Best YouTube Shorts Transcript APIs in 2025

YouTube Shorts have exploded in popularity, and with that comes the need to extract transcript data from these bite-sized videos. Whether you're analyzing trends, building content tools, or researching short-form video content, getting reliable transcript data from YouTube Shorts requires specialized infrastructure.

Unlike regular YouTube videos, Shorts come with their own set of challenges: different video formats, mobile-first designs, and unique metadata structures. Building a reliable scraper yourself means dealing with constant API changes and format variations.

This is where dedicated YouTube Shorts transcript APIs become essential. Let's explore the best options available in 2025.

1. SocialKit YouTube Shorts Transcript API

Full disclosure: I'm starting with our solution because we've specifically optimized SocialKit's API to handle both YouTube Shorts and regular videos without any code changes.

Key Features:

• Seamless Shorts support: Automatically detects and processes YouTube Shorts
• Regular videos included: Works with standard YouTube videos too
• Timestamped transcript data: Every segment includes precise timing information
• Built-in error handling: Robust retry mechanisms for maximum reliability
• Lightning-fast processing: Optimized specifically for short-form content
• Developer-friendly JSON: Clean, consistent response structure
• Complete API suite: Pairs perfectly with our YouTube Summarizer API and YouTube Comments API
• Expanding platform support: TikTok and Instagram coming soon

Try it free: YouTube Transcript Extractor Tool

Pricing:

• Free tier: 20 API requests monthly
• Basic: $13/month for 2,000 requests (~$6.5 per 1,000)
• Pro: $27/month for 10,000 requests
• Growth: $39/month for 20,000 requests
• Ultimate: $79/month for 50,000 requests

Best for: Developers building short-form video analysis tools, content creators studying Shorts trends, and agencies managing multiple YouTube channels.

2. Supadata.ai

Supadata.ai operates as a comprehensive web scraping platform that includes YouTube Shorts transcript extraction among its many features. While they're not exclusively focused on YouTube, their infrastructure handles Shorts reasonably well.

Key Features:

• General scraping platform: YouTube Shorts is one feature among many
• Multi-source data extraction: Combine YouTube with other web scraping needs
• Reliable infrastructure: Stable service with consistent uptime
• JSON output: Standard structured data format

Pricing:

• Free tier: 100 credits monthly
• Paid tiers: From $9 per 1,000 credits

Pros:

• Useful if you need YouTube Shorts transcripts alongside other web data
• Established infrastructure from web scraping experience
• Competitive pricing for multi-purpose projects

Best for: Teams that require YouTube Shorts transcripts as part of larger data collection projects.

3. ScrapeCreators.com

ScrapeCreators provides a range of social media APIs with emphasis on metrics and analytics. Their YouTube Shorts transcript functionality fits into their broader social media data platform.

Key Features:

• Social media focus: YouTube Shorts alongside Instagram, TikTok, etc.
• Analytics emphasis: Built for data-driven social media analysis
• Flexible platform coverage: Multiple social networks in one service
• Pay-as-you-go pricing: No monthly commitments required

Pricing:

• Free trial: 100 credits (one-time only)
• Pay-per-use: $10 buys 5,000 credits (no subscription)

Pros:

• Flexible payment model without monthly fees
• Comprehensive social media data extraction
• Good for occasional transcript needs

Best for: Social media managers and analysts who need multi-platform data with sporadic transcript extraction.

4. YouTube-transcript.io

YouTube-transcript.io specializes exclusively in YouTube transcript extraction, including support for Shorts videos. Their focused approach keeps things simple and straightforward.

Key Features:

• YouTube specialization: Dedicated entirely to YouTube transcript extraction
• Straightforward API: Easy integration with clear documentation
• Fixed monthly pricing: Predictable subscription costs

Pricing:

• Free tier: 25 credits monthly
• Subscription: $9.99/month for 1,000 transcripts

Pros:

• Single-purpose focus on YouTube transcripts
• Clear, simple pricing structure
• Reliable for consistent workloads

Best for: Projects with steady, predictable YouTube Shorts transcript requirements.

Pricing Breakdown

*Based on $10 for 5,000 credits calculation

Which API Should You Choose?

For Short-Form Video Developers

Choose SocialKit when you need:

• High-volume YouTube Shorts transcript extraction
• Support for both Shorts and regular videos
• Additional APIs for summaries and analytics
• Integration with no-code platforms (Make.com, Zapier, N8N)
• Try it free: YouTube Transcript Extractor

For Multi-Purpose Scraping

Consider Supadata.ai when you need:

• YouTube Shorts transcripts plus broader web scraping
• Proven scraping infrastructure
• Single platform for diverse data sources

For Social Media Analytics

Look at ScrapeCreators when you need:

• Cross-platform social media APIs
• Pay-per-use flexibility
• Strong analytics capabilities

For Straightforward Needs

Try YouTube-transcript.io when you have:

• Predictable, moderate volume requirements
• Simple integration needs
• Preference for subscription billing

Getting Started with YouTube Shorts Transcripts

The smart approach is testing with real data. Each service offers free tiers—use them to validate which API performs best for your specific use case.

Want to try SocialKit's YouTube Shorts Transcript API? Start with 20 free monthly requests. You can also test transcript quality using our free YouTube Transcript Extractor tool before committing to API integration.

Looking for more YouTube Shorts tools? Check these out:

• YouTube Summarizer API: Get AI summaries via API
• YouTube Details API: Extract video metadata from YouTube & YouTube Shorts
• YouTube Comments API: Extract comments from YouTube & YouTube Shorts
• Free YouTube Video Summarizer: Free tool for AI-powered video summaries
• Free YouTube Comments Analyzer: Analyze sentiment from Shorts comments

Happy building, and may your Shorts transcripts always be accurate! 🎬