# YouTube Handle Checker (`maged120/youtube-handle-checker`) Actor

Checks whether YouTube @handles are available or already claimed, and returns the channel behind taken ones.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/maged120/youtube-handle-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [Maged](https://apify.com/maged120) (community)
- **Categories:**
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $9.00 / 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?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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 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](https://www.youtube.com/), 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](https://apify.com) 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. |

```json
{
    "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.

```json
[
    {
        "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.

# Actor input Schema

## `handles` (type: `array`):

YouTube @handles to check (up to 1000 per run). The @ prefix is optional and case is ignored. Duplicates are removed automatically, and any handles beyond the first 1000 unique ones are skipped.

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

Proxy settings to avoid rate limiting. Residential proxies are recommended for large lists.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "handles": [
    "mkbhd",
    "mrbeast",
    "my_cool_unclaimed_handle_2026"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (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 = {
    "handles": [
        "mkbhd",
        "mrbeast",
        "my_cool_unclaimed_handle_2026"
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true,
        "apifyProxyGroups": [
            "RESIDENTIAL"
        ]
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("maged120/youtube-handle-checker").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 = {
    "handles": [
        "mkbhd",
        "mrbeast",
        "my_cool_unclaimed_handle_2026",
    ],
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": True,
        "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
    },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("maged120/youtube-handle-checker").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 '{
  "handles": [
    "mkbhd",
    "mrbeast",
    "my_cool_unclaimed_handle_2026"
  ],
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}' |
apify call maged120/youtube-handle-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

```

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/0PBopU6fYtHjxQnke/builds/eQuViO9HrQgBPjDTJ/openapi.json