YouTube Channel Lives API
A channel's Live tab: streams that are live now, scheduled, or finished and still on the tab. viewCount is concurrent viewers while a stream is live and total views once it ends. YouTube swaps the label, and we surface whichever it gave us. Calls cost 1 credit each. A cache hit is free, and a failed or empty response is never charged.
Try it
Prefilled with the request that produced the example below. No key yet? Get a free key.
Request
GET
/v1/youtube/channel/lives| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| handle | string | yes | Handle (@mrbeast), channel id (UC…), or full URL |
| cursor | string | no | pagination.cursor from a previous response |
Also accepts cache_max_age (a hit costs 0 credits) and include_raw (returns the untouched upstream payload under raw).
curl
curl "$API/v1/youtube/channel/lives?handle=%40NASA&cache_max_age=7d" \
-H "x-api-key: $KEY"JavaScript
const query = new URLSearchParams({
handle: '@NASA',
cache_max_age: '7d',
});
const response = await fetch(`${API}/v1/youtube/channel/lives?${query}`, {
headers: { 'x-api-key': KEY },
});
const body = await response.json();
if (!body.success) throw new Error(body.error.code);
// 1 credit, 0 on a cache hit
console.log(body.data, body.meta.creditsCharged);Python
import os, httpx
r = httpx.get(
f"{os.environ['API']}/v1/youtube/channel/lives",
params={
"handle": "@NASA",
"cache_max_age": "7d",
},
headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["KEY"]},
timeout=30,
)
body = r.json()
if not body["success"]:
raise RuntimeError(body["error"]["code"])
print(body["data"], body["meta"]["creditsCharged"])Example response
Captured on , with raw removed and lists cut to two items. A live call returns current data.
response
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"items": [
{
"platform": "youtube",
"id": "pAKqJxuxDgk",
"type": "live",
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAKqJxuxDgk",
"title": "Artemis Acceleration (Oct. 23, 2026)",
"text": null,
"authorId": "UCLA_DiR1FfKNvjuUpBHmylQ",
"authorHandle": "NASA",
"authorName": "NASA",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pAKqJxuxDgk/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEgCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAxIIARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBrgC9xg=&rs=AOn4CLA50W9ZX3LiX7GAf-eUdWPCRLyCVA",
"mediaUrls": [],
"durationSeconds": null,
"viewCount": null,
"likeCount": null,
"commentCount": null,
"shareCount": null,
"hashtags": [],
"mentions": [],
"isSponsored": null,
"publishedAt": null,
"fetchedAt": "2026-10-21T01:55:25.557Z"
},
{
"platform": "youtube",
"id": "M3HKLzjvKPc",
"type": "live",
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3HKLzjvKPc",
"title": "Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream)",
"text": null,
"authorId": "UCLA_DiR1FfKNvjuUpBHmylQ",
"authorHandle": "NASA",
"authorName": "NASA",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/M3HKLzjvKPc/hq720.jpg?v=6a6b4e0d&sqp=-oaymwEgCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAxIIARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBrgC9xg=&rs=AOn4CLA9D2F8-tYvhADt76sQQi0GY7n7EA",
"mediaUrls": [],
"durationSeconds": null,
"viewCount": 117,
"likeCount": null,
"commentCount": null,
"shareCount": null,
"hashtags": [],
"mentions": [],
"isSponsored": null,
"publishedAt": null,
"fetchedAt": "2026-10-21T01:55:25.557Z"
}
]
},
"pagination": {
"cursor": "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",
"hasMore": true,
"count": 30
},
"meta": {
"platform": "youtube",
"endpoint": "youtube.channelLives",
"creditsCharged": 1,
"cached": false,
"cacheAgeSeconds": null,
"durationMs": 248,
"requestId": "req_rqk868uclhvss15fjoxt"
}
}Returns
Returns a list of Post in data.items.
Cost and behaviour
| Credits | 1 per live request, 0 on a cache hit |
| Cacheable | yes: cache_max_age accepts a cached copy |
| Batchable | yes: usable as a target in POST /v1/jobs/batch |
| Subscribable | yes: as often as every 3600 seconds, firing a webhook only on a change |
Other YouTube endpoints
- /v1/youtube/channel Channel details
- /v1/youtube/channel-videos Channel videos
- /v1/youtube/channel/community-posts Channel community posts
- /v1/youtube/channel/playlists Channel playlists
- /v1/youtube/channel/shorts Channel shorts
- /v1/youtube/community-post Community post details
- /v1/youtube/playlist Playlist contents
- /v1/youtube/search Search videos