# YouTube Channel ID Finder (`vanity_arias/youtube-channel-id-finder`) Actor Convert YouTube handles (@name), usernames, or any channel URL into the canonical channel ID (UC…) — plus channel title and subscriber count. Batch input, clean JSON out, failed lookups never charged. No API key, no quota. - **URL**: https://apify.com/vanity\_arias/youtube-channel-id-finder.md - **Developed by:** [Nvikelo Nyathi](https://apify.com/vanity_arias) (community) - **Categories:** Social media, Developer tools, Videos - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per usage This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage ## 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 Channel ID Finder Turn YouTube handles (`@MrBeast`), usernames, or any channel URL into the **canonical channel ID (`UC…`)** — the identifier every YouTube API, scraper, and analytics tool actually wants. Batch in, clean JSON out. Each result also includes the channel title and subscriber count, so you can sanity-check you resolved the right channel. ### Use cases - **Feeding APIs & scrapers** — the YouTube Data API and most actors need `UC…` IDs, but humans collect handles and URLs. This bridges the gap in bulk. - **Cleaning creator lists** — turn a messy spreadsheet of channel links into canonical IDs. - **Deduplication** — handles change; channel IDs don't. Resolve everything to IDs and dedupe reliably. ### Input ```json { "channels": [ "@MrBeast", "https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd", "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA" ] } ```` Accepts handles (with or without `@`), full channel URLs (`/@handle`, `/channel/UC…`, `/c/…`, `/user/…`), or existing `UC…` IDs (resolved anyway, confirming title + subscribers). ### Output One dataset item per **successfully resolved** channel — failed lookups are logged and skipped, never charged: ```json { "input": "@MrBeast", "channelId": "UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA", "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA", "title": "MrBeast", "subscribers": "506M" } ``` The run status message reports how many resolved and which inputs failed. ### How it works Fetches each channel page through Apify residential proxy and reads the canonical channel ID straight from the page markup — no browser, no YouTube API key, no quota. Subscriber counts are YouTube's compact numbers ("1.2M"). ### Limitations (honest ones) - Terminated/renamed channels resolve to nothing — reported as failed, not charged. - Lookups run sequentially (~1–2s per channel). Fine for hundreds; for tens of thousands, split into parallel runs. # Actor input Schema ## `channels` (type: `array`): YouTube handles (`@MrBeast`), bare names, channel IDs, or any channel URLs — one per line. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Apify Proxy — residential is used automatically (YouTube blocks datacenter IPs). You normally don't need to touch this. ## Actor input object example ```json { "channels": [ "@MrBeast", "https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd" ], "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # 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", "https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("vanity_arias/youtube-channel-id-finder").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", "https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd", ] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("vanity_arias/youtube-channel-id-finder").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 '{ "channels": [ "@MrBeast", "https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd" ] }' | apify call vanity_arias/youtube-channel-id-finder --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=vanity_arias/youtube-channel-id-finder", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube Channel ID Finder", "description": "Convert YouTube handles (@name), usernames, or any channel URL into the canonical channel ID (UC…) — plus channel title and subscriber count. Batch input, clean JSON out, failed lookups never charged. No API key, no quota.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "az6AWEC6N7cRCaU26" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/vanity_arias~youtube-channel-id-finder/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-vanity_arias-youtube-channel-id-finder", "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/vanity_arias~youtube-channel-id-finder/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-vanity_arias-youtube-channel-id-finder", "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/vanity_arias~youtube-channel-id-finder/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-vanity_arias-youtube-channel-id-finder", "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": [ "channels" ], "properties": { "channels": { "title": "Channels", "type": "array", "description": "YouTube handles (`@MrBeast`), bare names, channel IDs, or any channel URLs — one per line.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy", "type": "object", "description": "Apify Proxy — residential is used automatically (YouTube blocks datacenter IPs). You normally don't need to touch this.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```