# YouTube Shorts Scraper — Hashtag, Keyword & Channel | $1.50/1k (`glasswing/youtube-shorts-scraper`) Actor

Scrape YouTube Shorts by hashtag, keyword search, channel or link, no API key or quota. Exact views, likes, comments, publish date, description, hashtags and channel per Short.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/glasswing/youtube-shorts-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Raffy](https://apify.com/glasswing) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, Social media
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.20 / 1,000 shorts

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

### What does YouTube Shorts Scraper do?

**YouTube Shorts Scraper** collects YouTube Shorts by **hashtag**, **keyword search**, **channel** or **link**, without a YouTube API key, a Google account or a quota. Give it `#cooking`, the search term `street food`, the channel `@TED` or a list of Shorts links, and you get one clean row per Short: title, exact views, likes, comments, publish date, full description, hashtags, and the channel name, ID and subscriber count.

It works as a **YouTube Shorts API**: call it from the Apify API, a schedule, Make, Zapier, n8n or an AI agent, and read the results as JSON, CSV or Excel. It costs **$1.50 per 1,000 Shorts**, about half of what the most used Shorts scraper charges, and video details are included in that price.

- **Hashtag feeds**: the Shorts YouTube shows on `youtube.com/hashtag/<tag>/shorts`, hundreds per hashtag.
- **Keyword search**: YouTube's own Shorts search, with upload-date and popularity filters.
- **Channels**: a channel's Shorts tab, sorted by Latest, Popular or Oldest.
- **Links and IDs**: any `youtube.com/shorts/...` link, `youtu.be` link or video ID.

### Use cases

- **Trend watch**: follow a hashtag (#skincare, #fitness, #booktok) every day and see which Shorts take off, with exact view and like counts.
- **Competitor Shorts**: export every Short of the brands you compete with, sorted by Popular, and see which formats win.
- **Rank tracking**: check where your Shorts appear for the keywords you care about (`position` is the rank in the search or feed).
- **Influencer and creator research**: find the channels that publish the most-viewed Shorts for a topic, with subscriber counts.
- **Content ideas and AI datasets**: titles, descriptions and hashtags of thousands of Shorts in one CSV, ready for analysis or an LLM.

### Why use YouTube Shorts Scraper?

- **Four ways in**: hashtag, keyword, channel or link, in one run. The best-known Shorts scraper takes channels only.
- **Exact numbers**: views, likes and comments come from each Short's own page, not rounded "1.2M" labels.
- **Cheap and simple**: $1.50 per 1,000 Shorts, no monthly rental, details included, failed rows free.
- **No browser, no login**: plain HTTP requests through Apify's datacenter proxy, so runs are fast and cheap.
- **One Short, one row**: repeats inside a hashtag feed or search are removed, so you never pay twice for the same Short in one source.

### What data can YouTube Shorts Scraper extract?

| Field | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `url` | `https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ytyzsAV4pxA` | The Short's link |
| `videoId` | `ytyzsAV4pxA` | 11-character video ID |
| `title` | `Hint: It's all you need #TEDTalks` | |
| `type` | `short` | Always `short` |
| `source` | `hashtag` | `hashtag`, `search`, `channel` or `video` (a link you gave) |
| `hashtag` | `#cooking` | The hashtag feed the Short came from |
| `searchQuery` | `street food` | The search term the Short came from |
| `inputUrl` | `https://www.youtube.com/@TED` | The channel or link you gave |
| `position` | `1` | Rank in the feed, search or channel tab |
| `viewCount` | `19085324` | Exact with Short details |
| `likeCount` | `537011` | With Short details |
| `commentCount` | `6000` | With Short details |
| `publishedAt` | `2026-06-25` | YYYY-MM-DD, with Short details |
| `publishedTimeText` | `3 months ago` | YouTube's own text |
| `channelName` | `TED` | The publishing channel |
| `channelId` | `UCAuUUnT6oDeKwE6v1NGQxug` | Join it with channel data from YouTube Scraper |
| `channelVerified` | `true` | Verified badge |
| `subscriberCount` | `27900000` | The channel's subscribers, as YouTube rounds them |
| `description` | `...` | Full description; emails, phone numbers, @mentions and social-profile links are masked |
| `hashtags` | `["#TEDTalks"]` | Hashtags in the title and description |
| `thumbnailUrl` | `https://i.ytimg.com/vi/.../hqdefault.jpg` | |
| `isMembersOnly` | `false` | |
| `commentsTurnedOff` | `false` | |
| `isAgeRestricted` | `false` | |
| `detailsError` | | Only when the details of a Short could not be read; the row keeps its list data |
| `status`, `error`, `scrapedAt` | `ok` | See below |

#### Result status (tri-state output)

Every row has a `status`:

- `ok`: a Short with data. Only these rows are billed.
- `not_found`: YouTube answered, but there is nothing there (a hashtag without Shorts, a deleted Short, a search with no Shorts for your filters). Free.
- `error`: the source could not be read after several retries, with the reason in `error`. Free.

### How to scrape YouTube Shorts

1. Open the Actor and fill one or more of **Hashtags**, **Search terms**, **Channels** or **YouTube links**.
2. Set **Max Shorts per source** (per hashtag, search term or channel) and **Maximum results** (for the whole run).
3. Click **Start**. A run of a few hundred Shorts takes one to three minutes.
4. Download the results as JSON, CSV, Excel or HTML, or read them through the API.

#### Which input finds what

| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| Shorts that use a hashtag | **Hashtags**: `cooking` or `#cooking` |
| Shorts that match a keyword | **Search terms**: `street food`, with Upload date and Sort by |
| All Shorts of a channel | **Channels**: `@TED`, a channel link or `UC...` ID, with Channel sort order |
| Specific Shorts | **YouTube links**: `https://www.youtube.com/shorts/...`, `youtu.be/...` or IDs |

### Input examples

Daily trend watch on two hashtags:

```json
{
    "hashtags": ["skincare", "#booktok"],
    "maxResultsPerSource": 200,
    "maxItems": 400
}
```

A competitor's most popular Shorts:

```json
{
    "channels": ["@TED"],
    "channelSort": "popular",
    "maxResultsPerSource": 100
}
```

Rank tracking for keywords, this month only:

```json
{
    "searchQueries": ["protein breakfast", "meal prep"],
    "uploadDate": "month",
    "maxResultsPerSource": 50
}
```

Specific Shorts:

```json
{
    "startUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ytyzsAV4pxA", "7L-ttuTFeh8"]
}
```

#### Input fields

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| `hashtags` | Hashtags whose Shorts feed to read, with or without `#` |
| `searchQueries` | Keywords, searched with YouTube's Shorts filter |
| `channels` | Channels whose Shorts tab to read |
| `startUrls` | Shorts links, video IDs, channel, hashtag or search links |
| `maxItems` | Stop after this many Shorts in total (default 20) |
| `maxResultsPerSource` | Cap per hashtag, search term or channel (default 10, up to 5,000) |
| `includeVideoDetails` | Open each Short for exact views, likes, comments, date and description (default on, same price) |
| `channelSort` | `newest`, `popular` or `oldest` for channels |
| `uploadDate` | Search only: `hour`, `today`, `week`, `month`, `year` |
| `sortBy` | Search only: `relevance` or `views` (popularity) |
| `query` | One search term as a plain string, for AI agents |
| `proxyConfiguration` | Apify datacenter proxy, on by default |

### Output

Two real rows from a run on 2026-10-19 (description shortened):

```json
[
    {
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ytyzsAV4pxA",
        "status": "ok",
        "type": "short",
        "source": "channel",
        "inputUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@TED",
        "position": 1,
        "title": "Hint: It's all you need #TEDTalks",
        "videoId": "ytyzsAV4pxA",
        "channelName": "TED",
        "channelId": "UCAuUUnT6oDeKwE6v1NGQxug",
        "channelVerified": true,
        "subscriberCount": 27900000,
        "viewCount": 19085324,
        "likeCount": 537011,
        "commentCount": 6000,
        "publishedAt": "2026-06-25",
        "publishedTimeText": "3 months ago",
        "isShort": true,
        "isMembersOnly": false,
        "commentsTurnedOff": false,
        "isAgeRestricted": false,
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ytyzsAV4pxA/hqdefault.jpg",
        "scrapedAt": "2026-10-19T11:52:52.979Z"
    },
    {
        "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YPrtcYKHBDs",
        "status": "ok",
        "type": "short",
        "source": "search",
        "searchQuery": "street food",
        "position": 3,
        "title": "Red Ginger Milk & Sekoteng - Street Food Indonesia ⁉️#redgingermilk #ginger #sekoteng #streetfood",
        "videoId": "YPrtcYKHBDs",
        "channelName": "TasteID",
        "channelId": "UCg1nRNqUfAgbb5XpajHX6iw",
        "subscriberCount": 250,
        "viewCount": 732,
        "likeCount": 7,
        "publishedAt": "2026-10-19",
        "publishedTimeText": "50 minutes ago",
        "isShort": true,
        "isMembersOnly": false,
        "commentsTurnedOff": false,
        "isAgeRestricted": false,
        "description": "Red ginger milk combines creamy milk with the distinctive warmth and spicy aroma of red ginger. Sekoteng is a traditional Indonesian ginger-based drink, often s...",
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YPrtcYKHBDs/hqdefault.jpg",
        "scrapedAt": "2026-10-19T12:09:21.128Z"
    }
]
```

### How much does it cost to scrape YouTube Shorts?

Pay-per-event pricing, with Apify platform usage and proxies included:

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Actor start | $0.005 per run (at the default 1 GB memory) |
| Short (`status: ok` row) | $0.0015 per Short ($1.50 per 1,000) |

What typical jobs cost:

| Job | Shorts | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Default run (try it) | 20 | $0.035 |
| One hashtag, 500 Shorts | 500 | $0.755 |
| A channel's 1,000 latest Shorts | 1,000 | $1.505 |
| Daily check of 5 hashtags, 100 Shorts each, for 30 days | 15,000 | about $22.65 |

Rows with status `not_found` or `error` are never billed, and Short details cost nothing extra. Cap spending with **Maximum results** and the run's **Max total charge** option; the Actor stops cleanly at the limit.

### Use the YouTube Shorts Scraper API

Start a run and get the Shorts in one call:

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/glasswing~youtube-shorts-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_API_TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"hashtags": ["cooking"], "maxResultsPerSource": 50}'
```

The same works from the Apify Python and JavaScript clients, from schedules (for daily trend watch) and from MCP clients and AI agents, which can send just `{"query": "street food"}`.

### Tips

- For trend watch, schedule a daily run per hashtag and compare `viewCount` per `videoId` from day to day.
- A keyword search ends after about 80-100 Shorts; split a broad topic into several narrower search terms, or use its hashtag, which goes much deeper.
- Switch off **Include Short details** when you only need titles and rounded views: runs are faster, the price is the same.

### Limitations

- A keyword search returns at most about 80-100 Shorts (YouTube's own limit). Hashtag feeds and channels go deeper.
- YouTube applies its date and popularity filters to Shorts unevenly: for some terms a filtered Shorts search returns few or no Shorts, and the term then gets one free `not_found` row.
- The Short's length, the sound used and the tags are not part of the output (YouTube shows them only to its video player, which needs a signed-in or browser session).
- Playlists are not a Shorts source; use [YouTube Scraper](https://apify.com/glasswing/youtube-scraper) for them.
- Comments and commenters are not collected. Channel handles, avatars and the creator's profile links are not output.

### FAQ

#### Do I need a YouTube API key or a Google account?

No. The Actor reads the public, logged-out pages that youtube.com itself uses, so there is no key, no OAuth and no quota.

#### How many Shorts can I get per hashtag?

Usually several hundred per hashtag (the measured run read 750+ unique Shorts from #cooking). Set **Max Shorts per source** as high as you need, up to 5,000.

#### How fresh is the data?

Live: every run reads YouTube at that moment, so view and like counts are current.

#### Why did I get fewer rows than Max Shorts per source?

The hashtag, search or channel ran out of Shorts, a keyword search reached YouTube's limit of about 80-100, or **Maximum results** was reached first. Repeats inside one source are removed and not billed.

#### Can I get long videos, live streams or channel profiles?

Use our [YouTube Scraper](https://apify.com/glasswing/youtube-scraper), which covers videos, live streams, playlists and channel profiles at $1 per 1,000 results.

#### Why is a row `not_found`?

The hashtag has no Shorts, the Short was deleted or made private, or a filtered search had no Shorts. These rows are free.

#### Do I need proxies?

The Actor uses Apify's datacenter proxy by default, which is included in the price. Residential proxies are not needed.

#### Is it legal to scrape YouTube Shorts?

The Actor reads only public data. It does not log in or get around access controls. You are responsible for how you use the data; see the notice below.

### Related Actors

- [YouTube Scraper](https://apify.com/glasswing/youtube-scraper) - use it for long videos, live streams, playlists and channel profiles, with the same `videoId` and `channelId` columns to join on.
- [YouTube Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/glasswing/youtube-comments-scraper) - use it to read what viewers say under the Shorts you found.
- [YouTube Transcript Scraper](https://apify.com/glasswing/youtube-transcript-scraper) - use it to pull the spoken text of videos as timed segments or plain text.
- [Google Trends Scraper](https://apify.com/glasswing/google-trends-scraper) - use it to see whether a topic is rising before you track its hashtag.

### Legal and data-protection notice

This Actor extracts only data that YouTube publishes publicly to logged-out visitors. It does not collect comments or commenter names, channel handles, avatars or creators' profile links, and it masks e-mail addresses, phone numbers, @mentions and social-profile links inside titles and descriptions. Channel names are kept as the attribution of each Short. Your results could still contain personal data, which 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 are unsure whether your reason is legitimate, consult your lawyers. You are responsible for complying with YouTube's terms of service and applicable law when using the extracted data.

This Actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by YouTube, Google or their owners. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/glasswing/youtube-shorts-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `hashtags` (type: `array`):

Hashtags whose Shorts feed to read, one per line, with or without the # (cooking, #fitness, #日本). This is the youtube.com/hashtag/<tag>/shorts page. Each hashtag returns up to 'Max Shorts per source'. Repeats inside a feed are removed, so each Short appears once per hashtag.

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

Keywords to search for Shorts, one per line, exactly as you would type them in the YouTube search box. The search always uses YouTube's Shorts filter. A single keyword search stops after about 80-100 Shorts, so split broad topics into several terms.

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

Channels whose Shorts tab to read: @handle, channel link (youtube.com/@name, /channel/UC..., /c/, /user/) or channel ID (UC...). A bare name is read as @name. Use 'Channel sort order' for Latest, Popular or Oldest.

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Any mix of Shorts links (youtube.com/shorts/ID, also youtu.be and watch?v= links, read as Shorts), video IDs, channel links (always read as their Shorts tab), hashtag links (youtube.com/hashtag/cooking) and search links (youtube.com/results?search_query=..., searched with the Shorts filter). Playlists are not supported. If you call the Actor with hashtags, search terms or channels only, the built-in example channel is skipped automatically.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many Shorts have been saved in total. Each saved row with status `ok` is one billable Short ($1.50 per 1,000); rows with status `not_found` or `error` are free. Keep it small for test runs.

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

Cap for each hashtag, each search term and each channel (up to 5,000). YouTube pages through about 20-50 Shorts per request; a keyword search ends after about 80-100 Shorts, while hashtag feeds and channels go deeper.

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

Also open every Short to add the exact view count, like count, comment count, publish date, full description, hashtags, channel name and ID and the channel's subscriber count. One extra request per Short; the price per Short stays the same. Switch it off for faster list-only runs (title, rounded views and the source only).

## `channelSort` (type: `string`):

Order of a channel's Shorts, the same chips YouTube shows on the channel's Shorts tab.

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

Search terms only: Shorts uploaded within this period (YouTube's own filter). YouTube applies its date and popularity filters to Shorts unevenly: for some terms a filtered Shorts search returns few or no Shorts (then the term gets one free not_found row).

## `sortBy` (type: `string`):

Search terms only: relevance (YouTube's default) or popularity (view count).

## `query` (type: `string`):

Same as one entry in 'Search terms', for API callers and AI agents that send a single string. Sent on its own, it skips the built-in example channel.

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

Apify Proxy (datacenter, the default group) is on by default: YouTube starts refusing one server's requests after a few hundred pages in a row, and spreading them over datacenter IPs keeps large runs clean. Residential proxies are not needed.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "hashtags": [
    "cooking"
  ],
  "searchQueries": [
    "street food"
  ],
  "startUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@TED/shorts"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "maxResultsPerSource": 10,
  "includeVideoDetails": true,
  "channelSort": "newest",
  "uploadDate": "any",
  "sortBy": "relevance",
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

No description

# 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 = {
    "hashtags": [
        "cooking"
    ],
    "searchQueries": [
        "street food"
    ],
    "maxItems": 20,
    "maxResultsPerSource": 10,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("glasswing/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 = {
    "hashtags": ["cooking"],
    "searchQueries": ["street food"],
    "maxItems": 20,
    "maxResultsPerSource": 10,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("glasswing/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 '{
  "hashtags": [
    "cooking"
  ],
  "searchQueries": [
    "street food"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "maxResultsPerSource": 10,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call glasswing/youtube-shorts-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,glasswing/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/XDcWOXxVNQxXMVFCX/builds/IB4yvPEQuo7VEN7ay/openapi.json