# WeChat Channels API in Python: videos and comments (2026)

> Read public WeChat Channels data from Python with requests: video search, video detail, account search, account videos and comments, with no QR login. IDs, paging, code and cost.

Canonical page: https://okdata.online/guides/wechat-channels-api-python/

Five endpoints cover it from Python: WeChat Channels video search, video detail, account search, account videos and video comments, each a plain HTTPS GET with an API key and no WeChat login. The worked example below is 6 calls and costs $0.11; a failed call is not charged.

Updated 2026-11-12

Does WeChat Channels (视频号) have an official API for other people's videos? No. The Channels section of WeChat's developer docs covers the Channels shop (视频号小店), local-services deals (本地生活) and the 视频号助手 API, and that last one reads your own account's data: its live-stream records, showcase products, lead forms, live dashboards and e-commerce figures. Mini programs can open or embed a Channels video, using IDs or tokens copied by hand from 视频号助手 or the app, and that plays the video rather than returning data. Nothing in the official docs returns another account's videos, their counts or their comments.

So most Python projects for Channels data end up driving a logged-in WeChat session: scan a QR code with a phone, keep the session alive, and accept that the WeChat account doing the reading carries the risk if WeChat objects to the traffic. This guide takes the other route. Each call is an HTTPS GET with an API key in the header. No WeChat account, cookie, QR login or signature code is involved, and the only library you need is `requests`.

## Step by step

Set your key once in the shell: `export OKDATA_API_KEY=okd_...`. Every endpoint answers with the same envelope: `code` is `"ok"` on success, list endpoints put results in `data.items` with a `page` for the next cursor, and single-object endpoints put the result in `data.item`.

### Step 1: search videos by keyword

[WeChat Channels video search](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/search/) takes `query`, an optional `sort` (`relevance` by default, `latest` or `popular`) and an optional `published_within` (`day`, `week` or `half_year`). One call returns up to about 10 videos for $0.02: description, time posted, account name and avatar, likes and a cover image. The `id` of each hit is an encrypted `export/…` ID that expires, so resolve the ones you want in the same run.

```bash
curl -G "https://api.okdata.online/v1/wechat_channels/videos/search" -H "Authorization: Bearer $OKDATA_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode 'query=露营装备' --data-urlencode 'sort=popular' --data-urlencode 'published_within=week'
```

### Step 2: resolve a video

[WeChat Channels video detail](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/get/) accepts the numeric video ID, a search result's `export/…` ID, or a share link as `url`. For $0.02 it returns the numeric `id`, the account ID in `author.id`, `metrics.likes`, `metrics.comments`, `metrics.shares`, `metrics.favorites` and, with `view=full`, the location and length under `ext`.

```bash
curl -G "https://api.okdata.online/v1/wechat_channels/videos/get" -H "Authorization: Bearer $OKDATA_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode 'url=https://weixin.qq.com/sph/AqR7tLm2Kd'
```

### Step 3: find an account by name

[WeChat Channels account search](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/search/) takes the account name as `query` and, through WeChat Search, usually returns the single best match for $0.02. Its `id` is the account ID, `v2_…@finder`. The `sph…` ID that the app displays is a different thing and the endpoints do not take it.

```bash
curl -G "https://api.okdata.online/v1/wechat_channels/users/search" -H "Authorization: Bearer $OKDATA_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode 'query=三联生活周刊'
```

### Step 4: list the account's videos

[WeChat Channels account videos](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/videos/list/) takes the `v2_…@finder` ID as `id` and returns videos newest first, about 15 a page, for $0.02 per page, each with likes, comments, shares and saves. A video's `url` is its encrypted file (the key is `ext.decode_key` with `view=full`), since Channels videos have no web page.

```bash
curl -G "https://api.okdata.online/v1/wechat_channels/users/videos/list" -H "Authorization: Bearer $OKDATA_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode 'id=v2_060000231003b20faec8c353a18ebca650858991e19fab55aa5e12f6d5010f5e0eeaaafc3520@finder'
```

### Step 5: read the comments

[WeChat Channels video comments](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/comments/list/) takes the numeric video ID (not the `export/…` one) and returns about 25 top-level comments a page, hottest first, for $0.015: `text`, `author.name`, `likes`, `replies`, `published_at` and `ip_location`. Page with `cursor` set to the last `page.next_cursor`.

```bash
curl -G "https://api.okdata.online/v1/wechat_channels/videos/comments/list" -H "Authorization: Bearer $OKDATA_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode 'id=14987320651142873906'
```

### Step 6: the whole thing in Python

The script wraps every call in one function that checks `body["code"]`, skips deleted items, and retries rate limits and busy upstreams with the same `Idempotency-Key`, so a retry is never charged twice. Paging goes through one generator with a page cap. The results land in `channels.json`.

```python
import json
import os
import time
import uuid

import requests

API = "https://api.okdata.online"
KEY = os.environ["OKDATA_API_KEY"]
COMMENT_PAGES = 2   # each page is one call
VIDEO_PAGES = 1     # each page is one call, about 15 videos


class NotFound(Exception):
    pass


def call(path, **params):
    headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {KEY}", "Idempotency-Key": str(uuid.uuid4())}
    for attempt in range(4):
        body = requests.get(API + path, headers=headers, params=params, timeout=60).json()
        if body["code"] == "ok":
            return body
        if body["code"] == "not_found":
            raise NotFound(body["message"])  # deleted or private: not charged
        if body.get("retry") in ("yes", "same_key"):
            time.sleep(body.get("retry_after_seconds") or 2 ** attempt)
            continue
        raise RuntimeError(f"{body['code']}: {body['message']} (request {body['request_id']})")
    raise RuntimeError(f"{path}: still failing after 4 tries")


def paged(path, max_pages, **params):
    cursor = None
    for _ in range(max_pages):
        body = call(path, **params, **({"cursor": cursor} if cursor else {}))
        yield from body["data"]["items"]
        if not body["data"]["items"] or not body["page"]["has_more"]:
            return
        cursor = body["page"]["next_cursor"]


def keyword_report(query):
    hits = call("/v1/wechat_channels/videos/search", query=query, sort="popular",
                published_within="week")["data"]["items"]
    if not hits:
        return None
    video = call("/v1/wechat_channels/videos/get", id=hits[0]["id"])["data"]["item"]
    comments = list(paged("/v1/wechat_channels/videos/comments/list", COMMENT_PAGES, id=video["id"]))
    return {"hits": hits, "video": video, "comments": comments}


def account_report(name):
    found = call("/v1/wechat_channels/users/search", query=name)["data"]["items"]
    if not found:
        return None
    account = found[0]
    videos = list(paged("/v1/wechat_channels/users/videos/list", VIDEO_PAGES, id=account["id"]))
    return {"account": account, "videos": videos}


if __name__ == "__main__":
    report = {}
    try:
        report["keyword"] = keyword_report("露营装备")
    except NotFound:
        report["keyword"] = None  # the top video was deleted between search and detail
    report["account"] = account_report("三联生活周刊")
    with open("channels.json", "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
        json.dump(report, f, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2)
    print("videos found:", len((report["keyword"] or {}).get("hits", [])),
          "| comments:", len((report["keyword"] or {}).get("comments", [])),
          "| account videos:", len((report["account"] or {}).get("videos", [])))
```

That run is the worked example: 6 calls. To go deeper, raise the two page caps; ten pages of an account's videos are $0.20.

## Good to know

- **Which ID goes where.** Search gives `export/…` IDs that expire. Detail turns them into numeric IDs, which comments and replies need. Accounts are `v2_…@finder` everywhere.
- **What is null.** Search hits have no comment, share or save counts and no account ID; detail fills them in. Plays (`metrics.views`) are never available, because WeChat does not show them. Follower counts are null on accounts that hide them. `meta.unavailable` names every null field and why.
- **Trim the output.** `fields=id,text,metrics.likes` keeps only the fields you name, and `view=compact` returns fewer fields per object. Neither changes the price.
- **Replies.** The comment threads under a comment come from [WeChat Channels comment replies](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/comments/replies/list/), which takes the comment ID plus the numeric video ID.
- **Free cases.** Deleted videos and unknown accounts answer `not_found` and cost nothing; so do rate limits, busy upstreams and every other error.

To run the same calls from Claude or another agent instead of Python, connect the [MCP server](https://okdata.online/mcp/). The [quickstart](https://okdata.online/docs/quickstart/) covers getting a key and the trial credit.

## What the example costs

One search for 露营装备, the detail of the top video, one account looked up by name with its newest page of videos, and two pages of comments under the top video

| Endpoint | Calls | Price | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| [WeChat Channels video search](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/search/) | 1 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| [WeChat Channels video detail](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/get/) | 1 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| [WeChat Channels account search](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/search/) | 1 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| [WeChat Channels account videos](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/videos/list/) | 1 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| [WeChat Channels video comments](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/comments/list/) | 2 | $0.015 | $0.03 |
| Total | 6 |  | $0.11 |

Prices in force when this page was built. A failed call costs nothing.

## In your AI (MCP)

Connect the MCP server once, then say what you want. The agent finds these endpoints, reads their prices and calls them on your balance.

Say: On WeChat Channels, search 露营装备 from the last week, open the most popular video and give me its counts and two pages of comments. Then find the account 三联生活周刊 and list its newest videos.

```json
{
  "endpoint": "wechat_channels.videos.search",
  "params": {
    "query": "露营装备推荐"
  },
  "idempotency_key": "<a new UUID>"
}
```

MCP: `https://api.okdata.online/mcp`

## Endpoints in this guide

- [WeChat Channels video search](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/search/) `wechat_channels.videos.search`: $0.02 per call · about 10 videos per page
- [WeChat Channels video detail](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/get/) `wechat_channels.videos.get`: $0.02 per call
- [WeChat Channels account search](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/search/) `wechat_channels.users.search`: $0.02 per call · about 1 accounts per page
- [WeChat Channels account videos](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/users/videos/list/) `wechat_channels.users.videos.list`: $0.02 per call · about 15 videos per page
- [WeChat Channels video comments](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/videos/comments/list/) `wechat_channels.videos.comments.list`: $0.015 per call · about 25 comments per page

## More about WeChat Channels

- [WeChat Channels API](https://okdata.online/apis/wechat_channels/)
- [How to get every video a WeChat Channels account has posted](https://okdata.online/guides/wechat-channels-user-videos/)
- [How to export WeChat Channels video comments and replies](https://okdata.online/guides/wechat-channels-video-comments/)
- [What is a WeChat Channels account ID (v2_…@finder), and why doesn't the sph ID work?](https://okdata.online/answers/wechat-channels-finder-id/)
- [Comments API](https://okdata.online/roles/posts-comments-list/)
- [Account posts API](https://okdata.online/roles/accounts-posts-list/)
- [Post detail API](https://okdata.online/roles/posts-get/)
- [Post search API](https://okdata.online/roles/posts-search/)
- [Account search API](https://okdata.online/roles/accounts-search/)

## Sources

- [WeChat Open Docs: Channels (视频号) introduction and API index](https://developers.weixin.qq.com/doc/channels/) (read 2026-11-12)
- [WeChat Open Docs: opening Channels videos from a mini program](https://developers.weixin.qq.com/miniprogram/dev/framework/open-ability/channels-activity.html) (read 2026-11-12)