TikTok Transcript API examples

This repository shows how to call the fixed Apify Actor apple_yang/tiktok-transcripts-scraper from cURL, Python, Node.js, Java, Go, and Rust. Each Actor Run accepts one TikTok video URL as the videoUrl string; CSV examples start separate Runs from the client, one URL at a time.

Choose a starting point:

1. Try without writing code: an Apify account is required. Open the Actor in Apify Console, enter a video URL in its public input, start a Run, then inspect its Dataset.
2. Integrate with code: follow QuickStart or pick a language example.
3. Use an AI client: configure Apify MCP using the MCP compatibility matrix and the relevant client guides.

Before running the Actor, review its current pricing. The examples make no free-use or fixed-cost promise.

First code call

You need an Apify account. Create an API token in Apify Console under Settings → API & Integrations, then set it as APIFY_TOKEN (see Apify's API getting-started guide); never publish, share, or commit the real token, or paste it into chats or AI assistant tools.

The default example video URL is:

https://www.tiktok.com/@carter.braydon/video/7647694374876319007

For a quick cURL run, set APIFY_TOKEN in your shell and run from the repository root (Bash, curl, and Python 3 are required):

export APIFY_TOKEN='your_apify_token_here'
bash examples/curl/single-url-sync.sh

On success, the script prints the Run ID before waiting, then displays the transcript text and saves the complete Dataset Items to sample-output/generated/curl-transcript-<run-id>.json.

To provide another video URL:

bash examples/curl/single-url-sync.sh --video-url 'https://www.tiktok.com/@user/video/1234567890'

The cURL script reads the process environment and does not load .env. Python, Node.js, and Java can load a repository-root .env; Go and Rust read the process environment. See QuickStart for setup and runtime requirements.

What this project does

• Calls the fixed API ID apple_yang~tiktok-transcripts-scraper at api.apify.com; Actor, host, and path are not user-configurable.
• Sends the minimal input { "videoUrl": "..." }. The Actor does not accept a URL array.
• Separates Run status, Dataset reads, and transcript checks. SUCCEEDED does not guarantee a Dataset item or non-empty text; inspect errMsg too.
• Writes generated examples under sample-output/generated/, which Git ignores. No real transcript output is committed as a fixture.

Run creation uses one client-side POST attempt; that is not a server-side exactly-once guarantee. If the result is uncertain, check Apify Console before retrying. After a wait timeout, use the same Run ID to continue checking.

The Actor extracts transcript and metadata fields listed in its public Output schema. Summaries, topic labels, hooks, and other analysis are produced by your application or AI client from the returned data; they are not additional Actor output fields.

Language examples

Commands start at the repository root unless noted. Supply APIFY_TOKEN as described in each language guide.

Example	Runtime	Single-video command	Guide
cURL	Bash, curl, Python 3	bash examples/curl/single-url-sync.sh	cURL
Python	Python 3.11+	python3 examples/python/single_url.py	Python
Node.js	Node.js 20.12+	node examples/nodejs/single-url.mjs	Node.js
Java	JDK 17, Maven	mvn -f examples/java/pom.xml -Dexec.mainClass=com.apismith.tiktok.SingleUrl compile exec:java	Java
Go	Go 1.22+	cd examples/go && go run .	Go
Rust	Rust 2021, Cargo lockfile v4	cargo run --manifest-path examples/rust/Cargo.toml --bin single_url	Rust

Per-language guides document URL overrides, asynchronous Run retrieval, CSV processing, outputs, and offline checks.

MCP guides

• Apify MCP
• ChatGPT
• Claude Web/Desktop and Claude Code
• Cursor and VS Code
• Gemini CLI
• Compatibility and verification status

Documentation

• QuickStart
• API reference
• Batch processing
• Troubleshooting
• AI workflows and agent use cases
• Prompt recipes

FAQ

Do I need to write code to try it? No. Open the Actor in Apify Console, provide one videoUrl, start a Run, and inspect the Dataset. Check current pricing before starting.

Does a SUCCEEDED Run guarantee a transcript? No. Check Run status, Dataset availability and contents, text, and errMsg separately.

What if Run creation has an unclear result? Check Apify Console first; do not immediately send another create request.

What if waiting times out? Continue with the same Run ID using the language guide's wait command. A timeout does not mean the Run failed.

Token safety

The only credential used by the examples is APIFY_TOKEN. Do not place it in source code, URLs, logs, committed files, or shared output. The Actor ID is fixed in code; no example reads APIFY_ACTOR_ID.

Next: try the Actor, start with code, or choose an MCP client.