How to Scrape YouTube Trendings with Node.js

Extract trending data from YouTube

⚡️ Using Node.js

Overview

Learn how to scrape YouTube trendings using Node.js. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process, from setup to implementation.

What You'll Learn

• Setting up your development environment
• Installing the required HTTP client
• Authenticating with the ScrapeCreators API
• Making requests to YouTube
• Handling responses and errors
• Best practices for production use

What You'll Get

• Access to trendings data
• JSON formatted responses
• Real-time data access
• Scalable solution
• Error handling patterns
• Performance optimization tips

Prerequisites

1. API Key

First, you'll need a ScrapeCreators API key to authenticate your requests.

2. Development Environment

Make sure you have the following installed:

• Node.js and its dependencies
• A code editor (VS Code, Sublime, etc.)
• Basic understanding of API requests
• Command line interface access

Step 1: Install HTTP Client

Axios is a promise-based HTTP client for Node.js

npm

npm install axios

Step 2: API Implementation

Now let's make a request to the YouTube API using Node.js. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key.

Node.js

import axios from 'axios';

const API_KEY = 'YOUR_API_KEY';

async function scrape() {
  try {
    const response = await axios.get(`https://api.scrapecreators.com/v1/youtube/shorts/trending?`, {
      headers: {
        'x-api-key': API_KEY,
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      }
    });

    console.log('Response:', response.data);
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error:', error.response?.data || error.message);
  }
}

// Usage
scrape();

Step 3: Testing Your Code

API Parameters

This endpoint accepts the following parameters:

Run Your Code

Execute your script to test the API connection. You should see a JSON response with YouTube trendings data.

✅ Success: You should receive a structured JSON response containing the requested data.

Expected Response

Here's an example of the JSON response you'll receive:

Sample Response

{
  "success": true,
  "shorts": [
    {
      "id": "ou0nl5ET0HA",
      "thumbnail": "https://img.youtube.com/vi/ou0nl5ET0HA/maxresdefault.jpg",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou0nl5ET0HA",
      "title": "That hooper who says their just shoes",
      "description": null,
      "commentCountText": "168",
      "commentCountInt": 168,
      "likeCountText": "151957",
      "likeCountInt": 151957,
      "viewCountText": "13,798,774",
      "viewCountInt": 13798774,
      "publishDateText": "Aug 7, 2025",
      "publishDate": "2025-08-07T13:00:22-07:00",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UC3iObCgKLKr9xquQw7fCang",
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@dameuniverse",
        "handle": "dameuniverse",
        "title": "Dame Universe"
      },
      "chapters": [],
      "keywords": [
        "Kobe",
        "Sneaker heads",
        "Kobe Bryant",
        "House of highlights",
        "Funny memes",
        "Epic basketball",
        "High school hoops",
        "Relatable memes",
        "Basketball entertainment",
        "Basketball shoes"
      ],
      "durationMs": 19000,
      "durationFormatted": "00:00:19"
    },
    {
      "id": "RHjn1eyPLgI",
      "thumbnail": "https://img.youtube.com/vi/RHjn1eyPLgI/maxresdefault.jpg",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHjn1eyPLgI",
      "title": "Save of the Century 🫡 Real Hero 💪 #discipline#success #mindset#ego#shorts#fyp#edit#motivation",
      "description": "Save of the Century 🫡 Real Hero 💪 #discipline#success #mindset#ego#shorts#fyp#edit#motivation\n\nWork Smart 🧠#discipline#success #mindset#ego#shorts#fyp#edit#mentality#motivation\n\nThey won't appreciate you until you leave. Keep carrying them, and they'll think it's easy. Stop - and watch their world fall apart. Stay dangerous. Stay valuable.\nStay irreplaceable.\n\n#motivation #mindset #knowyourworth #staydangerous #selfrespect #discipline #successmindset #alphaenergy #viralshorts #motivationalshorts #valueyourself\n\nEgo is the part of us that shapes our self-identity and confidence, but it can also lead to pride or defensiveness.\nThis simple look at ego explores what it is, how it affects our thoughts and actions, and why balancing it matters in daily life.\nA quick guide to understanding yourself-and others-better.\n\nRelated:-Space, Universe, Space Edit, Astronomy, Cosmos,\nThose who know,\nScience, Ocean,\n#space #universe\nTags:\n#space #universe #stars #galaxy #blackhole #nasa #trendingshorts #solarsystem #nature #ocean #cosmos #science #planets #earth #moon #mars #jupiter #saturn #venus #mercury #uranus #neptune #pluto #astronomy #astrophysics #spacex #satellite #milkyway #comet #rocket #orbit #spacecraft #shorts #fyp #youtube #viralvideo #trending #reels #shortsvideo #viralshorts #astronomyfacts #spacescience #telescope #gravity #meteors #asteroid #nebula #supernova #exoplanet #bigbang #cosmology #spaceexploration #eclipse #hubble #jameswebb #aliens #extraterrestrial #life #multiverse #iss #facts #youtubeshort #knowledge #sciencefacts #trend #viralshort #spacefacts #sun #astronomy #scienceeducation #trendingshorts",
      "commentCountText": "1.5K",
      "commentCountInt": 1500,
      "likeCountInt": null,
      "viewCountText": "9,550,557",
      "viewCountInt": 9550557,
      "publishDateText": "Jul 18, 2025",
      "publishDate": "2025-07-18T09:42:58-07:00",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCj7yUpOuWpLhiiPjf2w15zg",
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@MYVISIONshorts",
        "handle": "MYVISIONshorts",
        "title": "MY VISION"
      },
      "chapters": [],
      "keywords": [
        "motivation",
        "know your worth",
        "mindset shift",
        "stay dangerous",
        "alpha male energy",
        "success mindset",
        "viral shorts",
        "motivational shorts",
        "never settle",
        "grind mindset",
        "never give up",
        "ego boost",
        "viral motivation video",
        "life lessons",
        "viral tiktok",
        "shorts feed inspiration",
        "discipline over motivation",
        "stay valuable",
        "self worth motivation",
        "emotional motivation",
        "power",
        "value yourself",
        "dangerous",
        "Kids",
        "Near death experience",
        "Adrenaline",
        "Discipline",
        "Avengers",
        "Bike accident",
        "Help",
        "Hero",
        "Superhero"
      ],
      "durationMs": 8000,
      "durationFormatted": "00:00:08"
    },
    {
      "id": "urisfWQu5bc",
      "thumbnail": "https://img.youtube.com/vi/urisfWQu5bc/maxresdefault.jpg",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urisfWQu5bc",
      "title": "The Laser Grab Illusion Explained",
      "description": null,
      "commentCountText": "48",
      "commentCountInt": 48,
      "likeCountText": "65072",
      "likeCountInt": 65072,
      "viewCountText": "1,719,730",
      "viewCountInt": 1719730,
      "publishDateText": "Jul 25, 2025",
      "publishDate": "2025-07-25T17:29:48-07:00",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCoGcvX8WSTOpK52Y81OfVFg",
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@FactasticFeed",
        "handle": "FactasticFeed",
        "title": "FactasticFeed"
      },
      "chapters": [],
      "keywords": [
        "shorts",
        "short"
      ],
      "durationMs": 20000,
      "durationFormatted": "00:00:20"
    }
  ]
}

Verify Response Structure

Check that your response includes the expected fields:

✓success(boolean)
✓shorts(object)

Best Practices

Error Handling

Implement comprehensive error handling and retry logic for failed requests. Log errors properly for debugging.

Caching

Cache responses when possible to reduce API calls and improve performance. Consider data freshness requirements.

Security

Never expose your API key in client-side code. Use environment variables and secure key management practices.

Performance Tips

Batch Requests

When scraping multiple trendings, consider batching requests to maximize throughput while staying within rate limits.

Async Processing

Use asynchronous processing in Node.js to handle multiple requests concurrently and improve overall performance.

Common Use Cases

Market Research

Analyze YouTube trendings to understand market trends, competitor analysis, and audience insights.

Content Analytics

Track performance metrics, engagement rates, and content trends across YouTube trendings.

Lead Generation

Identify potential customers and business opportunities throughYouTube data analysis.

Troubleshooting

Common Errors

401 Unauthorized

Check your API key is correct and properly formatted in the x-api-key header.

402 Payment Required

You ran out of credits and need to buy more.

404 Not Found

The resource might not exist or be private.

500 Server Error

Temporary server issue. Implement retry logic with exponential backoff.

Need Help?

Documentation More Tutorials

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to scrape YouTube trendings?

ScrapeCreators offers 100 free API calls to get started. After that, pricing starts at $10 for 5k requests with volume discounts available.

Is it legal to scrape YouTube data?

Scraping publicly available data is fair game, and we only collect public data. So anything that you can see in an incognito browser is what we collect.

How fast can I scrape YouTube trendings?

There is no rate limit! So you can scrape as fast as you want!

What data format does the API return?

All API responses are returned in JSON format, making it easy to integrate with any programming language or application.

Can I use this with other Node.js frameworks?

Yes! This tutorial focuses on core Node.js HTTP concepts that work with any framework. The API calls remain the same regardless of your specific Node.js setup.

How do I handle large datasets?

For large datasets, implement pagination, use streaming responses where available, and consider storing data in a database for efficient querying.

Ready to Start Scraping?

Get started with 100 free API calls. No credit card required.

Start Scraping ⚡️ View Documentation