# YouTube Channel Data Scraper (`maged120/youtube-channel-data`) Actor

Extract video metadata from any YouTube channel — titles, views, durations, upload dates, and thumbnails. Filter by video type (video, Short, live). No YouTube API key needed.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/maged120/youtube-channel-data.md
- **Developed by:** [Maged](https://apify.com/maged120) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Social media
- **Stats:** 50 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 2 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $11.00 / 1,000 results

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

Extract video metadata from any YouTube channel — titles, views, durations, upload dates, thumbnails, and more. Filter by video type (regular videos, Shorts, or live streams) and set result limits. No YouTube API key required.

### What does YouTube Channel Data Scraper do?

Provide a YouTube channel URL, username, or channel ID and this Actor returns metadata for every video on that channel up to your specified limit. It scrapes the channel's Videos and Shorts tabs using yt-dlp and Apify proxies for reliable access at scale.

### Why use this Actor?

- **Full channel coverage** — get all videos, Shorts, or live streams from any channel
- **Type filtering** — retrieve only videos, only Shorts, only live streams, or any mix
- **No YouTube API key required** — no daily quota limits
- **Flexible input** — accepts channel URLs, `@username` handles, or raw channel IDs
- **Proxy-backed** — built-in Apify proxy support for reliable scraping at scale

### How to use YouTube Channel Data Scraper

1. Open the Actor and click **Try for free**
2. Enter a channel URL, `@handle`, or channel ID
3. Set `max_results` and choose `select_types` (video, short, live)
4. Run — channel video data appears in the Output tab
5. Export as JSON or CSV, or connect via the Apify API

### Input

```json
{
  "channel": "@MrBeast",
  "max_results": 50,
  "select_types": ["video", "short"],
  "sleep_interval": 2,
  "max_retries": 3
}
```

| Field | Type | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| `channel` | string | Channel URL, `@handle`, or channel ID | required |
| `max_results` | integer | Max videos to return (1–1000) | `10` |
| `select_types` | array | Video types: `video`, `short`, `live` | `["video"]` |
| `sleep_interval` | number | Delay between requests in seconds | `2` |
| `max_retries` | integer | Retry attempts on failure | `3` |

### Output

```json
[
  {
    "type": "video",
    "id": "abc123",
    "title": "I Spent 50 Hours Buried Alive",
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123",
    "uploader": "MrBeast",
    "uploader_id": "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
    "upload_date": "2024-03-15",
    "duration": 847,
    "view_count": 142000000,
    "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/abc123/maxresdefault.jpg",
    "is_short": false
  }
]
```

### Output data fields

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `type` | string | `video`, `short`, or `live` |
| `id` | string | YouTube video ID |
| `title` | string | Video title |
| `url` | string | Full video URL |
| `uploader` | string | Channel name |
| `uploader_id` | string | Channel ID |
| `upload_date` | string | Upload date (YYYY-MM-DD) |
| `duration` | number | Duration in seconds |
| `view_count` | number | Total view count |
| `thumbnail` | string | Max-resolution thumbnail URL |
| `is_short` | boolean | Whether the video is a YouTube Short |

### Use cases

- **Channel audits** — analyze upload frequency, average view counts, and content mix
- **Competitor research** — track what content types a channel publishes and how they perform
- **Content planning** — find which formats (Shorts vs. long-form) get the most views
- **Influencer vetting** — verify channel activity and content volume before partnerships
- **Dataset building** — build labeled video datasets for machine learning projects

### How many results will I get?

You're charged per result, so the cost follows the number of rows below. Your plan's rates are on the **Pricing** tab.

| Input | Results |
|---|---|
| Max results = 100 | Up to 100 rows |
| Max results = 1,000 | Up to 1,000 rows |

Each video is one row.

### FAQ

**What channel input formats are accepted?**
Channel URLs (`https://youtube.com/@handle`), handle format (`@handle`), or raw channel IDs (`UCxxxxxxxx`).

**Can I get Shorts separately from regular videos?**
Yes — set `select_types` to `["short"]` to get only Shorts, or `["video"]` for only regular uploads.

**Do I need a YouTube API key?**
No. You don't need a YouTube API key or quota.

**Is there a limit on how many videos I can retrieve?**
The `max_results` field supports up to 1,000 videos per run.

**Is this Actor maintained?**
Yes. For bugs or feature requests, open an issue in the Issues tab.

***

⭐ **Found this Actor useful?** A quick review on the Store helps other users find it and keeps it maintained.

# Actor input Schema

## `channel_identifier` (type: `string`):

Channel URL, name (e.g., @channel), or ID (e.g., UCxxx)

## `max_results` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of videos to scrape

## `select_types` (type: `array`):

Types of videos to include (video, live, short)

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "channel_identifier": "Fireship",
  "max_results": 10,
  "select_types": [
    "video",
    "live",
    "short"
  ]
}
```

# 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 = {
    "channel_identifier": "Fireship"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("maged120/youtube-channel-data").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 = { "channel_identifier": "Fireship" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("maged120/youtube-channel-data").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 '{
  "channel_identifier": "Fireship"
}' |
apify call maged120/youtube-channel-data --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,maged120/youtube-channel-data"
        }
    }
}
```

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/XWRb0cfOaTb28dBJs/builds/YovW6ErY3ZOu16FZs/openapi.json