YouTube Handle Checker

Check whether any YouTube @handle is available or already claimed — in bulk, in seconds. Feed it a list of handles and get back, for each one, whether it's free to grab, and if it's taken, the channel that owns it (name, channel URL, and channel ID). Perfect for creators picking a handle, brands protecting their name, and agencies clearing options for clients.

What does YouTube Handle Checker do?

Since YouTube introduced @handles, every channel competes for a short, memorable name — and the good ones go fast. This Actor checks a bulk list of handles against YouTube and tells you exactly which are still available and which are already in use, with the owning channel's details for the taken ones.

Running it on the Apify platform gives you API access, scheduling, integrations, proxy rotation, and monitoring out of the box — so you can re-check a shortlist on a schedule or wire results straight into your own tools.

Why use YouTube Handle Checker?

• Claim the right handle first — clear a shortlist of ideas before you commit.
• Brand protection — monitor whether your brand's handle (and look-alikes) get taken.
• Agency & reseller workflows — check dozens of client name options in one run.
• Competitive research — resolve which channel sits behind any handle.

How to use YouTube Handle Checker

1. Open the Actor and go to the Input tab.
2. Paste your list of handles (one per line). The @ is optional and case doesn't matter.
3. Click Start.
4. When the run finishes, open the Output tab or export the dataset.

That's it — no login, no setup.

Input

Field	Description
Handles to Check	List of YouTube handles (up to 1000 per run). @ optional, case ignored, duplicates removed automatically.
Proxy Configuration	Optional. Residential proxies are recommended for large lists to avoid rate limiting.

{
    "handles": ["mkbhd", "MrBeast", "my_cool_unclaimed_handle_2026"],
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] }
}

Output

Each handle becomes one row. You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel.

[
    {
        "handle": "mkbhd",
        "available": false,
        "channelName": "Marques Brownlee",
        "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ",
        "channelId": "UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ",
        "description": "MKBHD: Quality Tech Videos...",
        "error": null
    },
    {
        "handle": "my_cool_unclaimed_handle_2026",
        "available": true,
        "channelName": null,
        "channelUrl": null,
        "channelId": null,
        "description": null,
        "error": null
    }
]

Data fields

Field	Description
handle	The handle that was checked (normalized).
available	true if free, false if taken, null if it couldn't be checked or is invalid.
channelName	Name of the channel that owns a taken handle.
channelUrl	Direct URL to the owning channel.
channelId	The channel's stable ID.
description	Short channel description.
error	Reason a handle couldn't be checked (e.g. invalid format).

How much does it cost?

Checking handles is lightweight — a list of a few hundred handles costs only a small fraction of a compute unit. Larger lists and residential proxy usage increase cost proportionally. Start with proxy disabled for small lists; enable residential proxies for large batches if you hit rate limiting.

Tips

• Keep case and @ however you like — the Actor normalizes and de-duplicates for you.
• For large lists, enable residential proxies to avoid throttling.
• Schedule the Actor to monitor whether a desired handle frees up or a brand handle gets claimed.

FAQ, disclaimers & support

• Is this legal? The Actor only reads publicly available information about whether a handle resolves to a channel. Use it in line with YouTube's Terms of Service.
• Availability accuracy: A handle is reported available when no public channel currently uses it. YouTube may still reserve certain handles at claim time.
• Found a bug or need a custom version? Open an issue on the Actor's Issues tab.