# YouTube Shorts Scraper Pro (`zhorex/youtube-shorts-scraper-pro`) Actor Reliable YouTube Shorts scraper built for stability. Extract Shorts from channels, search, or trending. No browser needed = fast & cheap. Designed to keep working when other scrapers break. $5/1K results. - **URL**: https://apify.com/zhorex/youtube-shorts-scraper-pro.md - **Developed by:** [Sami](https://apify.com/zhorex) (community) - **Categories:** Social media, Videos, Lead generation - **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. 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 Shorts Scraper Pro The most reliable YouTube Shorts scraper on Apify. Uses YouTube's **InnerTube API** (the same internal API used by YouTube's web app, mobile app, and smart TV app) instead of fragile HTML parsing. No browser needed = 5x faster and 4x cheaper than alternatives. ### Why InnerTube API instead of HTML parsing? Most YouTube scrapers parse HTML that changes every 1-2 weeks. This actor uses the InnerTube API — YouTube's own internal JSON API. YouTube can't break it without breaking their own products. [yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp) (200K+ GitHub stars) uses the same approach and has been stable for years. | Method | Stability | Speed | Memory | Maintenance | |--------|-----------|-------|--------|-------------| | HTML/DOM parsing | Breaks every 1-2 weeks | Slow (browser) | 1024MB | Weekly | | ytInitialData regex | Breaks every 2-4 weeks | Medium | 512MB | Biweekly | | **InnerTube API** | **Stable months/years** | **Fast (HTTP only)** | **256MB** | **Monthly or less** | This actor auto-detects YouTube's current API key and client version on each run, ensuring compatibility even when YouTube updates these values. ### 3 Scraping Modes #### Mode 1: Channel Shorts Extract Shorts from specific YouTube channels. **Input:** ```json { "mode": "channel_shorts", "channelUrls": [ "https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast", "@mkbhd", "pewdiepie" ], "maxResults": 50 } ```` #### Mode 2: Search Shorts Find Shorts by keyword search. **Input:** ```json { "mode": "search_shorts", "searchQuery": "cooking recipes shorts", "maxResults": 30 } ``` #### Mode 3: Trending Shorts Get popular/trending Shorts. **Input:** ```json { "mode": "trending_shorts", "country": "US", "maxResults": 50 } ``` ### Engagement enrichment Enable `enrichWithEngagement` to fetch likes, comments, and full descriptions for each Short. This adds 1 extra API request per Short (slower but more data). ```json { "mode": "channel_shorts", "channelUrls": ["@MrBeast"], "maxResults": 10, "enrichWithEngagement": true } ``` ### Output format | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `videoId` | string | YouTube video ID | | `title` | string | Short title | | `url` | string | Direct link to the Short | | `channelName` | string | Creator's channel name | | `channelUrl` | string | Creator's channel URL | | `channelId` | string | YouTube channel ID | | `viewCount` | integer | Number of views | | `viewCountText` | string | Original view count text (e.g., "45M views") | | `likeCount` | integer | Likes (requires enrichment) | | `commentCount` | integer | Comments (requires enrichment) | | `description` | string | Full description (requires enrichment) | | `publishedTimeText` | string | Relative publish time | | `thumbnailUrl` | string | Thumbnail image URL | | `hashtags` | array | Hashtags from title/description | | `isShort` | boolean | Always `true` | | `enriched` | boolean | Whether engagement data was fetched | | `scrapedAt` | string | ISO timestamp | ### Use cases - **Content creators**: analyze competitor Shorts performance and find content gaps - **Marketing agencies**: track viral Shorts trends across categories - **Brands**: monitor brand mentions and product appearances in Shorts - **Researchers**: study short-form video engagement patterns and virality - **Influencer marketing**: find creators by Shorts views and engagement rate ### Pricing **$0.003 per Short** ($3 per 1,000 Shorts). You only pay for successfully extracted results. | Shorts | Cost | |--------|------| | 100 | $0.30 | | 1,000 | $3.00 | | 10,000 | $30.00 | ### Performance - **Speed**: ~30-50 Shorts/second (without enrichment) - **Speed with enrichment**: ~1 Short per 2 seconds (extra request per Short) - **Memory**: 256MB (no browser) - **Reliability**: InnerTube API is far more stable than HTML parsing ### Accepted input formats Channel inputs accept multiple formats: - Full URL: `https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast` - Handle: `@MrBeast` - Username: `MrBeast` - Channel ID: `UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA` ### Proxy configuration Datacenter proxies usually work fine. Switch to residential proxies if you experience blocks at high volume. ### FAQ **Does this need a browser?** No. It uses pure HTTP requests to YouTube's InnerTube API. No Playwright, no Puppeteer. **Does this need a proxy?** Optional but recommended for production use. Datacenter proxies are usually sufficient. **How is this different from the popular YouTube Shorts scraper?** The incumbent (30K users, 2.87 stars) uses HTML parsing that breaks when YouTube updates its frontend. This scraper uses the InnerTube API — the same internal API YouTube's own apps use — which is fundamentally more stable. **Can I get likes and comments?** Yes, enable `enrichWithEngagement`. It adds 1 extra API request per Short. **What happens when YouTube changes something?** The InnerTube API rarely changes (YouTube would break their own apps). When minor changes happen, the recursive parser adapts automatically. The actor also auto-detects the current API key and client version on each run. ### Limitations - YouTube may change InnerTube API parameters (rare but possible) - View/like counts may have slight reporting delays vs real-time - Full descriptions require enrichment mode (adds 1 request per Short) - Rate limited to ~40 requests/minute to avoid blocks - Maximum 500 results per channel/search ### More scrapers by Zhorex - [Telegram Channel Scraper](https://apify.com/zhorex/telegram-channel-scraper) - [G2 Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/zhorex/g2-reviews-scraper) - [Letterboxd Scraper](https://apify.com/zhorex/letterboxd-scraper) - [Booking.com Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/zhorex/booking-reviews-scraper) - [RedNote Xiaohongshu Scraper](https://apify.com/zhorex/rednote-scraper) - [Milanuncios Scraper](https://apify.com/zhorex/milanuncios-scraper) - [Domain Authority Checker](https://apify.com/zhorex/domain-authority-checker) - [Phone Number Validator](https://apify.com/zhorex/phone-number-validator) - [Kick.com Analytics Scraper](https://apify.com/zhorex/kick-scraper) # Actor input Schema ## `mode` (type: `string`): Choose how to find Shorts: from specific channels, by keyword search, or trending. ## `channelUrls` (type: `array`): YouTube channel URLs, @handles, usernames, or channel IDs. Used in Channel Shorts mode. ## `searchQuery` (type: `string`): Keywords to search for Shorts. Used in Search Shorts mode. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of Shorts to extract per channel or search query. ## `country` (type: `string`): ISO country code for trending Shorts (e.g., US, GB, ES). Used in Trending Shorts mode. ## `enrichWithEngagement` (type: `boolean`): Fetch likes, comments, and full description for each Short. Adds 1 extra API request per Short (slower but more data). ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Proxy settings. Datacenter proxies usually work. Use residential if you get blocked at high volume. ## Actor input object example ```json { "mode": "channel_shorts", "channelUrls": [ "@MrBeast", "@mkbhd" ], "searchQuery": "cooking recipes shorts", "maxResults": 50, "country": "US", "enrichWithEngagement": false, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } } ``` # 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 = { "channelUrls": [ "@MrBeast", "@mkbhd" ], "searchQuery": "cooking recipes shorts", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("zhorex/youtube-shorts-scraper-pro").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 = { "channelUrls": [ "@MrBeast", "@mkbhd", ], "searchQuery": "cooking recipes shorts", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("zhorex/youtube-shorts-scraper-pro").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 '{ "channelUrls": [ "@MrBeast", "@mkbhd" ], "searchQuery": "cooking recipes shorts", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }' | apify call zhorex/youtube-shorts-scraper-pro --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=zhorex/youtube-shorts-scraper-pro", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "YouTube Shorts Scraper Pro", "description": "Reliable YouTube Shorts scraper built for stability. Extract Shorts from channels, search, or trending. No browser needed = fast & cheap. Designed to keep working when other scrapers break. $5/1K results.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "AvQjHsMSdxhIdvlfe" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/zhorex~youtube-shorts-scraper-pro/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-zhorex-youtube-shorts-scraper-pro", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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/zhorex~youtube-shorts-scraper-pro/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-zhorex-youtube-shorts-scraper-pro", "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/zhorex~youtube-shorts-scraper-pro/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-zhorex-youtube-shorts-scraper-pro", "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": [ "mode" ], "properties": { "mode": { "title": "Scraping Mode", "enum": [ "channel_shorts", "search_shorts", "trending_shorts" ], "type": "string", "description": "Choose how to find Shorts: from specific channels, by keyword search, or trending.", "default": "channel_shorts" }, "channelUrls": { "title": "Channel URLs or @handles", "type": "array", "description": "YouTube channel URLs, @handles, usernames, or channel IDs. Used in Channel Shorts mode.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "searchQuery": { "title": "Search Query", "type": "string", "description": "Keywords to search for Shorts. Used in Search Shorts mode." }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Results", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 500, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of Shorts to extract per channel or search query.", "default": 50 }, "country": { "title": "Country Code", "type": "string", "description": "ISO country code for trending Shorts (e.g., US, GB, ES). Used in Trending Shorts mode.", "default": "US" }, "enrichWithEngagement": { "title": "Enrich with likes/comments", "type": "boolean", "description": "Fetch likes, comments, and full description for each Short. Adds 1 extra API request per Short (slower but more data).", "default": false }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Proxy settings. Datacenter proxies usually work. Use residential if you get blocked at high volume." } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```