# YouTube Channel & Video Scraper (`arisma_tech/youtube-videos-and-profile-scraper`) Actor

Scrape the latest videos from any YouTube channel with exact views, likes, comments, description and upload date, plus channel ID, description and subscriber count. No YouTube API key, quota or login. Export to JSON, CSV or Excel. Failed channels are free.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/arisma_tech/youtube-videos-and-profile-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Arishma](https://apify.com/arisma_tech) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Videos
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.50 / 1,000 videos

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## YouTube Channel Scraper

Extract the latest videos from any number of public YouTube channels with exact views, likes, comments, description and upload date, plus optional channel information (ID, description, subscribers).

No YouTube API key, quota or login required.

### Pricing

This Actor uses **Pay Per Event (PPE)** monetization.

| Event | Price |
| --- | --- |
| `video-scraped`: one video saved to the dataset | **$0.0015** ($1.50 per 1,000 videos) |
| `channel-scraped`: one successfully scraped channel | **$0.002** |

- Example: 50 videos from each of 20 channels = 1,000 × $0.0015 + 20 × $0.002 = **$1.54**.
- In channel-information-only mode you pay only the channel event.
- Platform usage and proxies are included.
- You are charged only after the channel's results are saved to the dataset.
- Failed channels (not found, terminated, unavailable, invalid URL) are **not charged**.
- Duplicate URLs in the same run are scraped and charged once.
- Set a **maximum cost per run** in the Apify Console to cap your spend. The Actor stops when the limit is reached.

### What it extracts

#### Videos

- Video ID and URL
- Title and full description
- Upload date (ISO 8601)
- Exact view count
- Like count
- Comment count
- Highest resolution thumbnail URL

#### Channel (optional)

- Channel ID
- Channel description
- Subscriber count

### Input

| Field | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `startUrls` | | Channel URLs, @handles or channel IDs. |
| `maxItems` | `10` | Latest videos per channel (0 to 200). `0` returns channel information only. |
| `onlyVideosNewerThan` | | Only videos published after this date. Absolute (`2026-01-31`) or relative (`7 days`, `2 weeks`, `3 months`). |
| `includeProfileInfo` | `false` | Add a `channel` object (id, description, subscribersCount) to every video record. |
| `onlyProfileInfo` | `false` | Return one `{ "channel": {...} }` record per URL and skip videos. |
| `proxy` | Apify Proxy | Proxy configuration. Recommended, as YouTube rate-limits repeated requests. |
| `maxConcurrency` | `3` | Channels processed in parallel. |
| `maxRequestRetries` | `4` | Retries for failed or blocked requests, each with a new proxy session. |

Supported channel formats:

- `https://www.youtube.com/@coursera`
- `https://www.youtube.com/@coursera/videos` (any tab)
- `https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ50rYSkYQG31YDEJm9Di_g`
- `https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyParks`
- `https://www.youtube.com/c/Name`
- `@coursera`
- `UCZ50rYSkYQG31YDEJm9Di_g`

#### Latest videos

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@coursera",
    "@netflix"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "includeProfileInfo": true
}
```

#### Videos from the last 7 days

```json
{
  "startUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@coursera"],
  "maxItems": 50,
  "onlyVideosNewerThan": "7 days"
}
```

#### Channel information only

```json
{
  "startUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@coursera"],
  "onlyProfileInfo": true
}
```

### Output

Results are written to the default Apify Dataset and can be exported as JSON, CSV, XLSX, XML, or retrieved through the Apify API.

Each video is one record. With `includeProfileInfo: true` the `channel` object is added:

```json
{
  "id": "kXJPy1J-ps0",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXJPy1J-ps0",
  "title": "2026 09 24 Illuminate",
  "views": 28,
  "description": null,
  "uploadDate": "2026-09-28T06:19:39-07:00",
  "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kXJPy1J-ps0/maxresdefault.jpg",
  "likes": 0,
  "comments": 0,
  "channel": {
    "id": "UCploDBIVOE0jyhEsHFHrMeg",
    "description": "At UM, we attract people from around the world who share our ideals and vision for positive change...",
    "subscribersCount": 39500
  }
}
```

Without `includeProfileInfo`, the record is the same without `channel`.

With `onlyProfileInfo: true` (or `maxItems: 0`), each channel returns one record:

```json
{
  "channel": {
    "id": "UCploDBIVOE0jyhEsHFHrMeg",
    "description": "At UM, we attract people from around the world...",
    "subscribersCount": 39500
  }
}
```

Notes:

- `subscribersCount` is rounded by YouTube (e.g. 39.5K becomes `39500`). Video `views` and `likes` are exact.
- `likes` is `0` when the channel hides likes. `comments` is `0` when comments are turned off.
- `description` is `null` when the video has no description.
- `uploadDate` is ISO 8601 with the channel timezone offset.
- Videos come from the channel's **Videos** tab, newest first. Shorts and live streams that only appear in their own tabs are not included.
- If a video page can't be read (for example an age-restricted video), the record keeps the title, views and thumbnail from the channel listing, with `uploadDate: null`.
- A channel with no videos matching the filters returns one `{ "channel": {...} }` record and is charged as a successful channel.

Failed channels are returned with `status: "failed"` and a `note` explaining why. They are not charged:

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@doesnotexist",
  "status": "failed",
  "note": "Channel not found.",
  "isProxyUsed": true
}
```

### Important

This Actor collects only publicly available information. Users are responsible for complying with YouTube's terms, applicable laws, and privacy/data-protection requirements.

The Actor is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by YouTube or Google.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/arisma_tech/youtube-videos-and-profile-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Channel URLs, @handles or channel IDs. Supported formats: https://www.youtube.com/@handle, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC..., https://www.youtube.com/user/name, https://www.youtube.com/c/name, @handle, UC... channel ID.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of latest videos to return for each channel. Set 0 to return channel information only.

## `onlyVideosNewerThan` (type: `string`):

Only return videos published after this date. Accepts an absolute date (2026-01-31) or a relative value such as 7 days, 2 weeks or 3 months.

## `onlyProfileInfo` (type: `boolean`):

Return one record per channel ({ channel: {...} }) and skip videos.

## `includeProfileInfo` (type: `boolean`):

Add a channel object (id, description, subscribersCount) to each video record.

## `proxy` (type: `object`):

YouTube rate-limits repeated requests from one IP. Apify Proxy is recommended for reliable runs.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Number of channels processed in parallel.

## `maxRequestRetries` (type: `integer`):

How many times a failed or blocked request is retried with a new proxy session.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@coursera"
  ],
  "maxItems": 10,
  "onlyProfileInfo": false,
  "includeProfileInfo": true,
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  },
  "maxConcurrency": 3,
  "maxRequestRetries": 4
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Channel and video records from the run.

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "startUrls": [
        "https://www.youtube.com/@coursera"
    ],
    "maxItems": 10,
    "includeProfileInfo": true,
    "proxy": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("arisma_tech/youtube-videos-and-profile-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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "startUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@coursera"],
    "maxItems": 10,
    "includeProfileInfo": True,
    "proxy": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("arisma_tech/youtube-videos-and-profile-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@coursera"
  ],
  "maxItems": 10,
  "includeProfileInfo": true,
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call arisma_tech/youtube-videos-and-profile-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,arisma_tech/youtube-videos-and-profile-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/F0sSEiBcoS1WSs98L/builds/Pwn0sZQGiY2TtB7uh/openapi.json