# YouTube Scraper: Videos, Shorts, Channels, Comments & Search (`openclawai/youtube-video-scraper`) Actor

YouTube scraper, no login or API key: YouTube channel videos, YouTube Shorts, YouTube comments with replies, YouTube channel info (subscribers, views, country), YouTube community posts, related videos and YouTube search. $1 per 1,000 videos, pay only per result.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/openclawai/youtube-video-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Pika Choo](https://apify.com/openclawai) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Videos, AI
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 youtube videos

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/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

## 📺 YouTube Scraper: Videos, Shorts, Channels, Comments & Search

YouTube scraper, no login or API key: YouTube channel videos, YouTube Shorts, YouTube comments with replies, YouTube channel info (subscribers, views, country), YouTube community posts, related videos and YouTube search. **$1 per 1,000 videos**, pay only per result.

### 📋 Table of contents

- [What does it do?](#what-does-it-do)
- [Features](#features)
- [Pricing](#pricing)
- [Input](#input)
- [Output](#output)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
- [Who uses this YouTube Scraper?](#who-uses-this-youtube-scraper)
- [Use cases](#use-cases)
- [FAQ](#faq)
- [API, Python, JavaScript and MCP](#api-python-javascript-and-mcp)

### What does it do?

YouTube Scraper collects public YouTube data and returns clean rows. Give it channel links, @handles, video or Shorts links, or search keywords and it returns videos with views, likes, comment counts, duration and publish date, Shorts, full video details, comment threads with replies, channel info (subscribers, total views, video count, country, join date), community posts, related videos and search results. No Google account, no YouTube Data API key and no quota limits.

### Features

#### 🎬 What you can scrape on YouTube

| Mode | What you give it | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| `user_posts` | profile link / @username | Channel videos — latest uploads from a channel |
| `channel_shorts` | channel link / @handle | Channel Shorts |
| `user_profile` | profile link / @username | Channel info — subscribers, views, videos, country |
| `community_posts` | channel link / @handle | Community posts of a channel |
| `video_detail` | video or post link | Video details — one video per link |
| `video_comments` | video or post link | Video comments (+ replies) |
| `related_videos` | video link or ID | Related videos |
| `search_videos` | keywords | Search videos (keywords) |
| `search_users` | keywords | Search channels (keywords) |

#### ✨ Smart features

- Any channel input: `@handle`, `/channel/UC…`, `/c/` and `/user/` links
- Video, Shorts, `youtu.be` and live links all work
- View and subscriber counts converted to real numbers (`202M views` → `202000000`)
- Relative dates (`6 days ago`) converted to ISO timestamps
- Upload-date filter and country for video search
- Duplicates are removed automatically
- 🔓 No login, no cookies, no proxy setup
- 💸 Pay only for results: hint and error rows are free

#### 🧭 More scrapers from us

- [TikTok Scraper](https://apify.com/openclawai/tiktok-scraper)
- [Instagram Scraper](https://apify.com/openclawai/instagram-scraper)
- [Twitter Scraper (X)](https://apify.com/openclawai/twitter-scraper)

### Pricing

You pay per result. No compute or proxy charges on top, and hint and error rows are free.

| What you get | Price per 1,000 |
|---|---|
| 📺 Videos and Shorts from any list (channel, search, related) | **$1.00** |
| 💬 Comments and replies | **$0.50** |
| 🔎 Channels from channel search | **$1.00** |
| 📝 Community posts | **$1.00** |
| 🔍 Single lookups: video by link or full channel info | **$3.00** |

#### How much does it cost to scrape YouTube data?

| Job | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1,000 YouTube videos | $1.00 |
| 10,000 YouTube videos | $10 |
| 100,000 YouTube videos | $100 |
| 10,000 comments | $5.00 |

Set **Max cost per run** in the run options and the actor stops cleanly at that amount.

#### 🆓 Free plan

On the free Apify plan each run returns up to 10 results, so you can check the data before you buy. Comment replies need a paid plan. Any paid Apify plan removes the limit.

#### ⚡ Speed

Channel lists return 30 videos per request, Shorts lists about 48 and comment pages 20, so 1,000 videos usually take about a minute.

### Input

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| `mode` | Links, @usernames or IDs: user_posts, channel_shorts, user_profile, community_posts, video_detail, video_comments, related_videos. Keywords: search_videos, search_users. |
| `urls` | One per line: channel links (youtube.com/@handle or /channel/UC…), @handles, video or Shorts links, youtu.be links or video IDs. |
| `queries` | Keywords for video or channel search, one per line. |
| `uploadDate` | Only return search results uploaded in this window. |
| `maxItems` | Stop after this many rows per link or keyword (comments include their replies). |
| `includeReplies` | In video_comments mode, also fetch the replies under each comment that has 3 or more replies (TikTok, Douyin, Bilibili). Replies are billed as comments. Paid Apify plans only. |
| `region` | Two-letter country code for video search results (US, GB, IN, DE, BR…). |

#### 🧪 Example inputs

**Latest 200 videos from a channel**

```json
{"mode": "user_posts", "urls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast"], "maxItems": 200}
```

**Search videos uploaded this week**

```json
{"mode": "search_videos", "queries": ["iphone review"], "uploadDate": "this_week", "maxItems": 100}
```

**Comments with replies**

```json
{"mode": "video_comments", "urls": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plN7JMbadRg"], "maxItems": 500, "includeReplies": true}
```

**Channel stats for several channels**

```json
{"mode": "user_profile", "urls": ["@MrBeast", "@mkbhd", "https://www.youtube.com/@veritasium"]}
```

**All Shorts from a channel**

```json
{"mode": "channel_shorts", "urls": ["@MrBeast"], "maxItems": 300}
```

### Output

Every row uses the same fields. Export as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or HTML.

#### 📦 Example output

```json
{
  "platform": "youtube",
  "item_type": "video",
  "item_id": "plN7JMbadRg",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plN7JMbadRg",
  "title": "Eat Everything In A Grocery Store, Win $1,000,000",
  "author_id": "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA",
  "author_name": "MrBeast",
  "duration_sec": 3479,
  "cover_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/plN7JMbadRg/hq720_custom_3.jpg?sqp=CKCipdYG-oaymwEcCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLBVfYdsfIs_mSEkUOEBJNn634B9WQ",
  "created_at": "2026-10-03T20:44:15+00:00",
  "play_count": 202000000,
  "mode": "user_posts",
  "source_input": "@MrBeast",
  "scraped_at": "2026-10-09T20:44:15.207181+00:00",
  "raw": {
    "…": "full original record"
  }
}
```

#### 📤 Main fields

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `platform`, `item_type`, `mode`, `source_input` | Where the row came from and what it is (`video`, `user`, `comment`, `hint`, `error`…) |
| `item_id`, `url` | Native ID and a link back to the item |
| `title`, `description`, `hashtags`, `created_at` | Text and publish time (ISO 8601) |
| `author_id`, `author_name`, `author_username` | Creator or account |
| `play_count`, `like_count`, `comment_count`, `share_count`, `collect_count` | Engagement counts |
| `raw` | The full original record, every field the platform returned |
| `error_message` | Explanation on free `hint` / `error` rows |

### Troubleshooting

#### Video files or transcripts?

This actor returns metadata, comments and stats, not video files or transcripts.

#### Getting no results?

Check that the link or username is public and typed correctly. Private accounts, deleted posts and hidden lists return a free `hint` row that says why. Keyword modes need the **Keywords** field, link modes need **Links**.

#### Getting fewer results than `maxItems`?

The platform ran out of items for that input (a small profile, a niche keyword), or the run reached its **Max cost per run** limit. The log says which one.

#### Some fields are empty?

Platforms don't return every field for every item. Everything the platform did return is kept in `raw`.

#### Video or image links stopped working?

Media URLs from these platforms expire after a few hours. Download files right after the run.

#### The run failed or shows an error row?

Retry once: the platforms sometimes refuse a request for a few minutes. If it keeps failing, open an issue with the run link and we'll fix it fast.

### Who uses this YouTube Scraper?

#### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Influencer and creator agencies

Vet channels: subscribers, views per video and upload frequency.

#### 📣 Brand and marketing teams

Track competitors' uploads, Shorts and community posts.

#### 📊 Market researchers

Read comments at scale for sentiment and product feedback.

#### 🎬 Creators

Study what topics and formats win in your niche.

#### 🤖 AI and data teams

Collect titles, descriptions and comments as training data.

#### 🧑‍💻 Developers and AI agents

Use YouTube data without the Data API's daily quota.

### Use cases

#### Channel benchmarking

Pull channel info and last 50 videos for a list of channels and compare views per video.

#### Comment sentiment

Collect comments on a launch video and score them.

#### Topic research

Search a keyword with the upload-date filter and see which videos are rising this week.

#### Shorts strategy

Pull a channel's Shorts with views and spot the formats that work.

### FAQ

#### Can I scrape YouTube without an API key?

Yes. No Google account, YouTube Data API key or quota.

#### Why not use the YouTube Data API?

The Data API has a daily quota (10,000 units) and needs a Google Cloud project. This actor has no quota.

#### Can I scrape YouTube comments and replies?

Yes. Use the comments mode with **Include comment replies** on (paid plans).

#### How much does it cost to scrape 10,000 YouTube videos?

About $10, at $1 per 1,000 videos.

#### Can I get a channel's subscriber count?

Yes, the channel info mode returns subscribers, total views, video count, country and join date.

#### Can I scrape YouTube Shorts?

Yes, with the channel Shorts mode.

#### Can I filter search by upload date?

Yes: last hour, today, this week, this month or this year.

#### Can I download YouTube videos?

No. This actor returns data about videos, not the video files.

#### Is there a free tier?

Yes. On the free Apify plan each run returns up to 10 results. Comment replies need a paid plan.

#### Can I use it from Python, JavaScript or an AI agent?

Yes, through the Apify API, the client libraries, or MCP.

### API, Python, JavaScript and MCP

**Python**

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("openclawai/youtube-video-scraper").call(run_input={"mode": "user_posts", "urls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast"], "maxItems": 200})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

**JavaScript**

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from "apify-client";

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: "YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" });
const run = await client.actor("openclawai/youtube-video-scraper").call({"mode": "user_posts", "urls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast"], "maxItems": 200});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
```

**MCP** (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other MCP clients): `https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=openclawai/youtube-video-scraper`

Works with Zapier, Make, n8n, Google Sheets, Slack, webhooks and scheduled runs.

### 🛡️ Legal

Collects **public** data only. You are responsible for complying with YouTube's terms and with privacy laws such as GDPR, CCPA and PIPL when you store personal data.

### ⭐ Support

Something not working? Check the `hint` / `error` rows, then open an issue with the run link. We reply fast.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Links, @usernames or IDs: user_posts, channel_shorts, user_profile, community_posts, video_detail, video_comments, related_videos. Keywords: search_videos, search_users.

## `urls` (type: `array`):

One per line: channel links (youtube.com/@handle or /channel/UC…), @handles, video or Shorts links, youtu.be links or video IDs.

## `queries` (type: `array`):

Keywords for video or channel search, one per line.

## `uploadDate` (type: `string`):

Only return search results uploaded in this window.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many rows per link or keyword (comments include their replies).

## `includeReplies` (type: `boolean`):

In video_comments mode, also fetch the replies under each comment that has 3 or more replies (TikTok, Douyin, Bilibili). Replies are billed as comments. Paid Apify plans only.

## `region` (type: `string`):

Two-letter country code for video search results (US, GB, IN, DE, BR…).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "user_posts",
  "urls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast"
  ],
  "uploadDate": "this_year",
  "maxItems": 20,
  "includeReplies": false,
  "region": "US"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (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 = {
    "mode": "user_posts",
    "urls": [
        "https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast"
    ],
    "maxItems": 20
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("openclawai/youtube-video-scraper").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 = {
    "mode": "user_posts",
    "urls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast"],
    "maxItems": 20,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("openclawai/youtube-video-scraper").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 '{
  "mode": "user_posts",
  "urls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast"
  ],
  "maxItems": 20
}' |
apify call openclawai/youtube-video-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/rPL7IONwEzfwwegm7/builds/BfW4zPXPWJ2easUQP/openapi.json