# YouTube Video Comments Scraper (`electrabot.info/youtube-video-comments`) Actor Scrapes comments (text, author, likes, replies, timestamps) from YouTube videos. Supports top/newest sort and up to 1000 comments per video. - **URL**: https://apify.com/electrabot.info/youtube-video-comments.md - **Developed by:** [electra bot](https://apify.com/electrabot.info) (community) - **Categories:** Videos, Social media, AI - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $0.80 / 1,000 comments 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/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use 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 Comments Scraper Extract **YouTube video comments** — with replies, likes, verified and creator badges, pinned/hearted flags, timestamps, and **built-in sentiment analysis** — as JSON, CSV, or Excel. Paste one video or a whole list. No browser under the hood. **Pay per result** — you're charged per comment delivered. Videos with comments disabled or unavailable cost nothing. --- ### What can I use it for? - **Audience & sentiment research** — every comment ships with a positive/negative/neutral label and score. Measure how a video, product launch, or campaign actually landed. - **Creator analytics** — which comments the creator pinned or hearted, who's verified, what drives engagement. - **Competitor & market intel** — mine the comment sections of competitors' videos for complaints, requests, and objections. - **AI & LLM datasets** — clean, structured comment text with reply threading intact. - **Community moderation** — surface the most-liked and most-negative comments at a glance. --- ### Input | Field | Required | Description | |-------|----------|-------------| | **Video URLs** | ✅ | One or more videos: watch URLs, `youtu.be` links, `/shorts/`, or bare 11-character IDs. Each comment is one result. | | **Sort comments by** | – | `top` (most-engaged first — best for analysis) or `new` (most recent). | | **Max comments per video** | – | 1–5,000 (default 100). The run reports how many the video actually has. | | **Max replies per thread** | – | How many replies to load under each top-level comment (0 = top-level only; default 10). | | **Proxy configuration** | – | **Automatic by default:** datacenter proxy first, escalating to RESIDENTIAL only if YouTube blocks it. | ### Output One record per comment: ```json { "videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ", "videoUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ", "videoTitle": "Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up", "channel": "Rick Astley", "commentId": "UgxKREWxIgDrw71paZx4AaABAg", "parentId": null, "isReply": false, "author": "@SomeUser", "authorUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@SomeUser", "authorIsVerified": false, "authorIsUploader": false, "text": "This song is a timeless classic!", "likeCount": 4200, "isPinned": false, "isHearted": true, "publishedTimeText": "2 years ago", "timestamp": 1700000000, "sentiment": "positive", "sentimentScore": 0.6597 } ```` | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `sentiment` / `sentimentScore` | VADER sentiment (tuned for social text): label + compound score (−1…+1) | | `isReply` / `parentId` | Rebuild the thread tree, or analyze flat | | `isPinned` / `isHearted` | What the creator promoted or endorsed | | `authorIsVerified` / `authorIsUploader` | Verified accounts and the creator's own replies | | `likeCount` | Engagement per comment | *** ### Why this scraper is reliable - **No browser** — pure HTTP built on a battle-tested extraction engine whose maintainers track YouTube's changes daily. Fast cold starts, low cost. - **Sentiment included** — no separate NLP step; every comment ships labeled and scored. - **Block-aware with automatic escalation** — if YouTube blocks the cheap proxy tier, the scraper retries through a residential proxy, then a fresh IP, before giving up. - **No silent truncation** — popular videos have far more comments than any run fetches. The run tells you `commentsScraped` vs `commentsAvailable` per video in the `SUMMARY`, so you always know whether you got everything. - **Honest run statuses** — videos with comments disabled are reported per video and never charged; a run with zero comments is **Failed**, never a silent empty dataset. - **Batch-safe** — comments are saved incrementally and runs are checkpointed: an interruption never loses finished work or double-charges you. ### Tips & limits - **Big videos:** a viral video may have hundreds of thousands of comments. Set **Max comments per video** to what you actually need — `top` sort gives you the most-engaged ones first, which is usually what matters. - Replies are loaded per thread; set **Max replies per thread** to 0 if you only want top-level opinions (cheaper and faster). - Videos with comments disabled, private, or removed are reported in the `SUMMARY` — never charged. ### Use it from code ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN") run = client.actor("electrabot.info/youtube-video-comments").call( run_input={"videoUrls": ["dQw4w9WgXcQ"], "sort": "top", "maxComments": 200} ) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item["sentiment"], item["likeCount"], item["text"][:60]) ``` ### FAQ **Does it get all comments from a video?** It gets as many as you ask for (up to 5,000/video), sorted by top or newest. The `SUMMARY` always reports how many the video has in total, so you know exactly what you received. **What sentiment engine is used?** VADER — a lexicon tuned for social-media text (handles emphasis, negation, emoji, slang). `sentimentScore` runs from −1 (most negative) to +1 (most positive). **Can I get transcripts too?** Yes — see our [YouTube Transcript Scraper](https://apify.com/electrabot.info/youtube-transcript-scraper) for single videos and [YouTube Channel Transcript Scraper](https://apify.com/electrabot.info/youtube-bulk-video-transcript) for whole channels. **Is scraping comments legal?** This actor accesses only publicly visible comments. You are responsible for complying with applicable laws and YouTube's Terms of Service. Comments contain personal data — handle them accordingly (GDPR/CCPA). *** ### Disclaimer **This is an unofficial tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or in any way officially connected to YouTube or Google LLC.** "YouTube" and all related names, marks, and logos are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here for descriptive purposes only. This actor only accesses **publicly available** information. You are responsible for ensuring your use complies with applicable laws, YouTube's Terms of Service, and any applicable rate-limiting rules. Use it ethically and at your own risk. # Actor input Schema ## `videoUrls` (type: `array`): One or more videos: watch URLs, youtu.be links, /shorts/, /embed/, or bare 11-character video IDs. Each comment found is one result. ## `sort` (type: `string`): 'Top' returns the most-engaged comments first (best for analysis); 'New' returns the most recent. ## `maxComments` (type: `integer`): Upper bound per video (1-5000). Each comment is one billable result. Videos usually have far more - the run tells you how many were available. ## `maxRepliesPerThread` (type: `integer`): How many replies to load under each top-level comment (0 = top-level comments only). ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Default (recommended): automatic tiering - cheap datacenter proxy first, auto-escalating to RESIDENTIAL only if YouTube blocks it. ## Actor input object example ```json { "videoUrls": [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" ], "sort": "top", "maxComments": 100, "maxRepliesPerThread": 10, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `transcripts` (type: `string`): One record per video: full plain-text transcript, timed segments, language info, and video metadata. ## `runSummary` (type: `string`): Requested/scraped/failed counts and per-video failure reasons. # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "videoUrls": [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("electrabot.info/youtube-video-comments").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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "videoUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("electrabot.info/youtube-video-comments").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 '{ "videoUrls": [ "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }' | apify call electrabot.info/youtube-video-comments --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=electrabot.info/youtube-video-comments", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube Video Comments Scraper", "description": "Scrapes comments (text, author, likes, replies, timestamps) from YouTube videos. Supports top/newest sort and up to 1000 comments per video.", "version": "2.0", "x-build-id": "H7H1q7shVdYKe7TaK" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/electrabot.info~youtube-video-comments/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-electrabot.info-youtube-video-comments", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/electrabot.info~youtube-video-comments/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-electrabot.info-youtube-video-comments", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/electrabot.info~youtube-video-comments/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-electrabot.info-youtube-video-comments", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "videoUrls" ], "properties": { "videoUrls": { "title": "Video URLs", "type": "array", "description": "One or more videos: watch URLs, youtu.be links, /shorts/, /embed/, or bare 11-character video IDs. Each comment found is one result.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "sort": { "title": "Sort comments by", "enum": [ "top", "new" ], "type": "string", "description": "'Top' returns the most-engaged comments first (best for analysis); 'New' returns the most recent.", "default": "top" }, "maxComments": { "title": "Max comments per video", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 5000, "type": "integer", "description": "Upper bound per video (1-5000). Each comment is one billable result. Videos usually have far more - the run tells you how many were available.", "default": 100 }, "maxRepliesPerThread": { "title": "Max replies per thread", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 100, "type": "integer", "description": "How many replies to load under each top-level comment (0 = top-level comments only).", "default": 10 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Default (recommended): automatic tiering - cheap datacenter proxy first, auto-escalating to RESIDENTIAL only if YouTube blocks it.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": true } } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```