# Youtube Scraper Fast (`knowten/youtube-scraper-fast`) Actor YouTube Scraper Fast extracts public YouTube data quickly, at scale. Scrape keywords or URLs (videos, Shorts, channels, playlists, hashtags, and results pages), use Deep Search for wider coverage, and get structured output for analytics and automation. Price: $0.40/1,000 videos. - **URL**: https://apify.com/knowten/youtube-scraper-fast.md - **Developed by:** [Knowten](https://apify.com/knowten) (community) - **Categories:** Videos, Social media, News - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing $0.40 / 1,000 video extracteds 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 scraper fast Turn YouTube into structured, high-volume intelligence in minutes. Youtube scraper fast is built for teams that need more than basic exports. It collects public YouTube data from searches, channels, playlists, videos, Shorts, and streams, then returns production-ready records you can use for analytics, automation, monitoring, and AI workflows. If your goal is to move from manual research to scalable data collection, this actor is designed for speed, flexibility, and clean outputs. ### Why teams choose Youtube scraper fast - High-volume extraction with separate limits for videos, Shorts, and streams. - Broad source coverage: query-based discovery plus direct URL scraping. - Deep Search mode for wider historical coverage when regular search depth is not enough. - Rich, structured fields for BI dashboards, data warehouses, and LLM pipelines. - Subtitles support for transcript analysis, topic modeling, and content intelligence. ### What you can scrape Youtube scraper fast supports: - Search queries - Video URLs - Shorts URLs - Stream/watch URLs - Channel URLs and handles - Playlist URLs - Hashtag URLs - YouTube search result URLs The output can include detailed records for: - video - shorts - stream - channel - playlist - error ### Built for real business workflows Use this actor to power: - Competitor intelligence on video strategy and engagement trends. - Brand monitoring across titles, channels, and content categories. - Creator scouting and benchmarking by topic, format, and performance. - Shorts trend tracking for emerging topics and rapid content signals. - SEO and content planning based on velocity, metadata, and publishing patterns. - Subtitle-enabled enrichment for NLP classification and AI assistants. ### Core features #### 1) Multi-source acquisition Run from keywords, direct URLs, or both. This lets you combine discovery mode and precision mode in one workflow. #### 2) Parallel extraction by content type Set independent caps for regular videos, Shorts, and streams: - maxResults - maxResultsShorts - maxResultStreams This gives you precise control over dataset composition. #### 3) Deep Search mode Enable isDeepSearch when you need broader historical retrieval and more complete coverage for demanding research projects. #### 4) Subtitle retrieval Download public subtitle tracks and optionally save subtitle files to KVS for downstream automations. #### 5) Advanced filtering options Use search filters to narrow your crawl by date, duration, and content features when available. ### Quick start 1. Open Youtube scraper fast in Apify Console. 2. Add searchQueries or startUrls. 3. Set content limits by type. 4. Enable subtitles if needed. 5. Run the actor. 6. Download your dataset in JSON, CSV, Excel, or consume via API. ### Input examples #### Keyword discovery run ```json { "searchQueries": ["nvidia ai", "open source llm"], "maxResults": 100, "maxResultsShorts": 50, "maxResultStreams": 20 } ```` #### URL-driven extraction run ```json { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@NVIDIA/videos" }, { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsyeobzWxl7poL9JTVyndKe62ieoN-MZ3" }, { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jA193AvEZew" } ], "maxResults": 120, "maxResultsShorts": 80, "maxResultStreams": 30 } ``` #### Subtitles-focused run ```json { "searchQueries": ["machine learning tutorial"], "maxResults": 20, "downloadSubtitles": true, "saveSubsToKVS": true, "subtitlesLanguage": "en", "subtitlesFormat": "vtt", "preferAutoGeneratedSubtitles": true } ``` #### Deep Search run ```json { "searchQueries": ["climate tech"], "maxResults": 500, "maxResultsShorts": 200, "maxResultStreams": 100, "isDeepSearch": true } ``` ### Main input fields - searchQueries: list of search queries. - startUrls: list of supported YouTube URLs. - maxResults: maximum regular videos. - maxResultsShorts: maximum Shorts. - maxResultStreams: maximum streams. - downloadSubtitles: download public subtitles. - saveSubsToKVS: store subtitle files in KVS. - subtitlesLanguage: preferred subtitle language (any, en, es, and more). - subtitlesFormat: srt, vtt, xml, plaintext. - sortingOrder, dateFilter, lengthFilter: search-level filtering controls. - isLive, is4K, isHD, is360, isVR180, is3D, isCreativeCommons, hasSubtitles, isHDR, hasLocation: advanced feature filters. - oldestPostDate: date cutoff for channel tabs. - testMode: strict session validation mode. ### Example output record ```json { "type": "video", "id": "Q7_sKH5Lq04", "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7_sKH5Lq04", "title": "Example title", "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/.../maxresdefault.jpg", "viewCount": 123456, "likes": 7890, "commentsCount": 321, "date": "2026-05-20T10:22:00.000Z", "duration": "00:12:34", "channelName": "Example Channel", "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@example", "channelId": "UCxxxxxxxx", "numberOfSubscribers": 1000000, "description": "...", "descriptionLinks": [], "hashtags": ["#ai", "#youtube"], "subtitles": [], "fromYTUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=example" } ``` ### What makes it commercially useful - Faster research cycles for marketing and analyst teams. - Better signal coverage by combining videos, Shorts, and streams. - Cleaner handoff to internal tools, CRMs, warehouses, and automation platforms. - Less manual work, fewer ad-hoc exports, and more repeatable processes. ### Important notes - This actor extracts publicly available YouTube data. - Field availability can vary by video or channel. - When an input has no results, an error-type item may be emitted with context. ### Support Need a ready-to-run preset for your use case (brand monitoring, competitor tracking, Shorts-first intelligence, or subtitle enrichment)? Open an issue and request a recommended input template. # Actor input Schema ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Search queries to run when startUrls is empty. ## `startUrls` (type: `array`): Video, channel, playlist, hashtag, or search result URLs. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of regular videos to extract per query or supported listing URL. Set 0 to skip regular videos. ## `maxResultsShorts` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of YouTube Shorts to extract per query or supported listing URL. Set 0 to skip shorts. ## `maxResultStreams` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of live or ended stream results to extract per query or supported listing URL. Set 0 to skip streams. ## `downloadSubtitles` (type: `boolean`): When enabled, downloads public subtitle tracks into the subtitles field whenever YouTube exposes them. ## `saveSubsToKVS` (type: `boolean`): When subtitle download is enabled, also saves subtitle files to the default key-value store and returns their storage URLs. ## `subtitlesLanguage` (type: `string`): Preferred subtitle language code. Use any to accept the best available subtitle track. ## `preferAutoGeneratedSubtitles` (type: `boolean`): Prefer auto-generated subtitle tracks over manual captions when both exist for the selected language. ## `isDeepSearch` (type: `boolean`): When enabled, automatically splits your search queries into multiple time-based segments (quarterly over the last 10 years) to bypass YouTube's internal 300-500 result limits. Use this to extract thousands of videos for broad queries. ## `subtitlesFormat` (type: `string`): Subtitle format to return in the subtitles field. ## `sortingOrder` (type: `string`): Single-select priority for search queries. ## `dateFilter` (type: `string`): Single-select upload date filter for search queries. ## `lengthFilter` (type: `string`): Single-select duration filter for search queries. ## `oldestPostDate` (type: `string`): Applies to channel tabs only. Accepts absolute dates or relative intervals like 30 days. ## `sortVideosBy` (type: `string`): Sorting applied when extracting videos from channel tabs. ## `isLive` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only live content in search results when possible. ## `is4K` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only 4K videos in search results when possible. ## `isHD` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only HD videos in search results when possible. ## `is360` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only 360° videos in search results when possible. ## `isVR180` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only VR180 videos in search results when possible. ## `is3D` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only 3D videos in search results when possible. ## `isCreativeCommons` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only Creative Commons videos in search results when possible. ## `hasSubtitles` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only results that expose subtitles or closed captions in search filters when possible. ## `isHDR` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only HDR videos in search results when possible. ## `hasLocation` (type: `boolean`): Keeps only videos with location metadata in search results when possible. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchQueries": [ "Crawlee" ], "startUrls": [], "maxResults": 0, "maxResultsShorts": 0, "maxResultStreams": 0, "downloadSubtitles": false, "saveSubsToKVS": false, "subtitlesLanguage": "en", "preferAutoGeneratedSubtitles": false, "isDeepSearch": false, "subtitlesFormat": "srt", "sortingOrder": "relevance" } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): Dataset items containing extracted YouTube videos, streams, search results, and subtitles metadata. # 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 = { "searchQueries": [ "Crawlee" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("knowten/youtube-scraper-fast").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 = { "searchQueries": ["Crawlee"] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("knowten/youtube-scraper-fast").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 '{ "searchQueries": [ "Crawlee" ] }' | apify call knowten/youtube-scraper-fast --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=knowten/youtube-scraper-fast", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Youtube Scraper Fast", "description": "YouTube Scraper Fast extracts public YouTube data quickly, at scale. Scrape keywords or URLs (videos, Shorts, channels, playlists, hashtags, and results pages), use Deep Search for wider coverage, and get structured output for analytics and automation. Price: $0.40/1,000 videos.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "kZkAnsuTBWQ9l9Boj" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/knowten~youtube-scraper-fast/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-knowten-youtube-scraper-fast", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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/knowten~youtube-scraper-fast/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-knowten-youtube-scraper-fast", "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/knowten~youtube-scraper-fast/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-knowten-youtube-scraper-fast", "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", "properties": { "searchQueries": { "title": "Search queries", "type": "array", "description": "Search queries to run when startUrls is empty.", "items": { "type": "string" }, "default": [ "Crawlee" ] }, "startUrls": { "title": "Start URLs", "type": "array", "description": "Video, channel, playlist, hashtag, or search result URLs.", "default": [], "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "url" ], "properties": { "url": { "type": "string", "title": "URL of a web page", "format": "uri" } } } }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max results (videos)", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 999999, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of regular videos to extract per query or supported listing URL. Set 0 to skip regular videos.", "default": 0 }, "maxResultsShorts": { "title": "Max results (shorts)", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 999999, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of YouTube Shorts to extract per query or supported listing URL. Set 0 to skip shorts.", "default": 0 }, "maxResultStreams": { "title": "Max results (streams)", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 999999, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of live or ended stream results to extract per query or supported listing URL. Set 0 to skip streams.", "default": 0 }, "downloadSubtitles": { "title": "Download subtitles", "type": "boolean", "description": "When enabled, downloads public subtitle tracks into the subtitles field whenever YouTube exposes them.", "default": false }, "saveSubsToKVS": { "title": "Save subtitles to KVS", "type": "boolean", "description": "When subtitle download is enabled, also saves subtitle files to the default key-value store and returns their storage URLs.", "default": false }, "subtitlesLanguage": { "title": "Subtitles language", "enum": [ "any", "en", "de", "es", "fr", "it", "ja", "ko", "nl", "pt", "ru" ], "type": "string", "description": "Preferred subtitle language code. Use any to accept the best available subtitle track.", "default": "en" }, "preferAutoGeneratedSubtitles": { "title": "Prefer auto-generated subtitles", "type": "boolean", "description": "Prefer auto-generated subtitle tracks over manual captions when both exist for the selected language.", "default": false }, "isDeepSearch": { "title": "Deep Search Mode", "type": "boolean", "description": "When enabled, automatically splits your search queries into multiple time-based segments (quarterly over the last 10 years) to bypass YouTube's internal 300-500 result limits. Use this to extract thousands of videos for broad queries.", "default": false }, "subtitlesFormat": { "title": "Subtitles format", "enum": [ "srt", "vtt", "xml", "plaintext" ], "type": "string", "description": "Subtitle format to return in the subtitles field.", "default": "srt" }, "sortingOrder": { "title": "Prioritize", "enum": [ "relevance", "popularity" ], "type": "string", "description": "Single-select priority for search queries.", "default": "relevance" }, "dateFilter": { "title": "Upload date", "enum": [ "today", "week", "month", "year" ], "type": "string", "description": "Single-select upload date filter for search queries." }, "lengthFilter": { "title": "Duration", "enum": [ "under3", "between320", "over20" ], "type": "string", "description": "Single-select duration filter for search queries." }, "oldestPostDate": { "title": "Oldest post date", "type": "string", "description": "Applies to channel tabs only. Accepts absolute dates or relative intervals like 30 days." }, "sortVideosBy": { "title": "Sort channel videos by", "enum": [ "NEWEST", "POPULAR", "OLDEST" ], "type": "string", "description": "Sorting applied when extracting videos from channel tabs." }, "isLive": { "title": "Only live", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only live content in search results when possible." }, "is4K": { "title": "Only 4K", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only 4K videos in search results when possible." }, "isHD": { "title": "Only HD", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only HD videos in search results when possible." }, "is360": { "title": "Only 360°", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only 360° videos in search results when possible." }, "isVR180": { "title": "Only VR180", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only VR180 videos in search results when possible." }, "is3D": { "title": "Only 3D", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only 3D videos in search results when possible." }, "isCreativeCommons": { "title": "Creative Commons", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only Creative Commons videos in search results when possible." }, "hasSubtitles": { "title": "Subtitles / CC", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only results that expose subtitles or closed captions in search filters when possible." }, "isHDR": { "title": "Only HDR", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only HDR videos in search results when possible." }, "hasLocation": { "title": "Has location", "type": "boolean", "description": "Keeps only videos with location metadata in search results when possible." } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```