YouTube Channel Details Scraper

Export public YouTube channel profiles from known handles, IDs or URLs without a YouTube API key. Retain canonical channel identity, descriptions, available public count text and parsed counts, links, images, tags and optional section titles. This is channel metadata rather than video lists, emails, private analytics or subscriber identities.

Quick start

Use one or two known channels with a small channel cap. The existing example combines @mkbhd and Google's channel URL:

{
  "channelUrlsOrHandles": [
    "@mkbhd",
    "https://www.youtube.com/@Google"
  ],
  "resumeChannelUrlsOrHandles": [],
  "maxChannels": 50,
  "includeRecentSections": true,
  "maxConcurrency": 3,
  "connectionMode": "direct"
}

Prefer a video guide? This short Apify walkthrough shows you how to set up and run an Actor. It uses a different Actor, but the setup steps are the same.

Ready-to-run examples

Choose an example to start with a small, preconfigured channel list.

• Export YouTube Channel Subscriber, Video, and View Counts — Keep available public count text and parsed values alongside channel identity.
• Convert YouTube Handles to Channel IDs and Profile Metadata — Resolve supplied handles to public channel IDs and canonical links.
• Find External Links from YouTube Channels — Collect exposed channel links with their available labels.

What you get

One usable public profile row with channel ID, handle, canonical URL and available profile fields. Counts retain both source text and parsed values, so abbreviated public numbers remain estimates of what YouTube displays. Optional recentSectionTitles identifies exposed section labels rather than enumerating their videos.

Who is it for?

• Creator partnership researchers reviewing source-linked channel shortlists.
• Media analysts organizing known channels by identity and public profile context.
• Brand researchers checking exposed descriptions and external links manually.
• Data developers resolving handles to channel IDs for their own joins and snapshots.

How you can use the data

• Resolve a known creator handle. Collect @mkbhd and keep channelId, handle and canonicalUrl together. Use the stable identity for downstream joins rather than matching solely on a display title, and do not treat it as proof of account ownership.
• Prepare a small brand-channel sheet. Use the existing Google channel URL and retain description, country, joinedDateText and externalLinks when exposed. Missing fields are unknown, and a public link is not an email address or outreach permission.
• Review public channel structure. Enable recent section titles for a small channel list and inspect labels such as Videos or Shorts. Use the separate channel-videos Actor for actual video records rather than interpreting labels as a complete content archive.
• Compare your own profile snapshots. Store channelId, fetchedAt and both count text and parsed values in your destination. Public counts can be rounded or hidden, so differences do not measure exact subscriber growth or private audience analytics.

Input settings

Setting	JSON key	What to enter
Channels	channelUrlsOrHandles	Handles, channel URLs, channel IDs, or custom URLs.
Resume pending channels	resumeChannelUrlsOrHandles	Optional nonempty pending list takes precedence over the main list. Leave empty for normal runs.
Maximum channels	maxChannels	Maximum number of channels to process.
Include recent sections	includeRecentSections	Adds public section titles such as videos, shorts, or playlists.
Maximum concurrency	maxConcurrency	Parallel channel lookups, subject to a safety cap.
Connection	connectionMode	Direct or Automatic. See the input help for defaults and costs.
Advanced proxy settings	proxyConfiguration	Optional existing or custom settings override Connection.

Output data

The existing illustrative profile contains historical counts and sample media URLs rather than current creator metrics:

{
  "input": "@mkbhd",
  "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd",
  "channelId": "UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ",
  "handle": "@mkbhd",
  "title": "Marques Brownlee",
  "description": "MKBHD: Quality Tech Videos...",
  "subscriberCountText": "19M subscribers",
  "subscriberCount": 19000000,
  "videoCountText": "1.7K videos",
  "videoCount": 1700,
  "viewCountText": "4B views",
  "viewCount": 4000000000,
  "country": "United States",
  "joinedDateText": "Joined Mar 21, 2008",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd",
  "avatarUrl": "https://yt3.googleusercontent.com/...",
  "bannerUrl": "https://yt3.googleusercontent.com/...",
  "externalLinks": [],
  "tags": ["tech", "reviews"],
  "topics": [],
  "recentSectionTitles": ["Videos", "Shorts"],
  "isVerified": true,
  "fetchedAt": "2026-07-03T10:00:00.000Z"
}

Field group	Fields
Input and identity	input, channelUrl, channelId, handle, title, canonicalUrl
Profile text	description, country, joinedDateText
Counts	subscriberCountText, subscriberCount, videoCountText, videoCount, viewCountText, viewCount
Media and links	avatarUrl, bannerUrl, externalLinks
Discovery fields	tags, recentSectionTitles, isVerified
Collection time	fetchedAt

topics is retained as an empty compatibility field. No topic classification is performed. Unavailable or failed inputs are described in RUN_SUMMARY, not emitted as dataset error rows.

Download your results

Open your run's dataset, choose Export and select JSON, CSV or Excel. JSON keeps nested fields together. CSV and Excel are useful when you want to review the records in a spreadsheet.

See Apify's download and export guide for the available formats and field options.

Pricing

After input validation and connection setup, a started lookup run can incur a start event even if it produces no profiles. A result event is charged for each completed public profile saved to the dataset, subject to the run's charge limit. Invalid-only target lists make no requests or manual event charges.

Unavailable and failed lookups do not produce paid error rows. If the charge limit is exhausted, remaining channels are left pending. Completed output remains accessible if a later billing or storage operation fails.

See the live Pricing tab for current rates and plan discounts. Platform compute, storage, proxies or transfer can also apply.

Tips for best results

• Prefer known handles or full URLs. Resolve channel IDs and canonical links before joining records from different exports.
• Keep counts in context. Save the displayed count text beside parsed numbers and collection time instead of treating rounded totals as exact growth measurements.
• Request section titles only when useful. They describe exposed channel structure, not video records or playlist contents.
• Inspect skipped and pending targets. Use the run summary to distinguish an unavailable profile from unfinished work before planning a separate retry.
• Keep concurrency moderate. Start with a short known-channel list before increasing coverage.

Limits and caveats

The Actor collects public channel profiles only. It does not export channel videos, comments, emails, private analytics or subscriber lists. YouTube can hide or round counts and omit profile fields, and the illustrative output does not guarantee those values are available for every channel.

Usable profiles from other targets can remain when an isolated lookup fails. Explicitly unavailable channels produce no rows and their reasons appear in the run summary. YouTube's missing-page response is confirmed on both the channel home and about pages before being accepted as unavailable. Incomplete channel identity is retried within the existing three-attempt lookup limit; a home page alone never replaces the requested about details. A batch of confirmed unavailable channels can finish successfully with an empty dataset. Blocking, unexpected pages and extraction failures are not treated as confirmed unavailability. An inaccessible profile alone is not proof that a channel was deleted.

A time-limited or charge-limited run can list unfinished targets in PENDING_CHANNELS. Supply those inputs as resumeChannelUrlsOrHandles in an explicit new run, which has its own start and saved-profile charges. After an abrupt stop, compare the dataset with the original inputs first because final pending information may not have been written. Restarting the same run does not repeat extraction.

Privacy and data handling

This Actor runs with Apify limited permissions and only processes data needed for the documented run. It uses your channel lookup inputs and public YouTube channel pages to produce the output dataset. Results are stored in Apify run storage for your account. FetchCat does not use your inputs or outputs for advertising or model training. Operational error diagnostics may include input and request context with credentials and other secrets removed. Share only non-sensitive examples when requesting support. You are responsible for using the Actor lawfully, respecting the target site's terms, and avoiding unnecessary personal or sensitive data in inputs.

Automation and integrations

Save your settings for next time

Once you have an input that works for you, save it as an Apify task. This keeps your settings together so you can use them again without filling in the form from scratch.

Run on a schedule

Need fresh results regularly? You can schedule the Actor or a saved task to run at a time that suits you.

Each scheduled run collects the data again. If you want to compare results or highlight changes, add that step in your own workflow.

Send results to your other tools

Use n8n, Make or Zapier to connect this scraper to the rest of your workflow. For example, you could pass its results to an AI assistant or add records to a spreadsheet. Follow the Apify integration guides for your chosen tool.

For a custom connection, an Apify webhook can notify your app when a run finishes or fails. Your app can then fetch the results or handle the failure.

API usage

Want to collect this data from your own app or automation? The examples below send input to the scraper and show how to collect its results.

The Node.js and Python examples wait for the run to finish before reading its results. The cURL example starts the run and returns its details. Wait for that run to finish, then use its defaultDatasetId to fetch the results.

For setup instructions, see Apify's JavaScript client guide, Python client guide and Actor runs API reference.

cURL

curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fetch_cat~youtube-channel-details-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "channelUrlsOrHandles": ["@mkbhd"],
    "connectionMode": "direct",
    "includeRecentSections": true
  }'

Node.js

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/youtube-channel-details-scraper').call({
  channelUrlsOrHandles: ['@mkbhd'],
  connectionMode: 'direct',
  includeRecentSections: true,
});
console.log(run.defaultDatasetId);

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient('MY-APIFY-TOKEN')
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/youtube-channel-details-scraper').call(run_input={
    'channelUrlsOrHandles': ['@mkbhd'],
    'connectionMode': 'direct',
    'includeRecentSections': True,
})
print(run['defaultDatasetId'])

MCP and AI agents

You can ask your AI assistant to collect data with YouTube Channel Details Scraper and help you work with the results. The scraper returns the data, and your assistant can then summarize it, compare records or prepare notes.

Connect your assistant through the Apify MCP server. MCP gives your assistant a way to find this scraper, run it and read the results. Follow the official setup and sign-in guide for your app.

Easier setup with an Apify plugin

If you use a supported coding assistant, the official Apify plugin can set up the connection for you. It connects your assistant to Apify and includes instructions for common tasks. Follow the guide for your particular app.

Use Apify AI in Console

Prefer to keep everything in Apify? Open Apify AI in Console and ask it to find Fetch Cat's YouTube Channel Details Scraper. You can describe the data you want and ask questions about the results.

Apify AI is currently in beta. It asks for confirmation before starting an Actor, and normal run charges apply.

Choose your assistant

• Claude and Claude Code (Anthropic): Apify setup guide.
• ChatGPT and Codex (OpenAI): Apify setup guides.
• Grok Bot (xAI): Apify plugin guide.
• Gemini CLI (Google): MCP server setup guide. Use the server URL below with the HTTP configuration supported by Gemini CLI.

Connect just this scraper

To keep your setup focused on this scraper, add this server configuration to a compatible MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=fetch_cat/youtube-channel-details-scraper"
    }
  }
}

Sign in to Apify when your client asks. If your client uses a Bearer token instead, follow its setup guide and keep the token in its secure configuration. Configuration formats vary by app, so use the linked guide if your client needs a different format.

Use Apify's general server

Already connected to the general Apify MCP server at https://mcp.apify.com? You can use it to find this scraper without adding another server. Ask your assistant to use YouTube Channel Details Scraper by Fetch Cat, or give it the identifier fetch_cat/youtube-channel-details-scraper.

Your assistant can check the available settings and retrieve the results from the returned run. If the run is still working, it should follow that run rather than start it again. Both connection options use Apify's hosted service.

Example requests

• “Use Fetch Cat’s YouTube Channel Details Scraper to collect the public profile for @mkbhd with a maximum of 1 channel and recent section titles enabled. Keep the channel ID, source count text and collection time without treating rounded counts as exact.”
• “Retrieve the public profile at https://www.youtube.com/@Google with a maximum of 1 channel and recent section titles off. Keep the canonical URL, available description, country and external links without looking for emails or private analytics.”
• “Collect up to 2 channel profiles for @mkbhd and https://www.youtube.com/@Google with recent section titles enabled. Keep missing fields visible and do not interpret section labels as video records or the export as a growth report.”

Normal Apify charges apply. Check the live Pricing tab before asking your assistant to run a larger batch.

Pay with x402

If your AI agent has a funded wallet, it can pay for Apify usage through x402. This experimental option lets an agent use Apify without a conventional account.

Apify AGI provides a prepaid API token with a spending cap after payment. Your agent can use that token to run this scraper through the Apify API or an authenticated MCP connection.

Some MCP setups also support paying for each request directly. That is a different payment option, so check the official guide for its availability.

Follow the official guide for wallet setup, supported payment options and current terms. Apify handles the payments. Keep wallet keys and payment tokens in your agent's secure configuration.

Other ways for agents to pay

Apify also supports MPP for prepaid access through AGI and Skyfire for eligible Actors. If your agent already uses one of these, see the agentic payment guide to choose the right setup.

FAQ

Can I export YouTube channel data to CSV or Excel?

Yes. Download the Apify dataset as CSV, Excel, JSON, XML, RSS, or through the Dataset API.

Does this require a YouTube API key?

No. It reads public channel pages.

Can it get emails?

No. It exports public profile and link data, not hidden contact details.

Can it scrape videos from a channel?

No. Use the related channel videos actor for video lists.

Related Actors

• YouTube Channel Videos Scraper — Collect recent public YouTube channel video metadata, without promising a complete historical archive.
• YouTube Video Details Scraper — Collect public YouTube video metadata and available engagement from known video URLs.
• YouTube Search Results Scraper — Collect public YouTube search-result metadata for supported video, channel or playlist searches.
• YouTube Playlist Videos Scraper — Collect available public video metadata from supplied YouTube playlist URLs.
• YouTube Comments Scraper — Collect available public YouTube video comments and exposed replies.

Release history

17 Jul 2026

• Fix: Fixed local and platform startup so YouTube channel detail runs complete successfully.

Support and feedback

For custom additions or integrations, email hello@fetchcat.dev.

Found an error or have a feature request? Open an issue with the run URL, a non-sensitive input example and what you expected.

Need help sharing it? See Apify’s guide to sharing a run when reporting an issue. Sharing a run can give the developer access to its input, logs and results, so use a run that contains no sensitive data. Please leave out API tokens, passwords, cookies, private documents and personal data. Use a public sample URL or a redacted example instead.

Tried this scraper? We'd love to hear how it worked for you. Leave a review to help others choose the right tool and help us improve it. Your feedback means a lot to us.

Made with care for curious people, AI agents and the possibilities in data. ♥