📺 YouTube Scraper API - Extract Videos, Channels, Playlists & Metadata at Scale

Extract videos, channels, playlists, search results, trending content, and Shorts from YouTube-no API keys, no proxy setup required.

Scrape @MrBeast, @kurzgesagt, any playlist, or search query in seconds. Get video metadata, engagement metrics (views, likes, comment counts), channel statistics, captions, and 50+ data fields in clean JSON/CSV format.

Simple pricing: $0.015 per channel/search query includes 30 FREE videos. Additional videos just $0.0005 each.

💰 Pricing: $0.015/query (30 videos FREE) + $0.0005/video
⚡ Speed: 10-20 videos/second
📊 Output: JSON/CSV with 50+ fields per video
🌍 Coverage: 100+ languages, all countries
🚀 Start now: Proxy handled • API & MCP ready

Why Teams Choose This Scraper

• ✅ 10-19 videos/second - High-speed extraction (varies by query type and region)
• ✅ 30-100 free videos per query - Generous free tier included
• ✅ No API key required - Works without official YouTube Data API access
• ✅ No proxy setup - Infrastructure handled automatically on Apify
• ✅ 7 query types - Videos, channels, playlists, search, trending, Shorts, handles
• ✅ MCP compatible - Works with AI agents and LLM workflows
• ✅ 100+ languages - Localized results via gl and hl parameters

Ideal for competitor analysis, content tracking, influencer research, market intelligence, and ML dataset building.

Use this if you need	Channel/playlist/search/trending/Shorts metadata at scale
Returns	JSON/CSV; key fields: id, title, views, likes, comments (count), channel, captions
Typical speed	10-19 videos/sec depending on query type
Pricing	$0.015/query (30 videos FREE), then $0.0005/video

📋 Table of Contents

• 🧭 What Does YouTube Scraper Do?
• ⚡ Features & YouTube Entity Coverage
• 💰 Pricing
• 🍚 Input Parameters
• 💡 Strategy Guide
• 📦 Output
• 🧩 Custom Map Function
• ⚖️ YouTube Data API vs Scraper
• 🛡️ Reliability & Limitations
• 🤖 MCP Integration
• 🈴 Related YouTube Scrapers
• 🔧 Troubleshooting
• 🎯 Use Cases
• 💡 Quick Start Guide
• ❓ FAQ
• 📞 Contact

🧭 What Does YouTube Scraper Do?

YouTube scraping automates the extraction of video metadata, channel statistics, playlist content, engagement metrics, and search results from YouTube.com. This enables content analysis, competitor monitoring, influencer research, trend tracking, and building ML datasets at scale.

The Api Dojo YouTube Scraper is a powerful, all-in-one actor built to extract videos, channels, playlists, searches, trending content, and Shorts. Collect structured metadata quickly and reliably-without API keys or complex setup.

This scraper serves as a practical alternative to the official YouTube Data API for bulk extraction. No quota limits, no API key management-just straightforward data access through Apify's infrastructure.

Complete YouTube Entity Coverage

This scraper understands and extracts all core YouTube entities:

Entity	What You Get	Use Case
🎬 YouTube Video	Title, description, views, likes, comments, duration, thumbnails, streaming URLs, captions	Video analytics, content research
👤 YouTube Channel	Name, handle, subscriber count, video count, thumbnails, badges, verification	Channel analysis, influencer discovery
📋 YouTube Playlist	All videos in playlist, playlist metadata, video order	Content curation, course analysis
💬 YouTube Comment	Comment text, author, likes, replies (via Comments Scraper)	Sentiment analysis, audience insights
🎥 YouTube Shorts	Short-form video data with full metadata	Shorts trend tracking
📺 YouTube Live Stream	Live status, streaming data, real-time metrics	Live content monitoring
🔍 YouTube Search Results	Videos matching keywords with filters	Keyword research, content discovery
📈 YouTube Trending	Currently trending videos by country	Trend analysis, viral content

⚡ Features & YouTube Entity Coverage

Complete, structured access to YouTube's public data-videos, channels, playlists, search, trending, and Shorts. Built for content analysis and growth intelligence at scale.

7 Query Types for Complete Coverage

Query Type	What It Extracts	Example Input
🎬 Single Video	Detailed data from individual videos	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
👤 Channel	All videos from any YouTube channel	https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast
📋 Playlist	Complete playlists with all video data	https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=ID
🔍 Search	Videos matching specific keywords	machine learning tutorial
📈 Trending	Currently trending videos by country	getTrending: true
🎥 Shorts	YouTube Shorts from channels	includeShorts: true
🔥 Handle	Channels by handle (@username)	@kurzgesagt

Core Features

Feature	Description	Benefit
💰 Event-Based Pricing	Pay only for videos you extract-no subscriptions	Cost control: Only pay for what you scrape
🎁 30-100 Free Videos	Generous free tier with every query	Budget-friendly: Substantial free data
⚡ 10-19 Videos/Second	High-speed extraction across all query types	Time savings: Extract thousands in minutes
🔑 No API Key Required	Works without YouTube Data API access	Simple: No quota limits or API setup
🚀 No Proxy Setup	Infrastructure handled on Apify	Cost savings: No proxy management
🌍 100+ Languages	Multi-language and country support	Global: Localized content extraction
📅 Advanced Filters	Upload date, duration, features, sorting	Precision: Target specific content
🎯 Query Wizard	Build queries without technical knowledge	Easy: No coding required
📊 Rich Metadata	50+ fields including captions and streaming URLs	Complete: All video data in one call
🤖 MCP Compatible	Works with AI agents and LLM workflows	Future-ready: AI-native integration
📥 JSON/CSV Export	Clean structured output for analysis	Integration-ready: Direct pipeline import

💰 Pricing: Transparent Event-Based Costs

Pay-per-use pricing with no subscriptions, hidden fees, or monthly minimums. Significantly more affordable than most alternatives for bulk extraction.

📊 Event Costs by Query Type

Event Type	Price	Free Videos Included	What Triggers It
Playlist Query	$0.05	100 videos FREE	Scraping a YouTube playlist
Trending Query	$0.025	50 videos FREE	Getting trending videos
Shorts Query	$0.02	40 videos FREE	When includeShorts is enabled
Channel Query	$0.015	30 videos FREE	Scraping a YouTube channel
Search Query	$0.015	30 videos FREE	Performing a keyword search
Single Video Query	$0.005	Flat rate	Fetching a single video
Dataset Item	$0.0005	N/A	Each video beyond free quota

💡 How Charges Work

Playlist Queries ($0.05):

• Each query includes 100 videos FREE
• Additional videos beyond 100 cost $0.0005 each

Trending Queries ($0.025):

• Each query includes 50 videos FREE
• Additional videos beyond 50 cost $0.0005 each

Channel/Search Queries ($0.015):

• Each query includes 30 videos FREE
• Additional videos beyond 30 cost $0.0005 each

Single Video Queries ($0.005):

• Flat rate per video (returns 1 video per query)
• No additional charges

📈 Cost Examples

Scenario	Charges	Calculation	Total Cost
1 channel, 30 videos	1 channel query	$0.015	$0.015
1 channel, 200 videos	1 query + 170 items	$0.015 + ($0.0005 × 170)	$0.100
1 playlist, 100 videos	1 playlist query	$0.05	$0.050
1 playlist, 500 videos	1 query + 400 items	$0.05 + ($0.0005 × 400)	$0.250
5 searches, 300 videos	5 queries + 150 items	($0.015 × 5) + ($0.0005 × 150)	$0.150
Trending, 100 videos	1 query + 50 items	$0.025 + ($0.0005 × 50)	$0.050
10 single videos	10 queries	$0.005 × 10	$0.050
10,000 videos	Multiple queries + items	Varies by source	~$5.00

💡 Pro Tip
Each query includes generous FREE videos! This makes YouTube data collection incredibly cost-effective for market research, content analysis, and YouTube data for machine learning projects.

🍚 Input Parameters

Flexible input options for targeting multiple YouTube data surfaces - videos, channels, playlists, search, trending, and Shorts - with simple configuration.

Field	Type	Description	Default
startUrls	array	YouTube URLs (Video, Channel, Playlist, Shorts, Search)	[]
youtubeHandles	array	YouTube handles (e.g., @MrBeast, @kurzgesagt)	[]
keywords	array	Search keywords for YouTube search	[]
getTrending	boolean	Retrieve currently trending videos	false
includeShorts	boolean	Include YouTube Shorts from channels	false
gl	string	Country code (US, GB, DE, etc.)	US
hl	string	Language code (en, es, de, etc.)	en
uploadDate	string	Filter: any, hour, today, week, month, year	all
duration	string	Filter: any, short, long	all
features	string	Filter: 4k, hd, live, movie, cc, subtitles, etc.	all
sort	string	Sort: relevance, upload_date, view_count, rating	r
maxItems	integer	Maximum total videos to output	Infinity
customMapFunction	string	JavaScript function to transform output	null

Note: Provide at least one of: startUrls, youtubeHandles, keywords, or enable getTrending.

Supported URL Types

URL Type	Format	Example
🎬 Single Video	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
👤 Channel	https://www.youtube.com/@handle	https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast
📋 Playlist	https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=ID	https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeiKm4sgNOknGvNjby9efdf
🔍 Search	https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=keyword	https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=AI
🎥 Shorts	https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ID	https://www.youtube.com/shorts/abc123
📺 Channel Shorts	https://www.youtube.com/@handle/shorts	https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast/shorts

💡 YouTube Scraper Strategy Guide

Choose the right strategy based on your data needs and budget. Each approach optimizes for different YouTube data extraction use cases.

Strategy 1: Scrape YouTube Channel (Creator Analysis)

Best for: YouTube competitor analysis, influencer research, content performance tracking

{
  "startUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@kurzgesagt"],
  "maxItems": 200
}

Cost Breakdown	Calculation
1 channel query	$0.015
170 additional videos	$0.0005 × 170 = $0.085
Total	$0.100

Use case: Extract complete channel data for YouTube channel statistics API analysis, content strategy research, and creator benchmarking.

---

Strategy 2: Scrape YouTube Playlist (Course/Series Analysis)

Best for: Educational content research, playlist curation, series analysis

{
  "startUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeiKm4sgNOknGvNjby9efdf"],
  "maxItems": 500
}

Cost Breakdown	Calculation
1 playlist query	$0.05
400 additional videos	$0.0005 × 400 = $0.200
Total	$0.250

Use case: Extract complete playlist for course analysis, content curation, and YouTube playlist research.

---

Strategy 3: YouTube Search Scraping (Keyword Research)

Best for: YouTube keyword search API, content discovery, market research

{
  "keywords": ["machine learning tutorial", "AI for beginners"],
  "hl": "en",
  "gl": "US",
  "uploadDate": "month",
  "maxItems": 200
}

Cost Breakdown	Calculation
2 search queries	$0.015 × 2 = $0.030
140 additional videos	$0.0005 × 140 = $0.070
Total	$0.100

Use case: Scrape YouTube search results for keyword research, content gap analysis, and YouTube trending videos API discovery.

---

Strategy 4: YouTube Trending Videos (Trend Analysis)

Best for: Viral content discovery, trend tracking, cultural analysis

{
  "getTrending": true,
  "gl": "US",
  "maxItems": 100
}

Cost Breakdown	Calculation
1 trending query	$0.025
50 additional videos	$0.0005 × 50 = $0.025
Total	$0.050

Use case: Track YouTube trending videos for viral content analysis and cultural trend research.

---

Strategy 5: Single Video Extraction (Specific Content)

Best for: Competitor video analysis, viral content study, specific video data

{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuCn8ux2gbs",
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYiU_JCYtU"
  ]
}

Cost Breakdown	Calculation
2 single video queries	$0.005 × 2 = $0.010
Total	$0.010

Use case: Get detailed YouTube video stats API data for specific videos.

---

Strategy 6: Channel + Shorts (Complete Creator Data)

Best for: Full creator analysis including short-form content

{
  "youtubeHandles": ["@MrBeast"],
  "includeShorts": true,
  "maxItems": 200
}

Cost Breakdown	Calculation
1 channel query	$0.015
1 shorts query	$0.02
130 additional videos	$0.0005 × 130 = $0.065
Total	$0.100

Use case: Complete creator analysis including YouTube Shorts for comprehensive content strategy research.

---

Strategy Comparison Table

Strategy	Best For	Cost per 100 Videos	Free Videos
👤 Channel	Creator analysis	$0.050	30
📋 Playlist	Course/series	$0.050	100
🔍 Search	Keyword research	$0.050	30 per keyword
📈 Trending	Trend analysis	$0.050	50
🎬 Single Video	Specific content	$0.005/video	N/A
🎥 Channel + Shorts	Full creator	$0.065	70

Pro Tips for Cost Optimization

✅ Maximize Free Videos

• Use playlists - 100 free videos per playlist query
• Batch channels - 30 free videos per channel
• Combine searches - 30 free videos per keyword

✅ Control Spending

• Set maxItems - Limit total videos to control costs
• Use filters - Narrow results with uploadDate, duration, features
• Start small - Test with 50-100 videos before scaling

📦 Output

Clean, structured JSON output with comprehensive video information. Each video object contains 50+ fields.

Minimal Example (Core Fields)

{
  "id": "lfR7Qj04-UA",
  "title": "The Ultimate Pixel Art Tutorial",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfR7Qj04-UA",
  "description": "Learn pixel art fundamentals in this comprehensive tutorial...",
  "duration": 854,
  "views": 1997072,
  "likes": 93698,
  "comments": 1449,
  "channel": {
    "id": "UCMLJ_TROV89ll587opuuY4w",
    "name": "Saultoons",
    "handle": "/@saultoons",
    "subscriberCount": "177K subscribers",
    "badges": ["Verified"]
  },
  "keywords": ["pixel art tutorial", "pixel art", "aseprite"],
  "category": "Entertainment",
  "publishDate": "2021-06-17T10:46:54-07:00",
  "isLive": false,
  "isFamilySafe": true
}

Field Availability Guarantees

Understanding which fields are always present vs. conditionally available helps you build reliable integrations.

Field	Availability	Data Type	Notes
id	✅ Always	string	Unique video ID
url	✅ Always	string	Full video URL
title	✅ Always	string	Video title
channel.id	✅ Always	string	Channel ID
channel.name	✅ Always	string	Channel display name
views	✅ Always	integer	Total view count
duration	✅ Always	integer	Length in seconds
publishDate	✅ Always	ISO-8601	Publication timestamp
likes	⚠️ Sometimes	integer	Hidden on some videos
comments	⚠️ Sometimes	integer	Disabled on some videos
captions	⚠️ Sometimes	array	Not all videos have captions
streamingData	⚠️ Sometimes	object	May be restricted; optional field
description	⚠️ Sometimes	string	May be empty

Note: streamingData contains direct video URLs in multiple qualities. This field is optional and may not be available for all videos (age-restricted, geo-blocked, or premium content). Use customMapFunction to exclude it if not needed.

Export Options

• JSON: Complete datasets with nested objects-ideal for programmatic processing
• CSV: Direct download from Apify Console-perfect for spreadsheets and databases
• API: RESTful endpoints for Python, Node.js, or any HTTP client

🧩 Custom Map Function

Transform output using the customMapFunction parameter. This JavaScript function receives each video object and returns your desired format-add engagement metrics, flatten channel data, or calculate custom analytics.

Important: Custom map function is for data transformation-not for filtering. Filtering items may result in automatic restrictions.

Example: Engagement Rate Calculation

(object) => ({
  ...object,
  engagementRate: (object.likes / object.views * 100).toFixed(2),
  channelName: object.channel?.name,
  subscriberCount: object.channel?.subscriberCount,
  durationMinutes: Math.floor(object.duration / 60),
  isViral: object.views > 1000000,
  streamingData: undefined,
  captions: undefined
})

Common Transformations

Use Case	What to Add
Engagement Analysis	engagementRate, likesToViews, performanceScore
Channel Flattening	channelName, subscriberCount, isVerified
Viral Detection	isViral, viralTier, viewsPerDay
Data Cleanup	Set streamingData: undefined, captions: undefined

⚖️ YouTube Data API vs Scraper Comparison

Choosing between the official YouTube Data API and a scraper depends on your use case, volume, and budget. Here's an honest comparison.

Factor	Official YouTube Data API	YouTube Scraper (This Tool)
Quota limits	10,000 units/day (strict)	No quota limits
Setup complexity	OAuth, API keys, project setup	No setup-runs on Apify
Cost at scale	Free tier, then complex pricing	$0.50 per 1,000 videos
Data coverage	Official but limited fields	50+ fields including streaming URLs
Rate limiting	Aggressive throttling	Managed automatically
Comment threads	Requires separate API calls	Use Comments Scraper
Compliance	Official, ToS-compliant	Public data extraction

When to Use the Official API

• You need write access (upload, modify playlists)
• Your app requires OAuth user authentication
• You're building a production app that needs official support
• Volume is low (<10K requests/day)

When to Use This Scraper

• You need bulk data extraction (10K+ videos)
• You want no quota limits or API key management
• You need additional fields not in the official API
• You're doing research, analysis, or ML training
• You want predictable, transparent pricing

🛡️ Reliability & Limitations

Transparency about what this scraper can and cannot do helps you plan integrations and set realistic expectations.

What Affects Speed

Factor	Impact
Query type	Playlists are faster than searches
Region	Some regions have slower response times
Time of day	Peak hours may be slightly slower
Video availability	Deleted/private videos are skipped

Typical performance: 10-19 videos/second under normal conditions. Large playlists (1000+ videos) may take longer due to pagination.

Data That May Be Missing

Field	When It's Missing
likes	Creator has hidden like counts
comments	Comments are disabled on the video
captions	No captions uploaded for the video
streamingData	Age-restricted, geo-blocked, or premium content
description	Creator left description empty

Content We Cannot Access

• ❌ Private videos - Not publicly accessible
• ❌ Member-only content - Requires channel membership
• ❌ Age-restricted videos - May have limited data
• ❌ Geo-blocked content - Depends on Apify server location
• ❌ Deleted videos - No longer exist on YouTube

Retry Behavior

The scraper automatically retries failed requests with exponential backoff. If a video consistently fails, it's skipped and logged. Check the run log for any skipped items.

Compliance Note

This scraper extracts publicly available data from YouTube. It does not bypass any authentication, access private content, or violate user privacy. Use extracted data responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws and YouTube's Terms of Service.

🤖 MCP Integration for AI Agents & LLM Workflows

This scraper is MCP (Model Context Protocol) compatible, making it ideal for AI agents, LLM workflows, and automated intelligence systems.

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an emerging standard for connecting AI models to external data sources and tools. It enables AI agents like Claude, GPT, and custom LLMs to access real-time YouTube data for analysis, research, and decision-making.

Why MCP Matters for YouTube Data

Capability	Benefit
Real-time data access	AI agents can query live YouTube trends, not just training data
Structured output	Clean JSON format integrates seamlessly with LLM context windows
Automated workflows	Trigger scrapes based on AI agent decisions
Research augmentation	Enhance AI research with current video intelligence

MCP Use Cases

• AI-Powered Content Analysis - LLMs analyze YouTube trends in real-time
• Automated Competitor Monitoring - AI agents track competitor channels
• Content Strategy Bots - Automated content research and ideation
• Brand Monitoring Agents - AI monitors brand mentions and sentiment
• Research Assistants - AI researchers access current YouTube data

Integration Example

# Example: Using YouTube Scraper with AI agent via Apify API
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN")

# Run YouTube Scraper
run = client.actor("apidojo/youtube-scraper").call(run_input={
    "keywords": ["AI tutorial"],
    "maxItems": 100
})

# Get results for LLM context
dataset = client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).list_items()

# Feed to AI agent for analysis
youtube_context = json.dumps(dataset.items)
# Pass youtube_context to your LLM/AI agent

🈴 Related YouTube Scrapers & Data Extraction Tools

Expand your YouTube data extraction capabilities with our complete suite of specialized YouTube scraper APIs. Each tool focuses on specific data types for comprehensive video intelligence.

📦 Complete Apidojo YouTube Scraper Ecosystem

Tool	What It Extracts	Best For
📺 YouTube Scraper	Videos, channels, playlists, search, trending, Shorts	All-in-one extraction (You are here)
💬 YouTube Comments Scraper	Comments, replies, user interactions	Sentiment analysis, audience insights
👤 YouTube Channel Scraper	Channel statistics, subscriber data	Channel analysis, influencer research
📋 YouTube Playlist Scraper	Playlist videos, course content	Educational content, series analysis

🌐 Cross-Platform Social Media Scrapers

Platform	Tool	What It Extracts
🎵 TikTok	TikTok Scraper	Videos, profiles, hashtags, sounds
📸 Instagram	Instagram Scraper	Posts, profiles, hashtags, comments
🐦 Twitter	Twitter Scraper	Tweets, profiles, followers

🔧 Troubleshooting Common Issues

❓ Getting Fewer Results Than Expected?

Problem: Extraction returns fewer YouTube videos than anticipated

Solutions:

✅ Check maxItems setting - Increase the limit if you need more videos
✅ Verify filters - Ensure uploadDate, duration, features aren't too restrictive
✅ Remember free tiers - Each query includes 30-100 FREE videos automatically

---

💰 Unexpected Costs?

Problem: Your YouTube Scraper run cost more than anticipated

Solutions:

✅ Each URL/keyword creates a separate query - 10 channels = 10 × $0.015 = $0.15 in base costs
✅ Playlist queries cost more - $0.05 vs $0.015 for channels, but include 100 free videos
✅ Use maxItems to cap spending - Set a limit to control total extraction volume

---

❓ No Results Returned?

Problem: Extraction completes but returns empty dataset

Solutions:

✅ Verify input format - Provide at least one of: startUrls, youtubeHandles, keywords, or getTrending
✅ Check URLs - Must be valid YouTube URLs
✅ Test filters - Overly restrictive filters may return no results

---

❓ Missing Data Fields?

Problem: Some expected fields are missing from output

Solutions:

✅ Open Storage tab - Full datasets available in Apify Console, not all fields show in preview
✅ Check video availability - Private or deleted videos won't appear in results

🎯 Use Cases & Industries

This scraper serves professionals who need fast, structured YouTube insights-from competitor analysis to ML dataset building.

---

📊 Marketing & Campaign Strategy

Track content performance, analyze trends, and optimize campaigns.

• Analyze competitor channel strategies
• Track views, likes, and engagement across campaigns
• Monitor trending videos for viral opportunities

Example: Benchmark your content against 5 competitor channels.

---

🔬 Research & Data Science

Build large-scale datasets for academic research, NLP, and ML training.

• Extract 100K+ videos for research datasets
• Structured JSON/CSV for statistical analysis
• Analyze cultural trends and social movements

Example: Build a 50K video dataset on climate change content.

---

🎥 Influencer Marketing

Discover creators, analyze engagement, and measure campaign ROI.

• Track subscriber counts and engagement rates
• Vet influencers with channel metadata
• Discover emerging creators by niche

Example: Find tech creators with 50K-500K subscribers.

---

🏢 Brand & Competitive Intelligence

Monitor brand mentions and track competitor activity.

• Track brand mentions in video titles/descriptions
• Monitor competitor channel growth
• Analyze sentiment via Comments Scraper

Example: Track brand keywords vs. competitor mentions.

---

🎵 Music & Entertainment

Track music trends, discover artists, and analyze audience engagement.

• Monitor music video performance
• Discover trending artists and genres
• Track viral content patterns

Example: Identify emerging artists for talent scouting.

---

📈 SEO & Content Strategy

Research keywords, analyze rankings, and plan content.

• Analyze top-ranking videos for target keywords
• Extract video tags for keyword research
• Track trending topics for content ideation

Example: Analyze top 100 videos for "Python tutorial".

---

🎓 Academic & Education

Collect data for media studies, cultural research, and educational content analysis.

• Build datasets for communication research
• Analyze educational playlists and courses
• Track content virality patterns

Example: Analyze how online learning content is structured.

💡 Quick Start Guide

Simple setup-whether extracting a single video or building a database of thousands.

Copy-Paste Examples by Persona

For Analysts (Channel → CSV):

{
  "startUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@kurzgesagt"],
  "maxItems": 100
}

→ Run, then export to CSV from Storage tab.

For Developers (API → JSON):

from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient("YOUR_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("apidojo/youtube-scraper").call(run_input={
    "keywords": ["machine learning"],
    "maxItems": 50
})
items = client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).list_items().items

For AI Agents (MCP pattern):

# Fetch data, then pass to LLM
youtube_data = client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).list_items().items
context = json.dumps(youtube_data[:10])  # First 10 videos as context
# Pass context to your AI agent

3 Steps to Get Started

1. Choose input: URLs, handles (@username), keywords, or enable getTrending
2. Configure: Set maxItems, gl (country), hl (language), filters
3. Run & Export: Click Start, then download JSON/CSV from Storage tab

---

📋 Method 1: Scrape by URL

Best for: Specific channels, playlists, videos

{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@kurzgesagt",
    "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeiKm4sgNOknGvNjby9efdf"
  ],
  "maxItems": 500
}

---

📋 Method 2: Scrape by Keywords

Best for: Content discovery, trend research, market analysis

{
  "keywords": ["AI tutorial", "machine learning", "data science"],
  "gl": "US",
  "hl": "en",
  "uploadDate": "month",
  "maxItems": 300
}

---

📋 Method 3: Get Trending Videos

Best for: Viral content discovery, trend tracking

{
  "getTrending": true,
  "gl": "US",
  "maxItems": 100
}

---

🔧 Best Practices for YouTube Scraping

✅ DO:

• Start with test runs - Use 50-100 videos to validate output format
• Use filters - Narrow results with uploadDate, duration, features
• Batch similar sources - Combine related channels or keywords in one run
• Set maxItems - Control costs by limiting total extraction

❌ DON'T:

• Use customMapFunction for filtering - This causes automatic blocking
• Scrape private content - Only public YouTube data is accessible
• Use overly restrictive filters - May return zero results

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is a YouTube Scraper API?

A tool that programmatically extracts YouTube data-videos, channels, playlists, and engagement metrics. It serves as an alternative to the official YouTube Data API without quota limits or API key requirements.

How much does it cost to scrape 10,000 videos?

$5.00 total ($0.50 per 1,000 videos)-significantly cheaper than most alternatives.

Can I scrape YouTube comments?

This actor extracts video-level data including comment counts. For full comment threads, use our YouTube Comments Scraper.

Does this work for channel scraping?

Yes. Provide a channel URL or handle. Each channel query costs $0.015 and includes 30 videos FREE.

Can I export to CSV?

Yes. Download directly from Apify Console in JSON, CSV, or Excel format.

Can I use Python?

Yes. Full Python support via the Apify Client library. See the copy-paste examples above.

Is this faster than the official YouTube API?

Yes. 10-19 videos/second without quota limits. The official API has strict daily quotas (10K units/day).

Can I scrape YouTube Shorts?

Yes. Enable includeShorts: true. Shorts queries cost $0.02 and include 40 videos FREE.

Can I scrape trending videos?

Yes. Enable getTrending: true to extract trending videos by country. Costs $0.025 with 50 videos FREE.

Can I use this for machine learning datasets?

Yes. Extract structured JSON with 50+ fields per video-ideal for NLP, computer vision, and trend prediction models.

📞 Contact

Questions or support: apidojo10@gmail.com

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Ready to start? Transparent pricing, 10-19 videos/sec, no API key required, 7 query types. Start extracting YouTube data today. 📺