Docs · Search videos

Search videos

Videos matching a keyword, as TikTok's search ranks them, 20 per page.

1 credit per callFresh within 10 minutesMCP tool: tiktok_search_keyword

GEThttps://api.lurkapi.com/v1/tiktok/search/keyword

When to use this

Use it to find what's posted about a product, a brand or a topic: each video with its views, likes, comments, shares, caption, creator and a playable MP4 URL. Results come in the order tiktok.com's search shows a logged-out US visitor, most relevant first; they can include paid posts (isAd: true).

Pagination. 20 videos per page. Pass the response's cursor back as cursor (with the same query) for more; has_more is false at the end. TikTok's ranking shifts between calls, so a video can repeat across pages: dedupe by id.

TikTok offers logged-out visitors no date or sort filters, so this endpoint has none. A keyword nothing matches returns an empty videos list.

Parameters

All parameters go in the query string.

Parameter	Description
`query` stringrequired	What to search for, e.g. `running shoes`. Example `running shoes`
`cursor` stringoptional	The `cursor` from the previous response, to get the next page.

Example request

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your key, or set LURKAPI_KEY for the code. Get a free key.

curlJavaScriptPython

JavaScript · reads your key from LURKAPI_KEY

const params = new URLSearchParams({
  query: "running shoes",
});
const res = await fetch(`https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/tiktok/search/keyword?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.LURKAPI_KEY },
});
const data = await res.json();
if (!data.success) throw new Error(`${data.code}: ${data.error}`);
console.log(data.videos);

Python · reads your key from LURKAPI_KEY

import os
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/tiktok/search/keyword",
    params={
        "query": "running shoes",
    },
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["LURKAPI_KEY"]},
    timeout=60,
)
data = res.json()
if not data["success"]:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{data['code']}: {data['error']}")
print(data["videos"])

Example response

A real response from this endpoint, captured from the live API and trimmed to a couple of items. Strings over 96 characters (mostly signed media URLs) are cut short and end in ….

Show the example response (5 KB)

{
  "success": true,
  "credits_remaining": 999984,
  "credits_charged": 1,
  "videos": [
    {
      "id": "7694350820791291167",
      "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@justinehuang_/video/7694350820791291167",
      "desc": "alphafly 4 hyper pink 💓⚡️🔥 #running #alphafly #shoes #marathon #nike unreleased",
      "title": null,
      "createTime": 1791480676,
      "textLanguage": "en",
      "locationCreated": null,
      "isAd": false,
      "author": {
        "id": "6737339887018705925",
        "uniqueId": "justinehuang_",
        "nickname": "justine",
        "secUid": "MS4wLjABAAAAT4e1UcT4XHdcafhBnQrk6KohEvS_f1J1biBbayfZ3yR9DWXDVDC1z7NuVzhnjaYW",
        "verified": false,
        "privateAccount": false,
        "avatarThumb": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast8-avt-0068-tx2/3734a7…",
        "avatarLarger": "https://p19-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast8-avt-0068-tx2/3734a7…"
      },
      "stats": {
        "playCount": 8639,
        "diggCount": 309,
        "commentCount": 7,
        "shareCount": 34,
        "collectCount": 31,
        "repostCount": 0
      },
      "video": {
        "duration": 16,
        "width": 720,
        "height": 1280,
        "definition": "720p",
        "cover": "https://p19-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast8-p-0068-tx2/okAAAf9j…",
        "dynamicCover": "https://p19-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-useast8-p-0068-tx2/okAAAf9j…",
        "playUrl": "https://www.tiktok.com/aweme/v1/play/?faid=1988&file_id=fb26a6a7492b40b6…",
        "expires_at": 1792624969
      },
      "music": {
        "id": "7644642918711462678",
        "title": "original sound",
        "authorName": "lfc.db19",
        "original": true,
        "duration": 16,
        "playUrl": "https://v16-webapp-prime.us.tiktok.com/video/tos/no1a/tos-no1a-v-2370-no…",
        "cover": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-maliva-avt-0068/098c16a4c16…"
      },
      "hashtags": [
        "running",
        "alphafly",
        "shoes",
        "marathon",
        "nike"
      ],
      "mentions": [],
      "images": []
    },
    {
      "id": "7691351975610371350",
      "url": "https://www.tiktok.com/@palabraderunner/video/7691351975610371350",
      "desc": "👟👀POV: 5 minutes to Start. Can you spot your shoes?  #marathon #running #runningshoes ",
      "title": null,
      "createTime": 1790782440,
      "textLanguage": "en",
      "locationCreated": null,
      "isAd": false,
      "author": {
        "id": "6952789411860661253",
        "uniqueId": "palabraderunner",
        "nickname": "@palabraderunner",
        "secUid": "MS4wLjABAAAAFWTtk3XS9URPJzjyKwrg4pF85Fc6uvRNl-POLe0cn39zj9MMuS9sxRz64HWySdYx",
        "verified": false,
        "privateAccount": false,
        "avatarThumb": "https://p19-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-maliva-avt-0068/9cc7a14ecc4…",
        "avatarLarger": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-maliva-avt-0068/9cc7a14ecc4…"
      },
      "stats": {
        "playCount": 406900,
        "diggCount": 15000,
        "commentCount": 312,
        "shareCount": 1329,
        "collectCount": 824,
        "repostCount": 0
      },
      "video": {
        "duration": 31,
        "width": 576,
        "height": 1024,
        "definition": "540p",
        "cover": "https://p19-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-no1a-p-0037-no/oAyvNAkDqCV8…",
        "dynamicCover": "https://p19-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-no1a-p-0037-no/oAyvNAkDqCV8…",
        "playUrl": "https://www.tiktok.com/aweme/v1/play/?faid=1988&file_id=03f442e9bb754b19…",
        "expires_at": 1792624984
      },
      "music": {
        "id": "7691352001803897622",
        "title": "sonido original",
        "authorName": "@palabraderunner",
        "original": true,
        "duration": 31,
        "playUrl": "https://v16-webapp-prime.us.tiktok.com/video/tos/no1a/tos-no1a-v-2370-no…",
        "cover": "https://p16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com/tos-maliva-avt-0068/9cc7a14ecc4…"
      },
      "hashtags": [
        "marathon",
        "running",
        "runningshoes"
      ],
      "mentions": [],
      "images": []
    }
  ],
  "has_more": true,
  "cursor": "20_20261019232232B8F38EAC13C18049E4A5"
}

Response fields

Every field of a successful response. [] marks a list: a[].b is the b of each item in a. nullable fields can be null; optional fields can be missing.

Show all 53 fields

Field	Type	Description
success	true	Always true here; errors have `success: false`.
credits_remaining	number	Your balance after this call. On anonymous playground calls: free tries left today.
credits_charged	number	Credits this call cost; 0 on free endpoints. On anonymous playground calls: tries used (1).
videos	object[]	Videos, most relevant first.
videos[].id	string	Video id, e.g. `7671325437229845774`.
videos[].url	string	The post on tiktok.com.
videos[].desc	string	Caption, hashtags included.
videos[].title	stringnullable	A photo post's title, shown above the caption, e.g. `tom & jerry art`; null for videos and untitled posts.
videos[].createTime	number	Posted at, Unix seconds.
videos[].textLanguage	stringnullable	Caption language as TikTok detects it, e.g. `en`; `un` = undetermined; null if unknown.
videos[].locationCreated	stringnullable	Country the post was made in, as a 2-letter code. Only video details have it; null in lists and when unknown.
videos[].isAd	boolean	A paid ad (Spark Ad or promoted post).
videos[].author	object	Who posted it.
videos[].author.id	string	Numeric user id.
videos[].author.uniqueId	string	Username (handle), without @.
videos[].author.nickname	string	Display name.
videos[].author.secUid	string	TikTok's long, stable user id; other tools ask for it.
videos[].author.verified	boolean	Has the verified badge.
videos[].author.privateAccount	boolean	The account is private.
videos[].author.avatarThumb	stringnullable	Small avatar URL (expires after a few days); null if TikTok has none.
videos[].author.avatarLarger	stringnullable	Large avatar URL (expires after a few days); null if TikTok has none.
videos[].stats	object	Engagement when fetched, as tiktok.com gives it: exact for smaller counts, rounded for large ones (e.g. `2500000` views).
videos[].stats.playCount	number	Views.
videos[].stats.diggCount	number	Likes.
videos[].stats.commentCount	number	Comments.
videos[].stats.shareCount	number	Shares.
videos[].stats.collectCount	numbernullable	Saves (favorites); null where TikTok doesn't show it.
videos[].stats.repostCount	numbernullable	Reposts; null where TikTok doesn't show it.
videos[].video	object	The video file. For photo posts see `images`.
videos[].video.duration	number	Length in seconds; 0 for photo posts.
videos[].video.width	number	Width in pixels; 0 for photo posts.
videos[].video.height	number	Height in pixels; 0 for photo posts.
videos[].video.definition	stringnullable	Quality of the default rendition, e.g. `720p`.
videos[].video.cover	stringnullable	Cover image URL (expires after a few days); null if TikTok has none.
videos[].video.dynamicCover	stringnullable	Animated cover URL (expires after a few days); null if TikTok has none.
videos[].video.playUrl	stringnullable	MP4 URL that plays without cookies (h264, best quality). It redirects to TikTok's CDN and expires at `expires_at`; null if TikTok has none.
videos[].video.expires_at	numbernullable	When `playUrl` stops working, Unix seconds; null if unknown.
videos[].music	objectnullable	The sound; null if the post has none.
videos[].music.id	string	Sound id; pass it to song endpoints.
videos[].music.title	string	Sound title, e.g. `original sound`.
videos[].music.authorName	stringnullable	Artist, or the creator for original sounds.
videos[].music.original	boolean	An original sound made with this post rather than a track.
videos[].music.duration	numbernullable	Length in seconds.
videos[].music.playUrl	stringnullable	Audio URL (expires after a few hours); null if TikTok has none.
videos[].music.cover	stringnullable	Sound cover image URL; null if TikTok has none.
videos[].hashtags	string[]	Hashtags in the caption, without #.
videos[].mentions	string[]	Usernames @mentioned in the caption.
videos[].images	object[]	The slides of a photo post, in order. Empty for videos.
videos[].images[].url	string	Image URL (expires after a few days).
videos[].images[].width	number	Width in pixels.
videos[].images[].height	number	Height in pixels.
has_more	boolean	There are more videos after this page.
cursor	stringnullable	Pass as `cursor` for the next page. null on the last page.

Pagination

Pass the response's cursor back as cursor, with the other parameters unchanged, for the next page. It's null on the last page. Each page costs 1 credit.

The first five pages, in JavaScript

let cursor = null;
for (let page = 1; page <= 5; page++) {
  const params = new URLSearchParams({ query: "running shoes" });
  if (cursor) params.set("cursor", cursor);
  const res = await fetch(`https://api.lurkapi.com/v1/tiktok/search/keyword?${params}`, {
    headers: { "x-api-key": process.env.LURKAPI_KEY },
  });
  const data = await res.json();
  if (!data.success) throw new Error(`${data.code}: ${data.error}`);
  console.log(data.videos);
  cursor = data.cursor;
  if (!cursor) break; // last page
}

Caching and freshness

Responses are cached for up to 10 minutes, so a repeat call within that window can return the same data. It still costs 1 credit.

Errors

Errors return { success: false, error, code, docs } with the HTTP status below. Validation errors, 401/402/429 rejections and 5xx failures are free; not_found is charged (how charging works). All error codes.

Status	Code	Meaning
401	`missing_api_key`	No API key. Send it in the `x-api-key` header.
401	`invalid_api_key`	The key is unknown or was revoked.
402	`insufficient_credits`	Not enough credits for this call. Buy a pack or wait for tomorrow's top-up.
403	`account_suspended`	This account is suspended. Contact support@lurkapi.com. Never charged.
405	`method_not_allowed`	Endpoints take GET with query params.
429	`rate_limited`	Too many calls at once. Wait for the `retry-after` seconds, then retry.
500	`internal_error`	Something broke on our side. Retry; 5xx errors are free.
502	`upstream_error`	The platform didn't give a usable answer. Retry; 5xx errors are free.
503	`upstream_busy`	All our connections to the platform are busy. Retry in a few seconds; 5xx errors are free.
504	`upstream_timeout`	The platform took over 30 seconds to answer (90 for web pages). Retry; timeouts are free.

Use it in Claude

Once LurkAPI is connected to Claude, this endpoint is the tiktok_search_keyword tool. Ask in plain English, for example:

Ask Claude

Use LurkAPI's tiktok_search_keyword with query "running shoes" and summarize what you find.

Claude calls tiktok_search_keyword with arguments like these, and each call costs 1 credit:

Tool arguments

{
  "query": "running shoes"
}

Tool results are compact to save tokens: no nulls or empty lists, one URL per image or video, transcripts as plain text unless you pass timestamps=true. A result over 45,000 characters comes in parts: its _note gives the offset for the rest, and later parts are free for 15 minutes. trim=false returns the full response.

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