes | 1-200 chars |
| limit | no | 1-50 (default 30) |
Returns up to ~30 results (YouTube limit). Same video response shape as global search.
Convert @handle to channel ID:
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/channel/resolve?input=@TED" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"# 1. Search for videos
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/search\
?q=python+web+scraping&type=video&limit=5" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
# 2. Get transcript from result
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript\
?video_url=VIDEO_ID&format=text&include_timestamp=true&send_metadata=true" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"| Code | Action |
| ---- | -------------------------------------- |
| 402 | No credits ā transcriptapi.com/billing |
| 404 | Not found |
| 408 | Timeout ā retry once |
| 422 | Invalid channel identifier |
Free tier: 100 credits, 300 req/min.
Generated Mar 1, 2026
Marketing teams can use this skill to search for competitor videos and channels, analyze content strategies, and extract transcripts to understand messaging. This helps in identifying trends, benchmarking performance, and gathering insights for product positioning.
Educators and e-learning platforms can search YouTube for instructional videos on specific topics, filter by channels like TED or Khan Academy, and fetch transcripts for accessibility or content summarization. This supports creating curated learning materials and enhancing student engagement.
Content creators and SEO specialists can discover trending videos and channels in their niche, analyze transcripts for keyword usage, and generate ideas for new content. This aids in optimizing video titles, descriptions, and improving search visibility on YouTube.
Journalists can search YouTube for news-related videos and channels, verify information by analyzing transcripts, and gather evidence for stories. This skill helps in sourcing multimedia content, fact-checking claims, and enhancing investigative reporting.
Companies can use this skill to find tutorial videos within specific channels for product training or customer support, extract transcripts for documentation, and create knowledge bases. This improves onboarding processes and reduces support ticket volumes.
Offer a free tier with 100 credits to attract users, then charge for additional credits or premium features like higher limits and advanced analytics. Revenue is generated through monthly or pay-as-you-go subscriptions, targeting developers and businesses.
License the YouTube search and transcript API to other companies for integration into their platforms, such as e-learning tools or content management systems. Provide custom solutions with dedicated support and branding options.
Analyze aggregated search and transcript data to offer insights reports on video trends, sentiment analysis, or competitive intelligence. Sell these reports to marketers, researchers, and media companies seeking actionable data.
š¬ Integration Tip
Ensure the TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY is set in the environment or config file, and use the provided scripts for easy authentication to avoid manual setup errors.
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