# YouTube Video Data Scraper 📊 (`scriptbase/youtube-video-scraper`) Actor

📊 Get YouTube video metadata as structured JSON. Title, description, channel, duration, views, likes, comment count, publish date and thumbnail. No login, no YouTube API key or quota.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/scriptbase/youtube-video-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Scriptbase](https://apify.com/scriptbase) (community)
- **Categories:** Agents, Automation, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $10.00 / 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 web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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/docs.md):

```bash
npm install apify-client
```

In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.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/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 Data Scraper

Get YouTube video metadata as structured JSON. Title, description, channel, duration, views, likes, comment count, publish date and thumbnail — no login, no YouTube Data API key, no quota.

### What it does

Takes one YouTube video URL and returns one dataset row of metadata. No pagination, no loop — one input, one record.

Works on regular videos, Shorts and past live streams. Any URL form works: `youtube.com/watch?v=…`, `youtu.be/…`, `youtube.com/shorts/…`.

### Input

| Field | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `url` | string | yes | — | YouTube video URL |

```json
{ "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" }
````

### Output

One row.

```json
{
  "id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "title": "Never Gonna Give You Up",
  "description": "The official video for…",
  "channel": { "id": "UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw", "title": "Rick Astley", "handle": "@RickAstleyYT", "url": "https://www.youtube.com/@RickAstleyYT" },
  "durationSec": 213,
  "counts": { "views": 1600000000, "likes": 18000000, "comments": 2300000 },
  "publishedAt": "2009-10-25T06:57:33.000Z",
  "publishedAtConfidence": "exact",
  "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dQw4w9WgXcQ/hqdefault.jpg"
}
```

| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `id` | string | YouTube video id |
| `url` | string | Canonical watch URL |
| `title` | string | Video title |
| `description` | string | Full description text |
| `channel` | object | `id`, `title`, `handle`, `url` |
| `durationSec` | integer | Length in seconds |
| `counts` | object | `views`, `likes`, `comments` |
| `publishedAt` | string | ISO 8601 |
| `publishedAtConfidence` | string | `exact` | `parsed` | `unknown` |
| `thumbnailUrl` | string | Thumbnail image URL |

#### About `publishedAtConfidence`

YouTube renders ages as relative text — "2 weeks ago" — rather than timestamps. When that is all a source gives us, the date is computed from it and marked `parsed`. `exact` means a real timestamp arrived. `unknown` means neither did, and `publishedAt` is absent.

Most scrapers present a computed date as if it were exact. This one tells you which it is, so you can judge whether it is precise enough for your analysis.

### Freshness

View and like counts are cached for up to **6 hours**. Those numbers drift constantly, and re-fetching them on every call would cost you money for a number that changed by 0.001%. If you need a to-the-second count, this is not the right tool.

Titles, descriptions and durations effectively never change, so the cache costs you nothing on those.

### What it does not do

- **One video per run.** For many videos, run once per URL.
- **No transcript.** Use a transcript actor with the same URL.
- **No comments.** Use the YouTube Comments Scraper.
- **No dislike count.** YouTube removed it publicly in 2021; anything claiming to return it is estimating.
- **Private and age-restricted videos are out of reach.**

### Pricing

Charged per video. One run, one charge. Failed runs charge nothing.

### Errors

| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `BAD_REQUEST` | Input missing, malformed, or not a URL this actor serves |
| `NOT_FOUND` | The target is private, removed, or does not exist |
| `UNSUPPORTED_OPERATION` | The URL resolved to a platform this actor does not serve |
| `UPSTREAM_FAILED` | Every upstream source failed — retry shortly |
| `RATE_LIMITED` | Too many requests; back off and retry |
| `TIMEOUT` | The source took longer than the actor's budget |
| `UNAUTHORIZED` | The actor's API credentials are invalid — contact the author |
| `INSUFFICIENT_CREDITS` | The account behind this actor is out of credits — contact the author |
| `INTERNAL_ERROR` | Unexpected failure |

`UNAUTHORIZED` and `INSUFFICIENT_CREDITS` are on us, not you. If you see either, the actor is misconfigured on our side.

### How it works

Three independent upstream sources serve this operation. If one is down or returns nothing usable, the next is tried inside the same run — no double charge, no retry on your side.

### FAQ

**Do I need a YouTube API key?** No.

**How fresh are view counts?** Up to 6 hours old. See Freshness above.

**Does it work on Shorts?** Yes.

**Can I get the dislike count?** No — YouTube made it private in 2021.

**Can I pass a channel URL?** No. Use the YouTube Channel Stats Scraper for channels.

# Actor input Schema

## `url` (type: `string`):

URL of the YouTube video, Short or live stream.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (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 = {
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("scriptbase/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 = { "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("scriptbase/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 '{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
}' |
apify call scriptbase/youtube-video-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=scriptbase/youtube-video-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "YouTube Video Data Scraper 📊",
        "description": "📊 Get YouTube video metadata as structured JSON. Title, description, channel, duration, views, likes, comment count, publish date and thumbnail. No login, no YouTube API key or quota.",
        "version": "0.1",
        "x-build-id": "77cIKNEnOxtfL5clC"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/scriptbase~youtube-video-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-scriptbase-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": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/scriptbase~youtube-video-scraper/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-scriptbase-youtube-video-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$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": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/scriptbase~youtube-video-scraper/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-scriptbase-youtube-video-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$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": [
                    "url"
                ],
                "properties": {
                    "url": {
                        "title": "YouTube Video URL",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "URL of the YouTube video, Short or live stream."
                    }
                }
            },
            "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
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```