# Capture a 24/7 live stream chat in real time

**Use case:** 

Connects to a channel's currently-airing live stream (`@LofiGirl`, an always-on broadcast) and captures chat as it happens, up to 500 messages or 300 seconds, whichever comes first. Each row has author, message, timestamp, and event type. Swap `channelRefs` for any channel that is live now.

## Input

```json
{
  "videoRefs": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAdh6m3E3UI"
  ],
  "channelRefs": [
    "@LofiGirl"
  ],
  "mode": "live",
  "channelDiscoveryMode": "current_live_then_replays",
  "maxVideosPerChannel": 1,
  "lookbackDays": 30,
  "maxMessagesPerVideo": 500,
  "maxTotalItems": 50,
  "maxTimePerVideoSecs": 300,
  "includeNormalMessages": true,
  "includeSuperChats": true,
  "includeMembershipEvents": true,
  "includeModerationEvents": true,
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "videoTitle": {
    "label": "Video",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "channelTitle": {
    "label": "Channel",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "eventType": {
    "label": "Type",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "authorName": {
    "label": "Author",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "messageText": {
    "label": "Message",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "videoOffsetText": {
    "label": "Offset",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "publishedAt": {
    "label": "Posted at",
    "format": "text"
  }
}
```

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [YouTube Live Chat Scraper](https://apify.com/parsebird/youtube-live-chat-scraper.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/parsebird/youtube-live-chat-scraper.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## 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.
This Task's input is already configured above — use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

- **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 full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/parsebird/youtube-live-chat-scraper.md

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).