# YouTube Shorts Scraper & Channel Email Finder (`scrape-lads/youtube-scraper`) Actor YouTube Shorts and channel video scraper with creator emails. Get views, likes, comments, tags and exact dates from channels, Shorts and keyword search, plus channel emails and social links. No API key or quota. $1.50 per 1,000 videos. - **URL**: https://apify.com/scrape-lads/youtube-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Scrape Lads](https://apify.com/scrape-lads) (community) - **Categories:** Videos, Social media - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars ## Pricing from $1.20 / 1,000 video 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? 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 ### What does YouTube Shorts Scraper & Channel Email Finder do? **YouTube Scraper** collects **YouTube videos and Shorts** from **channels**, **keyword search results**, and **single video URLs**, with the metrics people actually need: **views, likes, comments count, duration, exact publish date, tags, hashtags, description, category, thumbnail**, and **channel name, handle, subscribers and verified badge**. It works as a **YouTube Shorts scraper**, a **YouTube channel videos scraper**, and a **YouTube search scraper** in one Actor. **No YouTube API key, no Google Cloud project, no daily quota.** It reads the same data [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com) sends to its own web app, over plain HTTP, so runs are fast and cheap: **$1.50 per 1,000 videos**, or **$2.00 per 1,000 with full details** (likes, comments count, tags, exact date). Optional **channel contact rows** add each channel's **email address** (from the About description or its website), **Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch and Discord links**, website, country, join date and total views: a ready-made list for **influencer marketing and creator outreach**. Run it from the Console, call it through the Apify API, schedule it daily, or connect it to Make, Zapier, Google Sheets, Slack or webhooks. Apify handles proxy rotation, retries and monitoring. ### Why use this YouTube Shorts scraper and channel email finder? - **Influencer marketing:** find creators in a niche through search, then pull their subscribers, recent Shorts performance, and contact email. - **Competitor tracking:** schedule a daily run on competitor channels and watch views, likes and comments on every new upload. - **Content research:** see which Shorts and videos win for a keyword, sorted by relevance, view count or rating, filtered to the last N days. - **Data and AI pipelines:** titles, descriptions, tags and hashtags in clean JSON, CSV or Excel for analysis or model training. - **No quota headaches:** the official YouTube Data API allows about 10,000 units a day; search alone costs 100 units per call. This Actor has no quota. ### How to scrape YouTube Shorts, channel videos and creator emails 1. Open the **Input** tab. 2. Add **channels** (`@MrBeast`, a channel URL, or a `UC...` ID), **search queries**, and/or **video URLs**. 3. Pick **Content type**: videos, Shorts, or both. 4. Set **Max results per source** and, if you want, **Only videos newer than (days)**. 5. Keep **Include full video details** on for likes, comments count, tags and exact dates. 6. Turn on **Add channel contact rows** if you need emails and social links. 7. Click **Start**, then download the results as JSON, CSV, Excel or HTML. ### Input Every field is described on the Input tab. A typical input: ```json { "channels": ["@MrBeast", "https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd"], "searchQueries": ["home workout"], "videoUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CEJXqm2eiJ0"], "contentType": "both", "maxResultsPerSource": 50, "maxResults": 1000, "sortBy": "latest", "searchSortBy": "relevance", "newerThanDays": 30, "includeVideoDetails": true, "includeChannelContacts": true } ``` - **Channels** accept `@handle`, `handle`, `/@handle`, `/channel/UC...`, `/c/name` and `/user/name` URLs, or a bare channel ID. - **contentType** `both` reads a channel's Videos and Shorts tabs, each up to `maxResultsPerSource`. - **sortBy** (channels): `latest`, `popular`, `oldest`. **searchSortBy**: `relevance`, `views`, `rating`. - **newerThanDays** keeps only recent uploads. On a channel sorted by latest, paging stops at the first older video, so you only pay for what you keep. ### Output Each video or Short is one row. You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel. ```json { "resultType": "video", "videoId": "rng_yUSwrgU", "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rng_yUSwrgU", "isShort": false, "title": "iPhone 17 Review: No Asterisks!", "description": "This is the best iPhone in years. Which can have an interesting effect on the rest of the lineup...", "tags": ["iPhone 17", "iPhone 17 review", "iPhone 17 vs", "MKBHD"], "hashtags": [], "views": 6857189, "likes": 174393, "commentsCount": 5700, "commentsCountText": "5.7K", "durationSeconds": 680, "durationText": "11:20", "publishedAt": "2025-10-01T20:41:40.000Z", "publishedAtApproximate": false, "category": "Science & Technology", "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rng_yUSwrgU/maxresdefault.jpg", "channelId": "UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ", "channelName": "Marques Brownlee", "channelHandle": "@mkbhd", "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd", "channelSubscribers": 21300000, "channelVerified": true, "detailsFetched": true, "sourceType": "url", "sourceInput": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rng_yUSwrgU", "scrapedAt": "2026-09-30T23:25:39.624Z" } ``` With **Add channel contact rows** on, each channel also gets one free row with `resultType: "channel"`: ```json { "resultType": "channel", "channelName": "MrBeast", "channelHandle": "@MrBeast", "channelSubscribers": 519000000, "totalViews": 141252796510, "videoCount": 1004, "joinedDate": "2012-02-19", "country": "United States", "hasBusinessEmail": true, "channelEmail": null, "websiteUrl": "https://www.themostdangerousgames.com/", "instagramUrl": "https://www.instagram.com/mrbeast", "twitterUrl": "https://x.com/MrBeast", "facebookUrl": "https://www.facebook.com/mrbeast" } ``` ### Data fields | Field | Description | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `videoId`, `url`, `isShort` | Video ID, watch or /shorts/ URL, and whether it is a YouTube Short | | `title`, `description`, `tags`, `hashtags` | Full text and the creator's tags (details) | | `views`, `likes`, `commentsCount` | Engagement metrics (likes and comments need details) | | `durationSeconds`, `durationText` | Length in seconds and as `m:ss` | | `publishedAt`, `publishedAtApproximate` | ISO date; exact with details, otherwise converted from "3 days ago" and flagged | | `category`, `isLive`, `isUpcoming` | YouTube category and live/premiere state | | `thumbnail` | Highest available thumbnail | | `channelId`, `channelName`, `channelHandle`, `channelUrl` | Channel identity | | `channelSubscribers`, `channelVerified` | Subscriber count and verified badge | | `sourceType`, `sourceInput`, `position` | Which channel, query or URL produced the row, and its rank there | | `channelEmail`, `emails`, `websiteUrl`, `instagramUrl`, `tiktokUrl`, `twitterUrl`, ... | Channel rows only | ### How much does it cost to scrape YouTube? Pay per result, no subscription, and **platform usage is included**: | Event | Price | | ------------------- | --------------------------- | | Run start | $0.003 once | | Video or Short | $1.50 per 1,000 | | Full details | +$0.50 per 1,000 (optional) | | Channel contact row | Free | So **1,000 Shorts with likes, comments and tags cost about $2.00**, and 1,000 list-only rows cost $1.50. Most YouTube scrapers on the Store charge around $5 per 1,000. Apify's free plan credit covers a few thousand results a month. The run stops at your **maximum cost per run**, so you never pay more than you set. ### Tips - Turn **Include full video details** off when titles, views, duration and relative dates are enough: it is cheaper and about 20x fewer requests. - Use **Only videos newer than (days)** with **sortBy: latest** for daily monitoring; the run stops paging at the first older upload. - Search for Shorts with **contentType: shorts**; the search then uses YouTube's own Shorts filter. - The same video found by two sources is stored and charged once. - Each run writes `RUN_SUMMARY` to the key-value store with per-source counts and any channel that could not be found. ### FAQ, disclaimers, and support **Do I need a YouTube API key?** No. There is no API key, OAuth or quota. **Why is `channelEmail` empty when YouTube shows "View email address"?** YouTube only reveals that address to signed-in users behind a CAPTCHA. `hasBusinessEmail: true` tells you it exists; the Actor reads emails written in the description or on the channel's website. **Are comment counts exact?** YouTube shows them rounded ("5.7K"); `commentsCount` is that number and `commentsCountText` the original text. **Is scraping YouTube legal?** This Actor reads only public data that YouTube shows to any visitor. Personal data such as emails is protected by laws like GDPR; only use it for a legitimate purpose. If in doubt, ask a lawyer. Found a bug or need a field? Open an issue on the **Issues** tab. Need a custom YouTube scraper, comments or transcripts? Get in touch through the Issues tab too. # Actor input Schema ## `channels` (type: `array`): YouTube channels as @handle, channel URL (/@name, /channel/UC..., /c/name, /user/name), or channel ID (UC...). ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Keywords to search on YouTube, one per line. Each query is a separate source. ## `videoUrls` (type: `array`): Single videos to scrape: watch URLs, youtu.be links, /shorts/ URLs, or 11-character video IDs. Always fetched with full details. ## `contentType` (type: `string`): Regular videos, Shorts, or both. For channels, "both" reads the Videos and Shorts tabs, each up to the per-source limit. ## `maxResultsPerSource` (type: `integer`): Maximum videos per channel tab, per search query. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Hard cap on video rows for the whole run. The run also stops at your maximum cost per run. ## `includeVideoDetails` (type: `boolean`): Fetch each video's likes, comments count, tags, full description, category, exact publish date, and channel subscribers. Charged as an extra small event per row. Turn off for list data only (title, views, duration, relative date). ## `sortBy` (type: `string`): Order of a channel's videos and Shorts. ## `searchSortBy` (type: `string`): Order of search results. ## `newerThanDays` (type: `integer`): Keep only videos published in the last N days. 0 keeps everything. On a channel sorted by latest, paging stops at the first older video. ## `includeChannelContacts` (type: `boolean`): Add one free "channel" row per channel with its About data: emails found in the description or website, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, Discord links, website, country, join date, total views, and whether a business email exists. ## `fetchChannelWebsite` (type: `boolean`): When contact rows are on and the description has no email, open the website or link hub listed on the channel and read the emails and social links published there. ## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`): Parallel requests to YouTube. The default suits most runs. ## Actor input object example ```json { "channels": [ "@MrBeast" ], "contentType": "both", "maxResultsPerSource": 50, "maxResults": 1000, "includeVideoDetails": true, "sortBy": "latest", "searchSortBy": "relevance", "newerThanDays": 0, "includeChannelContacts": false, "fetchChannelWebsite": true, "maxConcurrency": 10 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `results` (type: `string`): No description ## `runSummary` (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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "channels": [ "@MrBeast" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("scrape-lads/youtube-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 = { "channels": ["@MrBeast"] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("scrape-lads/youtube-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 '{ "channels": [ "@MrBeast" ] }' | apify call scrape-lads/youtube-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "type": "http", "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,scrape-lads/youtube-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 ` 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/7dY48YfqoNQB5nlKK/builds/vX12XFx8TSHW0j2n4/openapi.json