# YouTube Shorts Scraper - Views, Likes & Dates (`clearfetch/youtube-shorts-scraper`) Actor

Scrape YouTube Shorts without login or API key: a channel's Shorts, Shorts search results and any Shorts link, with exact views, likes, publish date, duration, description and channel stats. No cookies, no proxy.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/clearfetch/youtube-shorts-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Nada Hanad](https://apify.com/clearfetch) (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 $0.70 / 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/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 Shorts Scraper - Views, Likes & Dates

Scrape YouTube Shorts without logging in or an API key: every Short on a channel, Shorts search results, or any
list of Shorts links, with exact views, likes, publish date, duration, description and channel stats for each one.
**$1.00 per 1,000 results.** No quota, no cookies, no proxy, no browser.

### What data you get

**Shorts** (one row each, same columns every time):

- `views` and `likes` (exact, from each Short's own page)
- `publishedAt` (exact date), `durationSeconds`, `title`, full `description`, `hashtags`, `url` (the /shorts/ link)
- Channel: `channelName`, `channelHandle`, `channelId`, `channelUrl`, `channelSubscribers`, `channelVerified`
- `thumbnailUrl`, `isShort`, and where it came from: `source` (search, channel or url), `sourceValue`, `sourceRank`

**Channels**: `subscribers`, `videoCount`, `description`, `keywords`, `verified`, `avatarUrl`, `channelId`, `handle`.

### How to use

1. Add channels (@handles or links), Shorts searches, or Shorts links, one per line.
2. Optionally narrow searches to the last hour, day, week, month or year, or keep only Shorts newer than a date or
   an age like "7 days".
3. Run it, then download JSON, CSV or Excel, or pull the rows through the API. Schedule it to follow new Shorts.

### Input

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|-------|------|---------|-------------|
| `channels` | array | — | @handles, channel links or channel ids. Lists the channel's Shorts tab, newest first. |
| `searchQueries` | array | — | One search per line, with YouTube's Shorts filter. |
| `videoUrls` | array | — | /shorts/ links, watch links or video ids. Also `urls`, `startUrls`. |
| `maxResultsPerSource` | integer | `20` | Shorts per search and per channel (0 = as many as YouTube lists, up to 1,000). |
| `contentType` | string | `shorts` | `shorts`, or `videos` for a channel's Videos tab and normal search. |
| `fetchVideoDetails` | boolean | `true` | Read each Short's page for exact views, likes, date, duration and description. Off keeps only the title and rounded views. |
| `includeChannelInfo` | boolean | `true` | One row per channel. |
| `searchSort` | string | `relevance` | `relevance` or `popularity`; popularity applies to videos only, since YouTube has no popularity order for Shorts. |
| `uploadDate` | string | `any` | `hour`, `today`, `week`, `month`, `year` (searches). |
| `newerThan` | string | — | A date or an age like `"7 days"`. Older Shorts are left out and not charged. |
| `maxConcurrency` | integer | `5` | Pages read in parallel. |
| `timeoutSecs` | integer | `30` | Per request. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | off | Not needed. |

### Output example

A real row from a run on Apify with `"channels": ["@NASA"]` on 2026-09-29:

```json
{
  "ok": true,
  "type": "video",
  "id": "QP5Fs3AYuWE",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QP5Fs3AYuWE",
  "title": "2026 Total Solar Eclipse Over Spain",
  "channelName": "NASA",
  "channelId": "UCLA_DiR1FfKNvjuUpBHmylQ",
  "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@NASA",
  "channelHandle": "@NASA",
  "channelSubscribers": 15100000,
  "channelVerified": true,
  "views": 182912,
  "viewsApproximate": false,
  "likes": 5588,
  "commentCount": null,
  "commentCountApproximate": false,
  "publishedAt": "2026-08-12T19:08:21.000Z",
  "publishedAtApproximate": false,
  "publishedText": "Aug 12, 2026",
  "durationSeconds": 35,
  "description": "On Aug. 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse passed over Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small corner of Portugal.\n\nWatch the moment that our teams captured totality over Spain.\n\nCredit: NASA",
  "hashtags": [],
  "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QP5Fs3AYuWE/hqdefault.jpg",
  "isShort": true,
  "isLive": false,
  "source": "channel",
  "sourceValue": "@NASA",
  "sourceRank": 2,
  "detailed": true,
  "inputUrl": "@NASA",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-09-29T17:49:44.939Z"
}
```

Each channel also gets one row with its subscribers, video count, description and keywords. An input that cannot be
read comes back as one row with `ok: false` and a plain reason, such as `channel not found on YouTube` or
`the channel lists no Shorts`. Those rows are free.

### Pricing

**$1.00 per 1,000 results**: one charge per Short or channel row written. Failed inputs, repeats (a Short found
twice is written once) and Shorts filtered out by date are free.

Paid Apify plans pay less: 10% off on Bronze, 20% on Silver and 30% on Gold and higher tiers.

### Use cases

- **Creator and competitor tracking**: schedule a daily run on a list of channels and follow each new Short's views
  and likes.
- **Trend research**: which Shorts rank for a topic this week, how many views they get, and who makes them.
- **Influencer discovery**: find Shorts creators by topic, then compare subscribers with real engagement per Short.
- **Enrich a list of Shorts links** with exact stats for campaign reports.

### FAQ

**Do I need a YouTube API key?** No, and there is no daily quota. The Actor reads the same public pages a visitor
sees.

**Are views exact?** Yes when each Short's page is read (the default). The Shorts tab itself rounds views (182K) and
shows no dates; with **Read each Short's page** off you get those list values, and `viewsApproximate` says so.

**Why is `channelSubscribers` empty for some Shorts?** A Short's own page does not show the channel's subscriber
count. Shorts found through a channel carry it from the channel page; Shorts from searches and links leave it empty.

**How many Shorts can I get from a channel?** Up to 1,000 per channel, newest first. YouTube pages them in batches
of about 48.

**Is it legal?** It reads public pages that anyone can see without logging in. You are responsible for how you use
the data, including data protection rules for personal data.

### Integrations

Run it from the Apify API or a client library, schedule it in Apify Console, or connect it to n8n, Make, Zapier or
any MCP client through Apify's integrations. Results are available as JSON, CSV, Excel and through the dataset API.

### More tools from clearfetch

- [YouTube Scraper](https://apify.com/clearfetch/youtube-scraper): search, channels and exact video stats
- [YouTube Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/clearfetch/youtube-comments-scraper): every comment and reply under a video or Short
- [TikTok Scraper](https://apify.com/clearfetch/tiktok-scraper): hashtags, profiles, sounds and video stats

### Changelog

- **1.0.1** (2026-10-02) — a Shorts search with `searchSort: "popularity"` returned nothing, because YouTube has no
  popularity order for Shorts (its own Popularity option leads to an empty page). Shorts searches are now listed by
  relevance, with a warning in the log.
- **1.0.0** (2026-09) — first release: a channel's Shorts, Shorts search with date filter and popularity order,
  Shorts links, exact views, likes and dates from each Short's page.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchQueries` (type: `array`):

One search per line, with YouTube's Shorts filter applied. Each returns up to "Max Shorts per search or channel".

## `channels` (type: `array`):

@handles, channel links or channel ids (UC...). Each returns a channel row (subscribers, video count) and the channel's Shorts, newest first.

## `videoUrls` (type: `array`):

Full stats for specific Shorts: /shorts/ links, watch links or bare video ids. Also accepts "urls" and "startUrls".

## `maxResultsPerSource` (type: `integer`):

Shorts per search query and per channel. 0 means as many as YouTube lists (up to 1,000).

## `contentType` (type: `string`):

Shorts by default. Switch to Videos to list a channel's Videos tab or run a normal search instead.

## `fetchVideoDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Exact views, likes, publish date, duration and description for every Short. Off is faster but keeps only the title and rounded views, because Shorts lists show no dates.

## `includeChannelInfo` (type: `boolean`):

One row per channel with subscribers, video count, description and keywords.

## `searchSort` (type: `string`):

YouTube's own ordering for search results. Popularity applies to videos only: YouTube has no popularity order for Shorts, so Shorts searches are always listed by relevance.

## `uploadDate` (type: `string`):

YouTube's upload-date filter for searches.

## `newerThan` (type: `string`):

An age like "7 days" or a date like 2026-09-01. Older Shorts are left out and not charged. Needs "Read each Short's page", which is where the date comes from.

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

Pages read in parallel.

## `timeoutSecs` (type: `integer`):

Per request. Pages YouTube returns without data are retried.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Not needed: YouTube serves these pages to Apify's own servers. Only for very large volumes.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchQueries": [
    "cooking hacks"
  ],
  "channels": [
    "@NASA"
  ],
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/myZ9kn9MIWQ"
  ],
  "maxResultsPerSource": 5,
  "contentType": "shorts",
  "fetchVideoDetails": true,
  "includeChannelInfo": true,
  "searchSort": "relevance",
  "uploadDate": "any",
  "newerThan": "",
  "maxConcurrency": 5,
  "timeoutSecs": 30,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

Shorts with views, likes, publish date, duration, description and channel; channel rows with subscribers and video count. Inputs that could not be read appear with ok=false and a reason, and are not charged.

# 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 = {
    "searchQueries": [
        "cooking hacks"
    ],
    "channels": [
        "@NASA"
    ],
    "videoUrls": [
        "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/myZ9kn9MIWQ"
    ],
    "maxResultsPerSource": 5
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("clearfetch/youtube-shorts-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 = {
    "searchQueries": ["cooking hacks"],
    "channels": ["@NASA"],
    "videoUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/shorts/myZ9kn9MIWQ"],
    "maxResultsPerSource": 5,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("clearfetch/youtube-shorts-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 '{
  "searchQueries": [
    "cooking hacks"
  ],
  "channels": [
    "@NASA"
  ],
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/myZ9kn9MIWQ"
  ],
  "maxResultsPerSource": 5
}' |
apify call clearfetch/youtube-shorts-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,clearfetch/youtube-shorts-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/ydvh70l4l3aRAtWbd/builds/pdMqSRVzyliahRuiK/openapi.json