# YouTube Search Scraper (Cheap) (`data_api/youtube-search-scraper-cheap`) Actor

YouTube Search Scraper for Apify that extracts video data from YouTube search results without an API key. Collect video IDs, titles, channels, views, durations, thumbnails, and metadata for any keyword. Perfect for market research, competitor analysis, trend tracking, and content discovery.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/data\_api/youtube-search-scraper-cheap.md
- **Developed by:** [Data API](https://apify.com/data_api) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, Developer tools, SEO tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.99 / 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 web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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 Video Search Scraper

Type a phrase and get the same list of videos YouTube would show you, except as clean rows instead of an endless scroll. This scraper runs your search on youtube.com and pulls back the title, channel, view count, runtime, and publish date for every result, with thumbnails and channel handles attached. There's no API key to request and no Google login to set up. Hand it one keyword or a whole stream of them, then export the results wherever you work.

![YouTube Video Search Scraper](cover.jpg)

### What you get

Each video in the search results becomes one row with a steady set of columns, so a dump of fifty results loads straight into a sheet or database without reshaping. Per video you get:

- **Video** — `videoName`, `videoLink`, `videoIdentifier`, `viewCount`, `durationSeconds`, `publishedText`, `videoThumbnails`, `descriptionSnippet`, `videoChapters`
- **Channel** — `channelName`, `channelLink`, `channelIdentifier`, `channelTag`, `channelAvatars`
- **Bookkeeping** — `resultKind` on every row, plus `errorMessage` and `searchTerm` if a run fails

### Quick start

1. Hit **Try for free** and open the input form.
2. Type a phrase into **Search term** — whatever you would type into YouTube's search box.
3. Set a **Results limit** to decide how many videos to bring back, and pick a proxy if you want one.
4. Press **Start**, then export as JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML once the run finishes.

![How it works](how-it-works.jpg)

### Use cases

- **Trend tracking** — watch which videos surface for your industry keywords and how fast their view counts climb
- **Competitor monitoring** — see what rival channels are posting and which titles pull the most views
- **Content planning** — mine popular topics, title patterns, and video lengths before you shoot your next one
- **Creator outreach** — pull a list of channels active in a niche, with handles and links ready for contact
- **SEO and keyword research** — compare which videos rank for a query and study how they frame their titles

### Input

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `searchTerm` | string | Yes | The phrase to search on YouTube, typed exactly as you would in the search bar. Example `home espresso machine review`. |
| `resultsLimit` | integer | No | How many videos to collect from the results. Default `50`; range 1 to 1000. |
| `proxyConfiguration` | object | No | Proxies used for requests. Defaults to Apify Proxy; switch to Residential if YouTube throttles datacenter IPs. |

#### Example input

```json
{
    "searchTerm": "home espresso machine review",
    "resultsLimit": 50,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
}
```

### Output

Each video from the search page becomes one row, and the fields keep the same shape across every row so the dataset stays rectangular.

#### Example output

```json
{
    "resultKind": "youtube#searchResult",
    "videoIdentifier": "yMl16hkeQow",
    "videoName": "The Best Home Espresso Machines I Tested in 2026",
    "videoLink": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMl16hkeQow",
    "channelIdentifier": "UC9mrd19dfBDZzY7M0w8GanA",
    "channelLink": "https://www.youtube.com/@beanandbrew",
    "channelName": "Bean and Brew",
    "channelTag": "@beanandbrew",
    "publishedText": "3 weeks ago",
    "durationSeconds": 637,
    "viewCount": 184230,
    "videoThumbnails": [
        {
            "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yMl16hkeQow/hq720.jpg",
            "width": 360,
            "height": 202
        }
    ],
    "channelAvatars": [
        {
            "url": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/wHHKcxHTzgCiA79QVJUtrAq0pyZRaNoQQUpY90Js750XKYb1Z3obPQjKUsLsu33yQv6o5Rsj=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj",
            "width": 68,
            "height": 68
        }
    ],
    "descriptionSnippet": [],
    "videoChapters": []
}
```

#### Output fields

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| `resultKind` | string | Label marking the row as a YouTube search result |
| `videoIdentifier` | string | YouTube's unique ID for the video |
| `videoName` | string | Headline shown above the video |
| `videoLink` | string | Direct watch URL for the video |
| `channelIdentifier` | string | Unique ID of the channel that posted the video |
| `channelLink` | string | URL of the channel page |
| `channelName` | string | Display name of the channel |
| `channelTag` | string | The channel's @handle, when one is set |
| `publishedText` | string | Relative upload time as YouTube prints it, such as '3 weeks ago' |
| `durationSeconds` | integer | Runtime of the video in whole seconds |
| `viewCount` | integer | Total views recorded for the video |
| `videoThumbnails` | array | Thumbnail image URLs at different sizes |
| `channelAvatars` | array | Channel profile image URLs at the available sizes |
| `descriptionSnippet` | array | Short excerpt of the video description as rich text runs |
| `videoChapters` | array | Chapter markers for the video when YouTube exposes them |
| `errorMessage` | string | Reason a run failed; absent on a clean run |
| `searchTerm` | string | The query that produced the row, echoed back on an error row |

### Tips for best results

- **Start with a small `resultsLimit`.** Run 10 to 20 results first to confirm the columns fit your pipeline, then raise it for the full pull.
- **A single search page caps out.** YouTube stops loading more results past a few hundred for one query, so very high limits return whatever the page actually holds.
- **Switch to Residential if you get throttled.** Datacenter proxies clear most runs; residential helps when YouTube starts rate-limiting datacenter IPs.
- **Phrase the query like a viewer would.** The scraper runs your exact text through YouTube search, so specific phrasing returns more relevant videos than broad single words.
- **Some fields come back empty by design.** `descriptionSnippet` and `videoChapters` are only filled when YouTube includes them for that result.

### How can I use YouTube search data?

**How can I use the YouTube Video Search Scraper to track trends in my niche?**
Run the same keyword on a schedule and compare the `viewCount`, `publishedText`, and `videoName` of the top results over time. Rising view counts and a wave of fresh uploads point to a topic gaining steam, which is a quick signal for what to cover next.

**How can I research competitor videos on YouTube without the API?**
Search a competitor's brand or topic and the scraper returns each video's title, channel, views, and runtime — no API key or Google account needed. Sort by `viewCount` to see which of their videos land hardest, and read the `videoName` patterns to learn how they frame titles.

**How can I export YouTube search results to a spreadsheet?**
Set your `searchTerm`, choose a `resultsLimit`, and run it. Every result comes back as one flat row, ready to download as CSV or Excel and open in Google Sheets — useful for building keyword lists, content calendars, or creator outreach sheets.

**How can I find channels to work with in a specific topic?**
Search the topic and read the `channelName`, `channelTag`, and `channelLink` on each row. That gives you a ready list of active creators and direct links to their pages, so you can shortlist partners or guests without hunting through YouTube by hand.

### Is it legal to scrape data?

Our actors are ethical and do not extract any private user data, such as email addresses or private contact information. They only extract what the user has chosen to share publicly. We therefore believe that our actors, when used for ethical purposes by Apify users, are safe.

However, you should be aware that your results could contain personal data. Personal data is protected by the GDPR in the European Union and by other regulations around the world. You should not scrape personal data unless you have a legitimate reason to do so. If you're unsure whether your reason is legitimate, consult your lawyers.

You can also read Apify's blog post on the [legality of web scraping](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/).

### Support

Questions, feature requests, or a field you'd like added? Reach out at <data.apify@proton.me> and we'll get back to you.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchTerm` (type: `string`):

The phrase to look up on YouTube, exactly as you would type it into the search bar.

## `resultsLimit` (type: `integer`):

Cap on how many videos to collect from the search results. Lower it for quick test runs, raise it to pull a deeper list.

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

Pick the proxies used for each request. Routing through a proxy keeps you under YouTube's rate limits and away from IP blocks.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchTerm": "home espresso machine review",
  "resultsLimit": 50,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# 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 = {
    "searchTerm": "Apify Complete Tutorial For Beginners",
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("data_api/youtube-search-scraper-cheap").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 = {
    "searchTerm": "Apify Complete Tutorial For Beginners",
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("data_api/youtube-search-scraper-cheap").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 '{
  "searchTerm": "Apify Complete Tutorial For Beginners",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call data_api/youtube-search-scraper-cheap --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=data_api/youtube-search-scraper-cheap",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/eAUbOVNIIY7dYw6ZK/builds/9NN1HR5mkxdDCMlZe/openapi.json