# YouTube Channel Scraper - Subscribers, Stats & Videos (`dataspace/youtube-channel-scraper`) Actor

Scrape YouTube channels: subscribers, total views, video count, join date, country, description and links, plus each channel's latest or most popular videos, Shorts and live streams. Find channels by keyword. No API key, no extra fees.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/dataspace/youtube-channel-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Dataspace](https://apify.com/dataspace) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, Social media
- **Stats:** 3 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.90 / 1,000 channel or 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

Get YouTube channel data in bulk: **subscribers, total views, video count, join date, country, description, links and verification badge** — plus each channel's **latest or most popular videos, Shorts and live streams**. Paste channels or **find channels by keyword**. No API key, no quota, no extra fees.

- ✅ **Channel profiles** — subscribers, total views, number of videos, joined date, country, about text and external links
- ✅ **Find channels by keyword** — e.g. `personal finance`, `vegan recipes`, `react tutorial` → up to hundreds of channels with their stats
- ✅ **Videos, Shorts and streams** — choose how many of each per channel
- ✅ **Latest, Popular or Oldest** — the same sorting as on the channel page
- ✅ **Date limit** — only videos newer than a date or a period (`30 days`), and the run stops early to save money
- ✅ **One simple price** — $0.90 per 1,000 results, no per-channel or per-search fees

### What data do you get?

**Channel item** (`type: "channel"`)

| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| `name`, `handle`, `channelId`, `url` | Veritasium · @veritasium · UCHnyfMqiRRG1u-2MsSQLbXA |
| `subscriberCount`, `subscriberCountText` | 21300000 · 21.3M subscribers |
| `viewCount`, `videoCount` | 4641035427 · 538 |
| `joinedDate`, `country` | 2010-07-21 · United States |
| `description`, `keywords`, `links` | About text, channel keywords, external links (website, social profiles) |
| `avatarUrl`, `isVerified`, `isFamilySafe` | Profile picture, verification badge |

**Video item** (`type: "video"`)

| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| `title`, `videoId`, `url`, `thumbnailUrl` | Why Are 96,000,000 Black Balls on This Reservoir? |
| `contentType` | videos · shorts · streams |
| `viewCount`, `durationText`, `durationSeconds` | 112000000 · 12:07 · 727 |
| `publishedTimeText` | 7 years ago |
| `channelName`, `channelHandle`, `channelSubscriberCount` | Channel info on every video row |
| `likeCount`, `commentCount`, `publishedAt`, `description`, `hashtags` | With **Add video details** switched on |

The dataset has two ready-made views — **Channels** and **Videos** — and exports to Excel, CSV, JSON, HTML or XML.

### How to use

1. Add channels (`@MrBeast`, a channel URL or a channel ID) and/or keywords to find channels.
2. Choose how many videos, Shorts and streams you want per channel (0 = channel info only).
3. Pick the sorting and, if you like, a date limit.
4. Click **Start**.

### Example inputs

Channel stats only (influencer research):

```json
{
  "searchKeywords": ["personal finance", "investing for beginners"],
  "maxChannelsPerKeyword": 50,
  "maxVideosPerChannel": 0
}
```

Most popular videos of competitor channels:

```json
{
  "channelUrls": ["@veritasium", "@kurzgesagt", "https://www.youtube.com/@3blue1brown"],
  "maxVideosPerChannel": 20,
  "sortVideosBy": "popular",
  "includeVideoDetails": true
}
```

Everything a channel published in the last 30 days:

```json
{
  "channelUrls": ["@MrBeast"],
  "maxVideosPerChannel": 100,
  "maxShortsPerChannel": 100,
  "oldestPostDate": "30 days"
}
```

### Example output (real result, shortened)

```json
[
  {
    "type": "channel",
    "name": "Veritasium",
    "handle": "@veritasium",
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHnyfMqiRRG1u-2MsSQLbXA",
    "subscriberCount": 21300000,
    "viewCount": 4641035427,
    "videoCount": 538,
    "joinedDate": "2010-07-21",
    "country": "United States",
    "isVerified": true
  },
  {
    "type": "video",
    "title": "Why Are 96,000,000 Black Balls on This Reservoir?",
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxPdPpi5W4o",
    "contentType": "videos",
    "viewCount": 112000000,
    "durationText": "12:07",
    "publishedTimeText": "7 years ago",
    "channelName": "Veritasium",
    "channelSubscriberCount": 21300000,
    "position": 1
  }
]
```

### Pricing

Pay per result: **$0.90 per 1,000 results** (one result = one channel or one video), plus a tiny start fee of $0.00005 per run. Platform usage (compute and proxies) is included — you are not charged anything else. Keyword searches and channel lookups have no extra fee.

| Example | Cost |
|---|---|
| 500 channels found by keywords (stats only) | $0.45 |
| 50 channels × 20 latest videos (1,050 results) | $0.94 |
| weekly check of 100 channels' new videos | ~$0.56 per run |

Set a maximum cost for a run and the Actor stops when it is reached.

### Use it via API

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("dataspace/youtube-channel-scraper").call(run_input={
    "searchKeywords": ["home workout"],
    "maxChannelsPerKeyword": 30,
    "maxVideosPerChannel": 5,
    "sortVideosBy": "popular",
})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    if item["type"] == "channel":
        print(item["name"], item["subscriberCount"], item["country"])
```

### Integrations and AI agents

- **Google Sheets, Excel, CSV** — export the Channels view for influencer lists.
- **Make, Zapier, n8n, webhooks** — trigger runs and send new videos to your tools.
- **Schedules** — monitor competitors' channels daily or weekly with a date limit like `7 days`.
- **AI agents (MCP)** — let your agent look up YouTube channels through the Apify MCP server.

### Tips

- Set **Videos per channel** to `0` to get only channel profiles — the fastest and cheapest way to build creator lists.
- With **Latest** sorting and a date limit, the run stops as soon as older videos appear.
- Shorts cards on YouTube have no publish time, so the date limit applies to videos and streams.
- Turn on **Add video details** for likes, comments and exact publish dates.

### FAQ

**Do I need a YouTube API key?** No. There are no API quotas to worry about.

**Is it legal?** The Actor only collects publicly visible channel and video information without logging in and without bypassing any protection. It does not collect comments, commenter names or e-mail addresses. You are responsible for using the data in line with applicable laws and YouTube's terms — see the Disclaimer.

**Does it get e-mail addresses?** No. Channel e-mails are hidden behind a login and a CAPTCHA on YouTube, and this Actor does not collect them.

**Why does a channel return fewer videos than I asked for?** The channel has fewer videos on that tab, or your date limit stopped the run.

**Missing a feature?** Open an issue on the Issues tab — feedback is welcome.

### More scrapers by dataspace

- [YouTube Scraper](https://apify.com/dataspace/youtube-video-channel-scraper) — search results and single videos with full details
- [Google Trends Scraper](https://apify.com/dataspace/google-trends-scraper) — interest over time, including YouTube search trends
- [Google Maps Scraper](https://apify.com/dataspace/google-maps-scraper) — local businesses with phones and websites
- [Google News Scraper](https://apify.com/dataspace/google-news-scraper) — headlines by keyword, topic and country
- [Google Ads Transparency Scraper](https://apify.com/dataspace/google-ads-transparency-scraper) — competitors' Google and YouTube ads

**Like it?** If this Actor saves you time, please leave a review on the Reviews tab — it helps others find it. Found a problem? Open an issue and it will be fixed quickly.

### Disclaimer

This Actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by YouTube or Google LLC. YouTube is a trademark of Google LLC and is mentioned only to describe the publicly available data source. It collects only publicly visible channel and video information — without logging in, without solving CAPTCHAs, without downloading videos and without collecting comments, commenter data or e-mail addresses. You are responsible for making sure that your use of the data complies with applicable laws (including data protection laws such as GDPR) and with YouTube's terms.

# Actor input Schema

## `channelUrls` (type: `array`):

YouTube channels, one per line: a handle (<code>@MrBeast</code>), a channel URL (<code>https://www.youtube.com/@veritasium</code>) or a channel ID (<code>UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA</code>).

## `searchKeywords` (type: `array`):

Find channels with YouTube search (channels only), e.g. <code>cooking</code>, <code>personal finance</code>, <code>react tutorial</code>. Each channel found is scraped like the ones above.

## `maxChannelsPerKeyword` (type: `integer`):

How many channels to take from each keyword search.

## `maxVideosPerChannel` (type: `integer`):

How many regular videos to return from each channel. Set 0 to get channel info only.

## `maxShortsPerChannel` (type: `integer`):

How many Shorts to return from each channel (0 = none).

## `maxStreamsPerChannel` (type: `integer`):

How many live streams / past streams to return from each channel (0 = none).

## `sortVideosBy` (type: `string`):

Same as the Latest / Popular / Oldest buttons on a channel page.

## `oldestPostDate` (type: `string`):

Skip videos published before this date: an exact date (<code>2026-01-31</code>) or a period (<code>30 days</code>, <code>6 months</code>, <code>1 year</code>). Works for videos and streams. With 'Latest' sorting the run stops as soon as older videos start, which saves time and money.

## `includeVideoDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Also get each video's like count, comment count, exact publish date, full description and hashtags. Slower (one extra request per video), same price per result.

## `country` (type: `string`):

Two-letter country code used for keyword search results, e.g. <code>US</code>, <code>GB</code>, <code>DE</code>.

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

The scraper connects directly first and switches to a new proxy IP only if YouTube slows it down. The default works for most runs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "channelUrls": [
    "@veritasium"
  ],
  "maxChannelsPerKeyword": 20,
  "maxVideosPerChannel": 10,
  "maxShortsPerChannel": 0,
  "maxStreamsPerChannel": 0,
  "sortVideosBy": "latest",
  "includeVideoDetails": false,
  "country": "US",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `channels` (type: `string`):

One item per channel: subscribers, total views, video count, join date, country, description and links.

## `videos` (type: `string`):

One item per video, Short or stream: title, views, duration, publish time and channel.

## `allFields` (type: `string`):

Every channel and video with all fields.

# 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 = {
    "channelUrls": [
        "@veritasium"
    ],
    "maxVideosPerChannel": 10,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("dataspace/youtube-channel-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 = {
    "channelUrls": ["@veritasium"],
    "maxVideosPerChannel": 10,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("dataspace/youtube-channel-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 '{
  "channelUrls": [
    "@veritasium"
  ],
  "maxVideosPerChannel": 10,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call dataspace/youtube-channel-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataspace/youtube-channel-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/AeicS2RRk1TpI1p3R/builds/YOnxIPKlynj4cUTma/openapi.json