YouTube Search Scraper – Videos, Channels & Playlists

Turn YouTube search phrases into a dataset of public videos, Shorts, channels, and playlists. YouTube Search Scraper retains the original query and saves one row per collected result, with the card details available for that result type.

Use it to discover content, compare search phrases, or build a shortlist for video and channel enrichment. Set a page budget for each query, then export or filter the mixed results by type.

At a glance	Details
📥 Input	Nonempty search keywords or phrases
📤 Output	Video, Shorts, channel, and playlist cards with query context
🔐 Login required	No YouTube credentials or cookies
⚡ Processing	Up to 5 requests concurrently with automatic retries
💾 Delivery	One row per collected result, with an input-specific position

What the YouTube search scraper extracts 🔎

The Actor follows YouTube's public search results. Different result types share one table; fields that do not apply to a type can remain null.

• Result ID, URL, type, original query, and collected position
• Video and Shorts titles, thumbnails, duration, view labels, and channel context
• Channel-card names, handles, descriptions, and available subscriber or video counts
• Playlist-card titles, thumbnail references, video counts, and an available first-video ID
• Public publication text, badges, and live or upcoming indicators when applicable
• Available author identity and image variants

How to scrape YouTube search results 🚀

1. Enter search phrases such as python tutorial in inputList.
2. Set pagesPerInput for each query.
3. Start the Actor and use type to distinguish videos, Shorts, channels, and playlists.
4. Export the results or enrich the relevant links with a details Actor.

{
  "inputList": [
    "python tutorial"
  ],
  "pagesPerInput": 2
}

YouTube search results data fields and output 📦

Field group	Included data
Search context	Original input, query, result type, and position
Identity	ID, URL, title or name, and available description
Video cards	Duration, views, publication text, badges, and author context
Channel and playlist cards	Available counts, handles, thumbnails, and first-video IDs
Images	Thumbnail and avatar URLs with matching dimensions

Complete illustrative success item. The content and values below are fictional examples, not a live result:

{
  "input": "forest hiking guide",
  "status": "success",
  "id": "ForestLoop1",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ForestLoop1",
  "type": "video",
  "title": "Planning a forest day hike",
  "description": "A practical route guide with water stops and a packing checklist.",
  "thumbnail_url": "https://example.com/forest-loop.jpg",
  "thumbnails.url": [
    "https://example.com/forest-loop-small.jpg",
    "https://example.com/forest-loop.jpg"
  ],
  "thumbnails.width": [
    640,
    1280
  ],
  "thumbnails.height": [
    360,
    720
  ],
  "duration_seconds": 250,
  "duration_text": "4:10",
  "views": 8200,
  "views_text": "8.2K views",
  "published_text": "3 days ago",
  "badges": [],
  "is_live": false,
  "is_upcoming": false,
  "is_premiere": false,
  "is_members_only": false,
  "stream_status": null,
  "scheduled_start_time": null,
  "accessibility_text": null,
  "author.id": "UCaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa",
  "author.name": "Trail Journal",
  "author.handle": "@trailjournal",
  "author.url": "https://www.youtube.com/@trailjournal",
  "author.avatar_url": "https://example.com/trail-avatar.jpg",
  "author.avatar_thumbnails.url": [
    "https://example.com/trail-avatar-small.jpg",
    "https://example.com/trail-avatar.jpg"
  ],
  "author.avatar_thumbnails.width": [
    80,
    160
  ],
  "author.avatar_thumbnails.height": [
    80,
    160
  ],
  "author.is_verified": false,
  "videos_count": null,
  "videos_count_text": null,
  "first_video_id": null,
  "name": null,
  "handle": null,
  "avatar_url": null,
  "avatar_thumbnails.url": null,
  "avatar_thumbnails.width": null,
  "avatar_thumbnails.height": null,
  "subscribers": null,
  "subscribers_text": null,
  "is_verified": null,
  "query": "forest hiking guide",
  "position": 1
}

The complete example is a video result. Channel and playlist results use the same columns and populate the fields appropriate to their type. Table and JSON keys match, including literal dotted names. Thumbnail and avatar columns retain aligned lists within their own groups.

Missing optional fields can be null, empty strings, or empty lists. Some flags default to false when no signal is present. A failed row retains input, sets status to failed, and leaves the result-data fields null.

Input requirements and coverage ⚙️

Parameter	Type	Default	Rules
inputList	array of strings	Required	At least one nonempty search phrase. Enter keywords, not a search URL.
pagesPerInput	integer	1	Minimum 1, with no fixed upper limit. Limits result pages for each input; YouTube controls page size.

Search phrases can contain spaces; surrounding whitespace is trimmed. A pasted search URL is treated as text, not decoded into filters. The current input has no separate language, country, duration, upload-date, result-type, or sort controls.

The Actor collects several result types in one run. Use type in the dataset when your workflow needs only videos, Shorts, channels, or playlists. position is the order of collected unique results within the input, not a guaranteed universal search rank.

Each input has its own collection order and duplicate tracking. Repeated results within that input are skipped; the same result may appear again under another input. Repeated input entries are processed separately.

The initial result page counts as page 1; each continuation uses another page. Collection ends at the budget or when YouTube stops providing a usable next page. If collection ends without any results, the Actor saves a failed row for that input. An empty end after saved results does not add a failure.

YouTube search use cases 🎯

Content discovery

Find public videos and Shorts for a topic and retain their source queries for later review.

Channel research

Filter channel results and enrich a selected account list with public channel details.

Playlist discovery

Identify playlists around a subject before collecting their metadata or video entries.

Search-phrase comparisons

Compare the content returned for several phrases while preserving each query's separate result sequence.

Pricing and billable result rows 💰

Check the Actor's Pricing tab for the current charging model and rate.

Under dataset-item pricing, each saved success or failed row can be billable. Automatic retries do not independently create extra rows. Repeated input entries can produce repeated billable results.

The page budget is not an exact item count. Each collected result is a row; media variants and source context stay inside it. Repeated results under different inputs can create separate rows.

YouTube Search Scraper API and integrations 🔌

Use the Actor ID from the API tab as $ACTOR_ID and your Apify token as $APIFY_TOKEN.

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/$ACTOR_ID/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"inputList":["python tutorial"],"pagesPerInput":2}'

This request starts a run. Retrieve the default dataset after completion, or use schedules and webhooks to connect it to a recurring workflow. Export JSON, CSV, or Excel, or send selected fields to Google Sheets, Make, Zapier, or your own application.

Reliability and limits ⚠️

Temporary request failures are retried. Invalid or unavailable targets produce failed rows while other inputs can continue. A later-page failure can add a failed row alongside results already saved for the same input.

Search results can change between runs and may contain fewer usable cards than expected. Public search can omit content, and the Actor does not promise exhaustive coverage or stable ranking.

Card descriptions and counts may be partial. Numeric counts parsed from labels such as 8.2K are approximate; preserve views_text or other source labels where available. Use a details Actor when you need full descriptions or additional metadata.

Frequently asked questions ❓

Does it return only videos?

No. It can return videos, Shorts, channels, and playlists. Filter by type after collection.

Can I pass a search URL with filters?

Enter the search phrase instead. The Actor does not extract filter settings from a pasted URL.

Is position an exact search rank?

It is the order of collected unique results within that input. It does not count skipped cards and is not a universal ranking.

Will the same video appear under two queries?

It can. Duplicate tracking is separate for each input, preserving the query that produced each row.

Does it collect full video descriptions?

Search cards can contain only a snippet. Use Video Details Scraper for the available full description.

Support, responsible use, and related actors 🛟

For a reproducible issue, share the run ID, a safe public input, and the field or behavior you expected through the Actor's support channel. Keep tokens and other credentials out of support messages.

Use public content in accordance with applicable privacy, copyright, contractual, and platform requirements.