YouTube

YouTube Engagement API

Returns a YouTube channel's views per upload, median views and posting cadence, computed over its latest videos or shorts, in one request. You also get the channel's profile, each upload with its counts and how its views compare with the channel's typical upload, likes per upload where YouTube shows them, and the newest and oldest upload in the sample. Accepts a handle, any channel link or a channel ID.

GET /v1/youtube/engagement

Try it

Example

cURL

curl -G 'https://socialtap.dev/v1/youtube/engagement' \
  --data-urlencode 'handle=@MrBeast' \
  --data-urlencode 'tab=shorts' \
  -H "x-api-key: $SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"

TypeScript SDK

import { SocialTap } from "socialtap";

const client = new SocialTap(); // apiKey defaults to process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY

const res = await client.youtube.engagement.get({ handle: "@MrBeast", tab: "shorts" });
console.log(res.data);
console.log(res.credits.charged, res.meta.request_id);

Node.js (fetch)

const params = new URLSearchParams({
  handle: "@MrBeast",
  tab: "shorts",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://socialtap.dev/v1/youtube/engagement?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.SOCIALTAP_API_KEY ?? "" },
});
const body = await res.json();
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${body.error.code}: ${body.error.message}`);
const { data, meta } = body;
console.log(data, meta.credits_charged);

Python (requests)

import os

import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://socialtap.dev/v1/youtube/engagement",
    params={"handle": "@MrBeast", "tab": "shorts"},
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"]},
)
body = res.json()
if not res.ok:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{body['error']['code']}: {body['error']['message']}")
data, meta = body["data"], body["meta"]
print(data, meta["credits_charged"])

Go (net/http)

package main

import (
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"log"
	"net/http"
	"net/url"
	"os"
)

func main() {
	q := url.Values{}
	q.Set("handle", "@MrBeast")
	q.Set("tab", "shorts")
	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://socialtap.dev/v1/youtube/engagement?"+q.Encode(), nil)
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	req.Header.Set("x-api-key", os.Getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()
	var body struct {
		Data  json.RawMessage `json:"data"`
		Meta  map[string]any  `json:"meta"`
		Error *struct {
			Code    string `json:"code"`
			Message string `json:"message"`
		} `json:"error"`
	}
	if err := json.NewDecoder(res.Body).Decode(&body); err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}
	if body.Error != nil {
		log.Fatalf("%s: %s", body.Error.Code, body.Error.Message)
	}
	fmt.Println(string(body.Data), body.Meta["credits_charged"])
}

PHP

<?php

$query = http_build_query([
    'handle' => '@MrBeast',
    'tab' => 'shorts',
]);
$ch = curl_init('https://socialtap.dev/v1/youtube/engagement?' . $query);
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ['x-api-key: ' . getenv('SOCIALTAP_API_KEY')],
]);
$body = json_decode(curl_exec($ch), true);
if (curl_getinfo($ch, CURLINFO_RESPONSE_CODE) >= 400) {
    throw new RuntimeException($body['error']['code'] . ': ' . $body['error']['message']);
}
print_r($body['data']);
echo $body['meta']['credits_charged'], PHP_EOL;

Ruby

require "json"
require "net/http"

uri = URI("https://socialtap.dev/v1/youtube/engagement")
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form('handle' => '@MrBeast', 'tab' => 'shorts')
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
req["x-api-key"] = ENV.fetch("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")
res = Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, use_ssl: uri.scheme == "https") { |http| http.request(req) }
body = JSON.parse(res.body)
raise "#{body["error"]["code"]}: #{body["error"]["message"]}" unless res.is_a?(Net::HTTPSuccess)
pp body["data"]
puts body["meta"]["credits_charged"]

Java

import java.net.URI;
import java.net.URLEncoder;
import java.net.http.HttpClient;
import java.net.http.HttpRequest;
import java.net.http.HttpResponse;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        String query = "handle=" + encode("@MrBeast")
            + "&tab=" + encode("shorts");
        HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder()
            .uri(URI.create("https://socialtap.dev/v1/youtube/engagement?" + query))
            .header("x-api-key", System.getenv("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"))
            .GET()
            .build();
        HttpResponse<String> response = HttpClient.newHttpClient()
            .send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
        // An error is {"error": {"code", "message", ...}}; success is {data, meta}, meta.credits_charged its price.
        if (response.statusCode() >= 400) throw new RuntimeException(response.body());
        System.out.println(response.body());
    }

    static String encode(String value) {
        return URLEncoder.encode(value, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
    }
}

.NET

using System.Text.Json;

using var http = new HttpClient();
http.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("x-api-key", Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY"));

var query = string.Join("&",
    "handle=" + Uri.EscapeDataString("@MrBeast"),
    "tab=" + Uri.EscapeDataString("shorts"));
var res = await http.GetAsync("https://socialtap.dev/v1/youtube/engagement?" + query);
using var body = JsonDocument.Parse(await res.Content.ReadAsStringAsync());
if (!res.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
    var error = body.RootElement.GetProperty("error");
    throw new Exception($"{error.GetProperty("code")}: {error.GetProperty("message")}");
}
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("data"));
Console.WriteLine(body.RootElement.GetProperty("meta").GetProperty("credits_charged"));

Rust

// Cargo.toml: reqwest = { version = "0.12", features = ["blocking", "json"] }, serde_json = "1"
use std::env;

fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let res = reqwest::blocking::Client::new()
        .get("https://socialtap.dev/v1/youtube/engagement")
        .query(&[("handle", "@MrBeast"), ("tab", "shorts")])
        .header("x-api-key", env::var("SOCIALTAP_API_KEY")?)
        .send()?;
    let ok = res.status().is_success();
    let body: serde_json::Value = res.json()?;
    if !ok {
        return Err(format!("{}: {}", body["error"]["code"], body["error"]["message"]).into());
    }
    println!("{} {}", body["data"], body["meta"]["credits_charged"]);
    Ok(())
}

200 OK

{
  "data": {
    "approximate_fields": [],
    "bottom_post_id": null,
    "id": "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
    "metrics": {
      "comment_to_like_ratio": null,
      "comments_per_post": null,
      "counted_post_count": 15,
      "engagement_rate": null,
      "engagement_rate_stddev": null,
      "formats": [
        {
          "counted_post_count": 15,
          "engagement_rate": null,
          "interactions_per_post": null,
          "type": "video",
          "views_per_post": 107547782.4
        }
      ],
      "interactions_per_post": null,
      "likes_per_post": 2063973.27,
      "median_engagement_rate": null,
      "median_views_per_post": 85200657,
      "posts_per_week": 0.77,
      "quotes_per_post": null,
      "rated_post_count": 0,
      "reposts_per_post": null,
      "sampled_post_count": 15,
      "saves_per_post": null,
      "shares_per_post": null,
      "view_engagement_rate": null,
      "views_per_post": 107547782.4
    },
    "newest_post_at": "2026-10-30T17:00:04Z",
    "oldest_post_at": "2026-06-24T16:00:14Z",
    "platform": "youtube",
    "platform_specific": {},
    "posts": [
      {
        "engagement_rate": null,
        "engagement_vs_median": null,
        "is_counted": true,
        "post": {
          "approximate_fields": [],
          "author": {
            "avatar_url": null,
            "display_name": "MrBeast",
            "id": "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
            "is_verified": null,
            "url": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
            "username": null
          },
          "coauthors": [],
          "duration_ms": null,
          "hashtags": [],
          "id": "41UzbuW6wJs",
          "is_nsfw": null,
          "is_pinned": null,
          "is_sponsored": null,
          "language": null,
          "media": [
            {
              "alt_text": null,
              "duration_ms": null,
              "expires_at": null,
              "height": 360,
              "thumbnail_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/41UzbuW6wJs/hqdefault.jpg",
              "type": "video",
              "url": null,
              "width": 480
            }
          ],
          "mentions": [],
          "metrics": {
            "comment_count": null,
            "like_count": 754355,
            "quote_count": null,
            "repost_count": null,
            "save_count": null,
            "share_count": null,
            "view_count": 46591207
          },
          "platform": "youtube",
          "platform_specific": {
            "youtube": {
              "author_subscriber_count": null,
              "category": null,
              "chapters": [],
              "description_links": [],
              "is_age_restricted": null,
              "is_live_now": null,
              "is_paywalled": null,
              "is_unlisted": null,
              "keywords": [],
              "live_ended_at": null,
              "live_started_at": null,
              "scheduled_start_at": null
            }
          },
          "platform_type": "short",
          "published_at": "2026-10-30T17:00:04Z",
          "text": null,
          "thumbnail_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/41UzbuW6wJs/hqdefault.jpg",
          "title": "Can A Robot Do My Chores?",
          "type": "video",
          "unknown_fields": [
            "coauthors",
            "platform_specific.youtube.keywords",
            "platform_specific.youtube.chapters"
          ],
          "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/41UzbuW6wJs"
        },
        "view_engagement_rate": null,
        "views_vs_median": 0.55
      },
      {
        "engagement_rate": null,
        "engagement_vs_median": null,
        "is_counted": true,
        "post": {
          "approximate_fields": [],
          "author": {
            "avatar_url": null,
            "display_name": "MrBeast",
            "id": "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
            "is_verified": null,
            "url": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
            "username": null
          },
          "coauthors": [],
          "duration_ms": null,
          "hashtags": [],
          "id": "mND4T0lzg_g",
          "is_nsfw": null,
          "is_pinned": null,
          "is_sponsored": null,
          "language": null,
          "media": [
            {
              "alt_text": null,
              "duration_ms": null,
              "expires_at": null,
              "height": 360,
              "thumbnail_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mND4T0lzg_g/hqdefault.jpg",
              "type": "video",
              "url": null,
              "width": 480
            }
          ],
          "mentions": [],
          "metrics": {
            "comment_count": null,
            "like_count": 926584,
            "quote_count": null,
            "repost_count": null,
            "save_count": null,
            "share_count": null,
            "view_count": 32834425
          },
          "platform": "youtube",
          "platform_specific": {
            "youtube": {
              "author_subscriber_count": null,
              "category": null,
              "chapters": [],
              "description_links": [],
              "is_age_restricted": null,
              "is_live_now": null,
              "is_paywalled": null,
              "is_unlisted": null,
              "keywords": [],
              "live_ended_at": null,
              "live_started_at": null,
              "scheduled_start_at": null
            }
          },
          "platform_type": "short",
          "published_at": "2026-10-23T18:00:08Z",
          "text": null,
          "thumbnail_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mND4T0lzg_g/hqdefault.jpg",
          "title": "How People Treat You Based on Subscribers",
          "type": "video",
          "unknown_fields": [
            "coauthors",
            "platform_specific.youtube.keywords",
            "platform_specific.youtube.chapters"
          ],
          "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mND4T0lzg_g"
        },
        "view_engagement_rate": null,
        "views_vs_median": 0.39
      },
      {
        "engagement_rate": null,
        "engagement_vs_median": null,
        "is_counted": true,
        "post": {
          "approximate_fields": [],
          "author": {
            "avatar_url": null,
            "display_name": "MrBeast",
            "id": "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
            "is_verified": null,
            "url": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
            "username": null
          },
          "coauthors": [],
          "duration_ms": null,
          "hashtags": [],
          "id": "Y8IJi7iP5vk",
          "is_nsfw": null,
          "is_pinned": null,
          "is_sponsored": null,
          "language": null,
          "media": [
            {
              "alt_text": null,
              "duration_ms": null,
              "expires_at": null,
              "height": 360,
              "thumbnail_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y8IJi7iP5vk/hqdefault.jpg",
              "type": "video",
              "url": null,
              "width": 480
            }
          ],
          "mentions": [],
          "metrics": {
            "comment_count": null,
            "like_count": 1213153,
            "quote_count": null,
            "repost_count": null,
            "save_count": null,
            "share_count": null,
            "view_count": 138479209
          },
          "platform": "youtube",
          "platform_specific": {
            "youtube": {
              "author_subscriber_count": null,
              "category": null,
              "chapters": [],
              "description_links": [],
              "is_age_restricted": null,
              "is_live_now": null,
              "is_paywalled": null,
              "is_unlisted": null,
              "keywords": [],
              "live_ended_at": null,
              "live_started_at": null,
              "scheduled_start_at": null
            }
          },
          "platform_type": "short",
          "published_at": "2026-10-16T16:00:02Z",
          "text": null,
          "thumbnail_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y8IJi7iP5vk/hqdefault.jpg",
          "title": "Last To Fall Wins",
          "type": "video",
          "unknown_fields": [
            "coauthors",
            "platform_specific.youtube.keywords",
            "platform_specific.youtube.chapters"
          ],
          "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Y8IJi7iP5vk"
        },
        "view_engagement_rate": null,
        "views_vs_median": 1.63
      }
    ],
    "profile": {
      "approximate_fields": [
        "created_at",
        "metrics.follower_count"
      ],
      "avatar_url": "https://yt3.googleusercontent.com/nxYrc_1_2f77DoBadyxMTmv7ZpRZapHR5jbuYe7PlPd5cIRJxtNNEYyOC0ZsxaDyJJzXrnJiuDE=s900-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj",
      "banner_url": "https://yt3.googleusercontent.com/mHMO_eEMp0dPvh0ADwXhPXNYb_GnjSVsLI8biqF1CpxT8OPl7izhNQsDPD3JHhd5y5Mg9GrP=w2560-fcrop64=1,00005a57ffffa5a8-k-c0xffffffff-no-nd-rj",
      "bio": "SUBSCRIBE FOR A COOKIE!\nNew MrBeast or MrBeast Gaming video every single Saturday at noon eastern time!\nAccomplishments:\n- Raised $20,000,000 To Plant 20,000,000 Trees\n- Removed 30,000,000 pounds of trash from the ocean\n- Helped 2,000 people walk again\n- Helped 1,000 blind people…",
      "category": null,
      "country_code": "US",
      "created_at": "2012-02-19T08:00:00Z",
      "display_name": "MrBeast",
      "external_links": [
        {
          "title": "Follow",
          "url": "https://www.instagram.com/mrbeast/"
        },
        {
          "title": "Twitter",
          "url": "https://twitter.com/MrBeast"
        },
        {
          "title": "Facebook",
          "url": "https://facebook.com/mrbeast/"
        }
      ],
      "id": "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
      "is_private": false,
      "is_verified": true,
      "location": "United States",
      "metrics": {
        "follower_count": 524000000,
        "following_count": null,
        "post_count": 1011,
        "total_like_count": null,
        "total_view_count": 145430387555
      },
      "platform": "youtube",
      "platform_specific": {
        "youtube": {
          "is_business_email_listed": true,
          "is_official_artist_channel": false,
          "is_subscriber_count_hidden": false,
          "keywords": [
            "mrbeast6000",
            "beast",
            "mrbeast"
          ]
        }
      },
      "type": "unknown",
      "unknown_fields": [],
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast",
      "username": "MrBeast"
    },
    "top_post_id": null,
    "unknown_fields": [],
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast"
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_3f9c2a7d1e8b4c6a9f0e2d4b6a8c0e1f",
    "platform": "youtube",
    "source": "page",
    "is_cached": false,
    "credits_charged": 1,
    "latency_ms": 697,
    "fetched_at": "2026-10-25T12:00:00Z",
    "input": {
      "kind": "profile",
      "id": "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast"
    },
    "credits_remaining": 9999,
    "client_request_id": null,
    "warnings": []
  }
}

Long arrays and strings are shortened for display; real responses are complete.

Good to know

The figures cover the channel's latest uploads, the first page of its videos or shorts tab. The profile and each upload are exactly what the YouTube Channel API and the YouTube Channel Videos API return.
YouTube's channel lists show no comment counts, so the engagement rates (likes plus comments, per subscriber and per view), interactions, the comment-to-like ratio and the top and bottom post are null on YouTube. Comment counts per video come from the YouTube Video API.
Likes and exact upload times come from YouTube's uploads feed, which lists the newest uploads only, and likes_per_post averages those. Beyond them views are rounded and upload times are relative ("3 weeks ago") or, on the shorts tab, absent, so figures computed from them are listed in approximate_fields and cadence covers the uploads with a time.
When the uploads feed does not answer, a partial_data warning names the fields left null.
A channel that hides its subscriber count has profile.metrics.follower_count null.
A channel without uploads in the tab returns its profile with posts [] and every figure null.

Authorizations

x-api-keystringheaderrequired

Your API key. Authentication

Query parameters

handlestringrequiredmax 2,048 chars

YouTube channel: a handle with or without the @ (NASA, @NASA), any channel link (youtube.com/@NASA, youtube.com/channel/UC…, the legacy youtube.com/c/<name>, youtube.com/user/<name> and youtube.com/<name> links, with any tab or view after them, and m. or music. hosts), a bare UC… channel ID, or c/<name>, user/<name> or vanity/<name>. Handles are case-insensitive.

Example@NASA

tabstring

The uploads the figures cover: the channel's latest videos (default) or its latest shorts.

One ofvideosshorts

Exampleshorts

handle takes YouTube profile links; another kind of link, or another platform's, fails free with invalid_input. Unknown parameters are rejected with a suggestion, never ignored (Requests).

Parameters every endpoint accepts

max_ageintegermin 0

Accept a cached response up to this many seconds old. Cache hits cost 0 credits. Omit to always fetch fresh. The Cache-Control: max-age=N request header is equivalent; max_age wins when both are sent.

fieldsstring

Return only these fields of each item: comma-separated paths in the schema's notation (id,text,metrics.view_count,segments[].text; a parent path keeps the whole object). Unknown paths are rejected. Applied after the cache, so it changes neither the price nor cache hits; page and meta are always returned whole.

Response

application/json

200

{data, meta}. data is a engagement object; meta describes the request (meta). The fields are the shared engagement schema, the same on all 6 platforms that serve it.

platformstring

Platform ID (tiktok, instagram, …).

idstring

Platform-native account ID (equals profile.id).

urlstring uri

Canonical profile URL (equals profile.url).

profileobject

The account, as its profile endpoint returns it; its metrics.follower_count divides every engagement_rate.

Show 20 child fields

These fields, in this page's Markdown

postsobject[]

The sampled recent posts in the profile's order, each with its own figures. [] when none; [] and in unknown_fields when unreadable (a private account, a failed posts request).

Show 6 child fields

These fields, in this page's Markdown

metricsobject

Figures over the counted posts (by the account, not pinned); each null when no counted post has its inputs.

Show 19 child fields

sampled_post_countintegernullable

Posts in the sample, the length of posts; null when unreadable.

counted_post_countintegernullable

Sampled posts that enter the figures.

rated_post_countintegernullable

Counted posts with known like and comment counts: what interaction figures and rates are over.

views_per_postnumbernullable

Mean views per counted post with a view count.

median_views_per_postnumbernullable

Median views per counted post: the typical post, unmoved by one viral hit.

likes_per_postnumbernullable

Mean likes per counted post with a like count.

comments_per_postnumbernullable

Mean comments per counted post with a comment count.

shares_per_postnumbernullable

Mean shares per counted post with a share count.

reposts_per_postnumbernullable

Mean reposts per counted post with a repost count.

quotes_per_postnumbernullable

Mean quote posts per counted post with a quote count.

saves_per_postnumbernullable

Mean saves per counted post with a save count.

interactions_per_postnumbernullable

Mean interactions (likes + comments) per rated post; known without a follower count.

engagement_ratenumbernullable

Mean of the rated posts' engagement_rate (interactions per follower), as a fraction (0.042 = 4.2%).

median_engagement_ratenumbernullable

Median of the rated posts' engagement_rate.

engagement_rate_stddevnumbernullable

Population standard deviation of the rated posts' engagement_rate: how uneven they perform. Null under 2 rated posts.

view_engagement_ratenumbernullable

Mean of the rated posts' view_engagement_rate (interactions per view), as a fraction.

comment_to_like_rationumbernullable

The rated posts' comments over their likes.

posts_per_weeknumbernullable

Posting cadence: intervals between counted posts per week from oldest_post_at to newest_post_at.

formatsobject[]

The counted posts by post type, most posts first; [] when none are counted.

Show 5 child fields

typestring

Post type (post.type). New values may be added; treat unknown values as other.

One ofvideoimagecarouseltextlinkaudio

counted_post_countinteger

Counted posts of this type.

views_per_postnumbernullable

Mean views per post of this type.

interactions_per_postnumbernullable

Mean interactions per rated post of this type.

engagement_ratenumbernullable

Mean engagement_rate of the rated posts of this type.

oldest_post_atstring date-timenullable

Publish time of the oldest counted post, RFC 3339 UTC: where the sample starts.

newest_post_atstring date-timenullable

Publish time of the newest counted post, RFC 3339 UTC: when the account last posted.

top_post_idstringnullable

ID of the rated post with the most interactions (likes + comments); the first on a tie.

bottom_post_idstringnullable

ID of the rated post with the fewest interactions; the first on a tie.

platform_specificobject

Fields only this platform has, under its ID (platform_specific.<platform>); each null when unknown.

approximate_fieldsstring[]

JSON paths of figures computed from an approximate input (a rounded follower or view count, a relative publish time); a posts[] path means at least one post's. [] when all exact.

unknown_fieldsstring[]

JSON paths of lists whose [] means unknown rather than none (posts, metrics.formats). [] when every list is known.

not_found and private_or_unavailable are item-level: the request was fine, the item can't be returned.

400

400 Bad Request: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

invalid_inputNo retry

A parameter is missing or malformed, or the link is not one this endpoint takes.

Fix the parameter named in param as the message says. For a link of the wrong kind, call an endpoint listed in details.endpoints, when there is one.

401

401 Unauthorized: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

unauthorizedNo retry

The x-api-key header is missing, or its key is unknown or revoked. On the dashboard's routes: the session cookie is missing or expired.

Send a valid API key in the x-api-key header. No key yet? A person gets one at details.signup_url; an AI agent follows details.agent_auth_url.

402

402 Payment Required: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

insufficient_creditsNo retry

The account does not have enough credits for this request.

Have a person buy credits at details.purchase_url (or make them a checkout link with details.checkout), then repeat the request. Do not retry automatically.

spend_limit_reachedNo retry

The API key reached its spend limit for this period. The account may still have credits.

Wait until details.resets_at, or raise the key's spend limit (PATCH /v1/api_keys/{id}). Do not retry automatically.

403

403 Forbidden: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

forbiddenNo retry

The API key is valid but may not make this request, and details.reason says why: the account is suspended, the key lacks the route's scope, waits for its owner to confirm it by email, has expired, or was used from an IP outside its allowlist, or a rotated key's previous secret was used for a call that needs the admin scope. A running job stops with it too when its account is suspended or the key that created it is revoked or expires. It is about the key, never the item: a private item is private_or_unavailable, also 403, so branch on the code.

Act on details.reason. suspended: contact support. scope: use a key with details.required_scope. previous_secret: use the new secret. key_pending: have the owner open the emailed link. key_expired or key_revoked: create a new key. ip_not_allowed: call from an allowed IP.

private_or_unavailableNo retry

The item exists but is not public: it is private, age- or region-restricted, or needs a login to view. It shares 403 with forbidden (which is about the key), so branch on the code.

Only public items can be fetched. Do not retry.

404

404 Not Found: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

not_foundNo retry

The item does not exist or was deleted. On GET /v1/requests/{id}/response: the response was not kept (details.reason says why).

Check the link or ID. Do not retry.

429

429 Too Many Requests: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

rate_limitedYes, later

The account passed its runaway-protection ceiling: a high per-account limit that stops a broken client loop (plans have no rate limit). Requests without an API key (signup, the MCP server's tool listing and find_endpoint) are limited per IP address instead. It also stops an account whose failed requests in the last hour cost far more than its successful ones paid for: failures are free within a limit (the message says so), and successes raise it.

Wait the seconds in the retry-after header, then retry. If your steady traffic needs more, ask support to raise the ceiling; without an API key, send one.

500

500 Internal Error: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

internalYes, later

An unexpected error on SocialTap's side.

Retry with backoff. If it keeps happening, contact support with the request_id.

502

502 Bad Gateway: 1 error code. Free: errors cost nothing.

upstream_errorYes, later

The platform failed, or answered with something we could not read.

Retry with backoff. Failed requests are free.

503

503 Unavailable: 2 error codes. Free: errors cost nothing.

upstream_blockedYes, later

The platform refused every attempt, our own retries included.

Retry later with backoff. Failed requests are free.

overloadedYes, later

SocialTap was at capacity, or paused by its operators, and did not start the request. Nothing was fetched or charged.

Retry after the seconds in the retry-after header. Failed requests are free.

Pricing

From 1 credit per request. Charged only for successful requests. Errors are free. The price depends on the source that produced the result, reported as meta.source; sources are tried cheapest first: Platform API → Public page.

Source	Price per successful request	Per 1,000 requests
Any source	1 credit	$0.75–$1.97

Balance, sources and what you were charged

Your balance must be at least 1 credit to start a request; with less, it is refused with insufficient_credits (HTTP 402) and costs nothing. Only that minimum is set aside when the request starts.

meta.source	Source	What it means
`api`	Platform API	The platform's public, logged-out API.
`page`	Public page	Data embedded in the platform's public web page.

meta.credits_charged and the x-credits-charged header show what you paid. How credits work · Packs

Endpoint ID youtube.engagement · operationId youtube.engagement.get · Product overview