# YouTube Scraper (`scrapers_lat/youtube-scraper`) Actor Scrape YouTube videos and channels by search query, video URL or channel URL. - **URL**: https://apify.com/scrapers\_lat/youtube-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Michael Flores](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat) (community) - **Categories:** Social media, Automation, Developer tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## YouTube Scraper > Scrape YouTube videos and channels by search query, video URL or channel URL. Get titles, views, channels, durations, publish dates, descriptions and thumbnails. ![Apify](https://img.shields.io/badge/Platform-Apify-1CE1CE?logo=apify&logoColor=white) ![Coverage](https://img.shields.io/badge/Coverage-All%20YouTube-blue) ![Maintained](https://img.shields.io/badge/Maintained-Yes-brightgreen) ![Output](https://img.shields.io/badge/Output-JSON%20%7C%20CSV%20%7C%20Excel-orange) ### What you get One record per video, useful for content research, trend tracking, competitor monitoring and influencer discovery. - **videoId**, **url**, **title** - **channelName**, **channelId**, **channelUrl**, **subscriberText** - **viewCount** (numeric) and **viewCountText** - **duration**, **publishedText** - **description** - **thumbnailUrl**, **isLive** - **source** (search, video or channel), **observedAt** ### Three ways to scrape | Mode | Input | Use it for | |---|---|---| | Search | `searchQueries` | Find videos by keyword, paginated automatically | | Video URLs | `videoUrls` | Pull full details for specific videos | | Channel URLs | `channelUrls` | Collect a channel's recent videos | Combine all three in one run. `maxItems` caps the total; set `country` and `language` for localized results. ### Frequently Asked Questions **Can I scrape a whole channel?** Yes. Pass a channel URL (`@handle`, `/channel/UC...`, `/c/name`) and the actor walks the channel's videos up to your `maxItems`. **Does it return view counts and publish dates?** Yes. Every video carries its view count, publish date, duration and channel, plus a description and thumbnail. **Do I need a proxy or API key?** No. The actor reads YouTube's public data endpoints directly, with no key and no proxy. ### Related scrapers Need data from the same space? Here are other scrapers we build and maintain: - [Instagram Profile & Posts Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/instagram-scraper): Extract public Instagram profiles and recent posts by username without login. - [X (Twitter) Profiles & Tweets Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/x-twitter-scraper): Extract public X (Twitter) tweets by tweet ID: text, author, likes, replies, media and timestamps. - [Reddit Posts & Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/reddit-scraper): Extract Reddit posts and comments from subreddits and search results using the public Reddit feeds. - [TikTok Creative Center Top Ads Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/tiktok-creative-center-scraper): Scrape top-performing TikTok ads from the public Creative Center by country, time period and... - [App Store Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/app-store-reviews-scraper): Extract Apple App Store reviews and ratings for any app by id, URL or search term. - [Google Play App Details Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/google-play-apps-scraper): Extract app listings and details from the Google Play Store by search, app IDs, developer or... ### More scrapers at scrapers.lat This actor is built and maintained by [scrapers.lat](https://scrapers.lat), where we publish scrapers for Latin American and US public platforms: real estate, jobs, e-commerce, company registries and government data. Browse the full catalog, see live sample output for each one, or ask us for a custom scraper at [scrapers.lat](https://scrapers.lat). --- > This actor is an independent tool and has no affiliation with YouTube or Google LLC. It only accesses data that is publicly available on YouTube. Use it in accordance with YouTube's terms of service. # Actor input Schema ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Keywords to search YouTube for. Each query returns matching videos. ## `videoUrls` (type: `array`): YouTube video URLs or IDs to fetch full details for (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..., https://youtu.be/...). ## `channelUrls` (type: `array`): YouTube channel URLs to pull recent videos from (https://www.youtube.com/@handle, /channel/UC..., /c/name). ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of videos to return across all inputs. ## `country` (type: `string`): Two-letter country code for results (gl). ## `language` (type: `string`): Interface language code (hl). ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQueries": [ "lofi hip hop" ], "videoUrls": [], "channelUrls": [], "maxItems": 50, "country": "US", "language": "en" } ```` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "searchQueries": [ "lofi hip hop" ], "videoUrls": [], "channelUrls": [] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("scrapers_lat/youtube-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "searchQueries": ["lofi hip hop"], "videoUrls": [], "channelUrls": [], } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("scrapers_lat/youtube-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "searchQueries": [ "lofi hip hop" ], "videoUrls": [], "channelUrls": [] }' | apify call scrapers_lat/youtube-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=scrapers_lat/youtube-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube Scraper", "description": "Scrape YouTube videos and channels by search query, video URL or channel URL.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "g1TB4nyktRhdiT5LI" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/scrapers_lat~youtube-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-scrapers_lat-youtube-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/scrapers_lat~youtube-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-scrapers_lat-youtube-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/scrapers_lat~youtube-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-scrapers_lat-youtube-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "searchQueries": { "title": "Search queries", "type": "array", "description": "Keywords to search YouTube for. Each query returns matching videos.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "videoUrls": { "title": "Video URLs", "type": "array", "description": "YouTube video URLs or IDs to fetch full details for (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=..., https://youtu.be/...).", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "channelUrls": { "title": "Channel URLs", "type": "array", "description": "YouTube channel URLs to pull recent videos from (https://www.youtube.com/@handle, /channel/UC..., /c/name).", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max videos", "minimum": 1, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of videos to return across all inputs.", "default": 50 }, "country": { "title": "Country", "type": "string", "description": "Two-letter country code for results (gl).", "default": "US" }, "language": { "title": "Language", "type": "string", "description": "Interface language code (hl).", "default": "en" } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```