Agents and automation pipelines
Feed Autonolab data into Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, or custom agents. The REST surface is simple and stateless.
REST API
YouTube Data API for AI Agents.
Pull creator-focused YouTube data into your agents, scripts, and dashboards. REST endpoints for outliers, niche explorer, channel audits, and niche finder. Simple authentication, structured JSON, no OAuth required.
Quick start
curl -X POST \
https://api.autonolab.com/api/v1/youtube/outliers \
-H "X-API-Key: ak_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"keywords":["minimalism"]}'What makes this different from the official API.
Google's YouTube Data API is excellent for raw metadata. But it does not tell you which videos overperformed, which niches are underexploited, or how a channel should reposition. Autonolab layers creator intelligence on top of raw data.
Instead of returning every video matching a keyword, the outliers endpoint returns the ones that punched above their weight. Instead of channel statistics, the audit endpoint returns strategy. Instead of search volume, the niche finder returns validated concepts.
Autonolab vs Official API
Outlier detection: Finds videos that overperform relative to channel size and topic norms.
Niche scoring: Rates opportunities by demand, competition, and creator fit.
Deep research agents: Channel audits and niche finder reports with full strategy writeups.
Single key auth: No OAuth, no Google Cloud console, no credential management.
MCP ready: The same endpoints are available as remote MCP tools for Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
Endpoint reference.
Production REST endpoints. Versioned, authenticated, and rate-limited.
Free: 20/day and 5/min
POST
/api/v1/youtube/outliers
Find high-performing videos for up to five keywords. Returns structured outlier data with performance signals and packaging notes.
POST
/api/v1/youtube/niche-explorer/channels
Search Niche Explorer enriched channel opportunities. Filter by subscriber size, topic, and opportunity score.
POST
/api/v1/youtube/channel-videos
Fetch recent channel uploads. Useful for repackaging research, cadence analysis, and topical shift detection.
POST
/api/v1/youtube/channel-audit
Run the Channel Audit deep research AI agent on any public channel. Returns strategy, content gaps, and competitor notes.
POST
/api/v1/youtube/niche-finder
Run the Niche Finder deep research AI agent from interests, skills, and constraints. Returns validated niche concepts.
Authentication.
Every request must include a valid API key in the X-API-Key header. Generate, rotate, and revoke keys from the Autonolab developer console. Keys are scoped to your account and respect your plan's rate limits.
Header format
X-API-Key: ak_live_...
Security tips
- Never commit API keys to version control.
- Rotate keys every 90 days.
- Use environment variables in production.
- Revoke leaked keys immediately from the console.
Rate limits.
Limits are enforced per API key. We return usage headers in every response so you can throttle gracefully.
Free tier
Daily limit20 calls
Per-minute limit5 calls
Response headers
X-RateLimit-Limit: 20
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 17
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1715941200
Code examples.
Copy, paste, and adapt. All examples call the outliers endpoint with a single keyword.
curl
curl -X POST https://api.autonolab.com/api/v1/youtube/outliers \
-H "X-API-Key: ak_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"keywords": ["history documentaries"],
"filters": {
"videoType": "long"
}
}'Node.js / fetch
const res = await fetch('https://api.autonolab.com/api/v1/youtube/outliers', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'X-API-Key': process.env.AUTONOLAB_API_KEY,
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
},
body: JSON.stringify({
keywords: ['history documentaries'],
filters: {
videoType: 'long',
},
}),
});
const data = await res.json();Python / requests
import requests, os
res = requests.post(
'https://api.autonolab.com/api/v1/youtube/outliers',
headers={
'X-API-Key': os.environ['AUTONOLAB_API_KEY'],
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
},
json={
'keywords': ['history documentaries'],
'filters': {
'videoType': 'long',
},
}
)
data = res.json()Use cases.
The REST API is designed for builders who want structured creator intelligence without browser automation.
Creator dashboards
Build internal dashboards that track outliers, niche scores, and competitor audits alongside your own analytics.
Research tools and Slack bots
Power Slack commands, Discord bots, or Notion integrations that pull live YouTube intelligence on demand.
Scripted exports and reports
Generate weekly CSV reports of outlier videos, niche explorer findings, or channel audit summaries with a cron job.
Frequently asked questions.
How is this different from the official YouTube Data API?
Google's official API gives raw video metadata and statistics. Autonolab adds creator-focused signals: outlier detection, niche opportunity scoring, deep research audits, and packaging pattern analysis. It answers creator questions, not just data lookups.
Do I need a Google API key?
No. You only need an Autonolab API key. We handle YouTube data collection, enrichment, and analysis. You interact with a single authenticated endpoint.
What format are responses in?
All endpoints return JSON. Outliers and niche explorer return structured arrays. Channel audit and niche finder return deep research reports with multiple analysis sections.
How does authentication work?
Authenticate with an X-API-Key header. Generate keys from the Autonolab developer console. Rotate or revoke keys at any time.
What are the rate limits?
Free users: 20 calls per day, 5 per minute. Paid plans increase both daily and per-minute limits. Rate limits are returned in response headers.
Is there a Python or Node SDK?
Not yet. The REST API is simple enough to use with standard HTTP clients. We will release official SDKs once the surface stabilizes.
Can I use this for commercial projects?
Yes. Both free and paid tiers allow commercial use. Attribution is appreciated but not required. Review our terms of service for full details.
What happens if I exceed my quota?
You will receive a 429 status code with rate-limit headers. Upgrade your plan or wait for the next daily reset. We do not charge overages.
Related developer pages
Start pulling structured YouTube data today.
Get your free API key, read the docs, and start feeding creator intelligence into your agents, dashboards, and automations.