Free-start API key

Free YouTube downloader API key for developer testing

Q: Are YouTube downloads unlimited for free?

No. The free start is for account creation, API key access, and testing. Production download, audio, subtitle, transcript, metadata, and higher-volume usage require wallet credit under usage-based pricing.

Q: When do I need to add wallet credit?

Add wallet credit before running paid usage at scale or production traffic. Pricing depends on output format, request volume, and longer-video duration factors.

Q: What is the first cURL request for the free-start API key?

After registration, copy your dashboard API key and call GET /ajax/download.php with a supported YouTube URL, format, add_info=1 when metadata is needed, and the apikey query parameter.

Q: Where should developers check pricing before signup?

Use the pricing page and API docs before signup to confirm format costs, progress polling, subtitle or transcript behavior, and whether your workflow needs wallet credit immediately.

Create a Video Download API account at no cost, copy a dashboard API key, and test the REST workflow before adding wallet credit for paid download, audio, subtitle, transcript, or metadata usage.

Create free-start API key Check pricing Read docs

What is free

Free: Account creation, dashboard API key access, docs review, and first-request testing.
Wallet credit: Required for paid usage as request volume grows, production traffic starts, or your workflow consumes billable download, media, subtitle, transcript, or metadata jobs.
Pricing basis: Usage-based pricing by output format, volume, and longer-video duration factors. No unlimited free download promise.

p.savenow.to is the default shared API host used in public examples. If your dashboard shows a custom API hostname, use that account-specific host instead.

First request

Run cURL after you copy the dashboard key

Replace the masked key with your real dashboard value. A successful request returns a job id, then the progress endpoint returns the final download URL when processing finishes.

Create API key Open endpoint docs

Download request

curl --location "https://p.savenow.to/ajax/download.php?format=mp3&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DK1Pu75yJUOE&add_info=1&apikey=************1234"

Developer path

Know when free testing becomes paid usage

This page is for API access, not a consumer downloader tool. Use it to qualify the workflow before you send production traffic.

1. Create the key

Start at the API key page, register, and copy the dashboard-issued key that belongs to your account.

Get API key

2. Review docs

Confirm download parameters, output formats, metadata fields, and progress polling before wiring your app.

Open API docs

3. Add credit when needed

Check pay-as-you-go pricing before real usage so the format, volume, and duration economics are clear.

View pricing

Related YouTube API pages

Choose the exact YouTube workflow

YouTube Download API

Free API key questions

Is the YouTube downloader API key free?

You can create an account and API key for free so you can review the dashboard, docs, and first-request workflow before adding wallet credit.

Are YouTube downloads unlimited for free?

When do I need to add wallet credit?

What is the first cURL request for the free-start API key?

Where should developers check pricing before signup?