Quickstart: Search for videos using the Bing Video Search REST API and PHP

Use this quickstart to make your first call to the Bing Video Search API. This simple PHP application sends an HTTP video search query to the API, and displays the JSON response. The example code is written to work under PHP 5.6.

Although this application is written in PHP, the API is a RESTful Web service compatible with most programming languages.

Prerequisites

• PHP 5.6 or later.

Running the application

The Bing Video Search API returns video results from the Bing search engine.

1. Enable secure HTTP support in your php.ini file by uncommenting the ;extension=php_openssl.dll line, as described in the following code.
2. Create a new PHP project in your favorite IDE or editor.
3. Add the code provided below.
4. Replace the $accessKey value with an access key valid for your subscription.
5. Run the program.

<?php

// NOTE: Be sure to uncomment the following line in your php.ini file.
// ;extension=php_openssl.dll

// **********************************************
// *** Update or verify the following values. ***
// **********************************************

// Replace the accessKey string value with your valid access key.
$accessKey = 'enter key here';

$endpoint = 'https://api.bing.microsoft.com/bing/v7.0/videos/search';

$term = 'kittens';

function BingVideoSearch ($url, $key, $query) {
    // Prepare HTTP request
    // NOTE: Use the key 'http' even if you are making an HTTPS request. See:
    // https://php.net/manual/en/function.stream-context-create.php
    $headers = "Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key: $key\r\n";
    $options = array ('http' => array (
			'header' => $headers,
			'method' => 'GET' ));

    // Perform the Web request and get the JSON response
    $context = stream_context_create($options);
    $result = file_get_contents($url . "?q=" . urlencode($query), false, $context);

    // Extract Bing HTTP headers
    $headers = array();
    foreach ($http_response_header as $k => $v) {
        $h = explode(":", $v, 2);
        if (isset($h[1]))
            if (preg_match("/^BingAPIs-/", $h[0]) || preg_match("/^X-MSEdge-/", $h[0]))
                $headers[trim($h[0])] = trim($h[1]);
    }

    return array($headers, $result);
}

print "Searching videos for: " . $term . "\n";

list($headers, $json) = BingVideoSearch($endpoint, $accessKey, $term);

print "\nRelevant Headers:\n\n";
foreach ($headers as $k => $v) {
    print $k . ": " . $v . "\n";
}

print "\nJSON Response:\n\n";
echo json_encode(json_decode($json), JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);
?>

JSON response

A successful response is returned in JSON, as shown in the following example:

{
    "_type": "Videos",
    "instrumentation": {},
    "readLink": "https://api.cognitive.microsoft.com/api/v7/videos/search?q=kittens",
    "webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=kittens",
    "totalEstimatedMatches": 1000,
    "value": [
        {
            "webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=kittens&view=...",
            "name": "Top 10 cute kitten videos compilation",
            "description": "HELP HOMELESS ANIMALS AND WIN A PRIZE BY CHOOSING...",
            "thumbnailUrl": "https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OVP.n1aE_Oikl4MtzBb...",
            "datePublished": "2014-11-12T22:47:36.0000000",
            "publisher": [
                {
                    "name": "Fabrikam"
                }
            ],
            "creator": {
                "name": "Marcus Appel"
            },
            "isAccessibleForFree": true,
            "contentUrl": "https://www.fabrikam.com/watch?v=8HVWitAW-Qg",
            "hostPageUrl": "https://www.fabrikam.com/watch?v=8HVWitAW-Qg",
            "encodingFormat": "h264",
            "hostPageDisplayUrl": "https://www.fabrikam.com/watch?v=8HVWitAW-Qg",
            "width": 480,
            "height": 360,
            "duration": "PT3M52S",
            "motionThumbnailUrl": "https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OM.j4QyJAENJphdZQ_1501386166&pid=Api",
            "embedHtml": "<iframe width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https://www.fabrikam.com/embed/8HVWitAW-Qg?autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>",
            "allowHttpsEmbed": true,
            "viewCount": 7513633,
            "thumbnail": {
                "width": 300,
                "height": 168
            },
            "videoId": "655D98260D012432848F6558260D012432848F",
            "allowMobileEmbed": true,
            "isSuperfresh": false
        },
        . . .
    ],
    "nextOffset": 36,
    "queryExpansions": [
        {
            "text": "Kittens Meowing",
            "displayText": "Meowing",
            "webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Kittens+Meowing...",
            "searchLink": "https://api.cognitive.microsoft.com/api/v7/videos/search...",
            "thumbnail": {
                "thumbnailUrl": "https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?q=Kittens+Meowing&pid..."
            }
        },
        {
            "text": "Funny Kittens",
            "displayText": "Funny",
            "webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Funny+Kittens...",
            "searchLink": "https://api.cognitive.microsoft.com/api/v7/videos/search...",
            "thumbnail": {
                "thumbnailUrl": "https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?q=Funny+Kittens&..."
            }
        },
        . . .
    ],
    "pivotSuggestions": [
        {
            "pivot": "kittens",
            "suggestions": [
                {
                    "text": "Cat",
                    "displayText": "Cat",
                    "webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Cat...",
                    "searchLink": "https://api.cognitive.microsoft.com/api/v7/videos/search?...",
                    "thumbnail": {
                        "thumbnailUrl": "https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?q=Cat&pid=Api..."
                    }
                },
                {
                    "text": "Feral Cat",
                    "displayText": "Feral Cat",
                    "webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Feral+Cat...",
                    "searchLink": "https://api.cognitive.microsoft.com/api/v7/videos/search...",
                    "thumbnail": {
                        "thumbnailUrl": "https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?q=Feral+Cat&pid=Api&..."
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "relatedSearches": [
        {
            "text": "Kittens Being Born",
            "displayText": "Kittens Being Born",
            "webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Kittens+Being+Born...",
            "searchLink": "https://api.cognitive.microsoft.com/api/v7/videos/search?...",
            "thumbnail": {
                "thumbnailUrl": "https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?q=Kittens+Being+Born&pid=..."
            }
        },
        . . .
    ]
}

Next steps

See also

What is the Bing Video Search API?