YouTube Metadata — Public Data to JSON

Retrieve basic public YouTube video title, channel and thumbnail metadata through YouTube oEmbed without a YouTube API key. Use this lightweight Apify Actor when you need reliable JSON-shaped data from a known public source, without setting up an external scraper server.

Designed for: Content teams, link-preview builders and automation developers.

What can you do with it?

Basic YouTube video metadata enrichment for known URLs. Configure a recurring Apify schedule, integrate its dataset into existing automations, or fetch results via the Apify API. The Actor produces one structured dataset item per successful record, enabling easy import into spreadsheets or downstream services.

It uses public HTTPS requests and a lightweight Python parser — no browser, residential proxy, login, or external paid AI provider. Data is returned as the source provides it; the Actor does not fabricate missing fields.

Quick start — no coding required

1. Open the Input tab and add the public source URL or identifier.
2. Set Max results to 3 for a small first test.
3. Click Start and inspect the Output tab.
4. Export the resulting dataset as JSON or CSV, or use the API and scheduling options in your Apify account.

Example input

{
  "sources": [
    "dQw4w9WgXcQ"
  ],
  "maxTotalItems": 3,
  "maxItemsPerSource": 3
}

Output fields

videoId, title, channel, thumbnail. Each row additionally contains status and input, so downstream automation can trace where a record came from.

Example output shape (illustrative — not live source data)

{
  "status": "ok",
  "videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "title": "Illustrative video title",
  "channel": "Example Channel",
  "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/example/hqdefault.jpg"
}

Limits and source coverage

No view counts, subscribers, transcripts, captions or private-video access. Metadata is unavailable for some videos. Supported requests use HTTPS only. Each run accepts up to 15 input sources, 40 upstream HTTP requests, 2 MB per upstream response and 250 successful output records. One source's error is reported as an error row rather than silently ignored.

This is a public-data extractor, not an account bypass, private-data service or full-site crawler. If a provider blocks, changes or rate-limits its public endpoint, its data may not be available. Follow the source's terms and applicable data-use requirements.

How much does it cost?

The live Pricing tab shows the current charges for this Actor. Where Pay Per Event is enabled, the result-item event is for a successful record. Do not assume that attempted, blocked or missing results become paid records. Always consult the active Pricing tab before using this Actor at scale. For a safe pilot, start with 3 results and set a maximum run charge where available. If platform usage is charged separately, the Pricing tab will disclose it.

We do not claim a guaranteed 50% discount, unlimited results, 100% uptime, or that every source is accessible. If this Actor is not yet publicly listed, its price and features remain under review.

Troubleshooting and support

Empty data or a source error? Confirm the video is publicly accessible and embedding metadata is available. Try the smallest possible input and verify the public endpoint independently.

Can I schedule it? Yes. Apify provides scheduling, datasets, monitoring and integration options for your Actor runs.

Will I get results from private accounts? No. There is no account login or credential input, and inaccessible sources cannot be bypassed.

Need help or found a bug? Use the Issues tab of this Actor with a public reproducible example. Do not post passwords, API tokens or private data. Issues help us improve parsing reliability and document provider-specific limitations.

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Micro Tool Factory — purpose-built public-data utilities. This description reflects implemented capabilities, not invented testimonials or guaranteed customer outcomes.