# YouTube Video Scraper (`scrape-and-brew/youtube-video-scraper`) Actor Extract structured video data from YouTube — videos, channels, playlists, and search. Returns titles, views, likes, comments, duration, channel info, tags, and more. Built for content research, competitor analysis, and influencer discovery. - **URL**: https://apify.com/scrape-and-brew/youtube-video-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Scape and Brew](https://apify.com/scrape-and-brew) (community) - **Categories:** E-commerce, Agents, Videos - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use 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 Video Scraper 🎬 Extract structured video data from YouTube — videos, channels, playlists, and search results. ### Features - **Search by keyword** — find videos on any topic - **Scrape channels** — get all videos from any channel - **Full metadata** — titles, views, likes, comments, duration, channel info, tags, upload dates - **Search or playlist support** — scrape playlists and search result pages - **Cookie support** — provide your YouTube cookies for higher success rates - **Export anywhere** — download as JSON, CSV, XLSX, or connect via API ### Use cases - **Content research** — discover trending topics in any niche - **Competitor analysis** — track channel growth, video frequency, engagement - **Influencer outreach** — find creators by keyword, get channel stats - **SEO & keyword research** — analyze video titles and tags ### Pricing - **$3 per 1,000 results** — pay only for what you extract - Platform usage costs are billed separately by Apify - Set a max cost per run to control spending ### Quick start 1. Set **Source type** to "Search query" 2. Enter your keyword (e.g. "longevity") 3. Set **Max videos** (default: 50) 4. Click **Start** #### Input parameters | Parameter | Type | Description | |---|---|---| | source_type | select | `video_url`, `channel_url`, `playlist_url`, or `search_query` | | source_value | string | YouTube URL or search query | | max_videos | integer | Max videos to extract (0 = unlimited) | | include_comments | boolean | Also scrape top comments (slower) | | cookies | string | YouTube session cookies in Netscape format | #### Output fields | Field | Type | Description | |---|---|---| | id | string | YouTube video ID | | title | string | Video title | | url | string | Full video URL | | view_count | integer | Number of views | | like_count | integer | Number of likes | | comment_count | integer | Number of comments | | duration_seconds | integer | Video duration in seconds | | channel_name | string | Channel name | | channel_url | string | Channel URL | | channel_subscriber_count | integer | Channel subscriber count | | upload_date_formatted | string | Upload date (YYYY-MM-DD) | | thumbnail_url | string | Video thumbnail URL | | tags | array | Video tags | | is_shorts | boolean | Whether the video is a Short | ### Example Input: ```json { "source_type": "search_query", "source_value": "longevity", "max_videos": 5 } ```` Output: ```json [ { "id": "abc123def45", "title": "Longevity: can ageing be reversed?", "view_count": 634530, "channel_name": "Example Channel", "duration_seconds": 1245 } ] ``` ### Integration Connect via [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api) or use with Make, Zapier, n8n, and other automation tools. ### Support Open an issue on the Actor page for questions, feature requests, or bug reports. # Actor input Schema ## `source_type` (type: `string`): What to scrape from YouTube ## `source_value` (type: `string`): YouTube URL or search query depending on source type ## `max_videos` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of videos to extract (0 = unlimited for single video, capped for channels/playlists) ## `include_comments` (type: `boolean`): Also scrape top comments for each video (slower, requires more credits) ## `cookies` (type: `string`): Paste your YouTube cookies in Netscape format. Required when running from datacenter IPs. Export from browser using 'Get cookies.txt' extension or yt-dlp's --cookies-from-browser ## Actor input object example ```json { "source_type": "video_url", "source_value": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ", "max_videos": 50, "include_comments": false } ``` # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "source_value": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("scrape-and-brew/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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "source_value": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("scrape-and-brew/youtube-video-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "source_value": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" }' | apify call scrape-and-brew/youtube-video-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=scrape-and-brew/youtube-video-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube Video Scraper", "description": "Extract structured video data from YouTube — videos, channels, playlists, and search. Returns titles, views, likes, comments, duration, channel info, tags, and more. Built for content research, competitor analysis, and influencer discovery.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "bVh3IMnH4qd5Ma8w2" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/scrape-and-brew~youtube-video-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-scrape-and-brew-youtube-video-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/scrape-and-brew~youtube-video-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-scrape-and-brew-youtube-video-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/scrape-and-brew~youtube-video-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-scrape-and-brew-youtube-video-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "source_type", "source_value" ], "properties": { "source_type": { "title": "Source type", "enum": [ "video_url", "channel_url", "playlist_url", "search_query" ], "type": "string", "description": "What to scrape from YouTube", "default": "video_url" }, "source_value": { "title": "Source value", "type": "string", "description": "YouTube URL or search query depending on source type" }, "max_videos": { "title": "Max videos", "minimum": 0, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of videos to extract (0 = unlimited for single video, capped for channels/playlists)", "default": 50 }, "include_comments": { "title": "Include comments sample", "type": "boolean", "description": "Also scrape top comments for each video (slower, requires more credits)", "default": false }, "cookies": { "title": "YouTube cookies (Netscape format)", "type": "string", "description": "Paste your YouTube cookies in Netscape format. Required when running from datacenter IPs. Export from browser using 'Get cookies.txt' extension or yt-dlp's --cookies-from-browser" } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```