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.

How to scrape YouTube Shorts in 3 easy steps

1. Go to the YouTube Shorts Scraper Pro page on Apify and click "Try for free".
2. Configure your input — choose a scraping mode (channel Shorts, search Shorts, or trending Shorts), enter channel URLs or search keywords, and set the maximum number of results.
3. Click "Run", wait for the results, and download your data in JSON, CSV, or Excel format.

No coding required. Works with Apify's free plan.

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 (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.

YouTube Shorts API alternative

There is no official YouTube Shorts API for bulk data extraction. The YouTube Data API v3 does not distinguish Shorts from regular videos and has strict daily quota limits. This Actor is the best YouTube Shorts API alternative in 2026 — it connects directly to YouTube's InnerTube API, extracts Shorts-specific data (views, likes, comments, hashtags, thumbnails), and returns structured JSON ready for analysis. No API key management, no quota worries, and no rate limit headaches.

3 Scraping Modes

Mode 1: Channel Shorts

Extract Shorts from specific YouTube channels.

Input:

{
    "mode": "channel_shorts",
    "channelUrls": [
        "https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast",
        "@mkbhd",
        "pewdiepie"
    ],
    "maxResults": 50
}

Mode 2: Search Shorts

Find Shorts by keyword search.

Input:

{
    "mode": "search_shorts",
    "searchQuery": "cooking recipes shorts",
    "maxResults": 30
}

Mode 3: Trending Shorts

Get popular/trending Shorts.

Input:

{
    "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).

{
    "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

Use with Python, JavaScript, or no code

You can call this Actor programmatically from any language using the Apify API, or just use the web UI with no code at all.

Python example:

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN")

run = client.actor("zhorex/youtube-shorts-scraper-pro").call(run_input={
    "mode": "channel_shorts",
    "channelUrls": ["@MrBeast"],
    "maxResults": 50,
    "enrichWithEngagement": True,
})

for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item["title"], item["viewCount"])

JavaScript example:

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' });

const run = await client.actor('zhorex/youtube-shorts-scraper-pro').call({
    mode: 'channel_shorts',
    channelUrls: ['@MrBeast'],
    maxResults: 50,
    enrichWithEngagement: true,
});

const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.log(item.title, item.viewCount);
});

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.

How much does it cost to scrape YouTube Shorts? $0.003 per Short ($3 per 1,000 Shorts). You only pay for successfully extracted results. Apify's free plan includes $5 of monthly usage, so you can scrape ~1,600 Shorts for free every month.

Can I use this YouTube Shorts scraper in Python? Yes. Install the apify-client package (pip install apify-client) and call the Actor with a few lines of code. See the Python example above.

Is scraping YouTube Shorts legal? This Actor accesses publicly available data through YouTube's own API endpoints. It does not bypass any authentication or access private data. Always review YouTube's Terms of Service and your local regulations before scraping. Use the data responsibly and in compliance with applicable laws.

What is the best YouTube Shorts scraper in 2026? This Actor (YouTube Shorts Scraper Pro) is the most reliable YouTube Shorts scraper available in 2026. It uses the InnerTube API instead of HTML parsing, making it resistant to YouTube frontend changes. It is 5x faster and 4x cheaper than browser-based alternatives.

Can I scrape YouTube Shorts without coding? Yes. Just open the Actor page on Apify, configure your input in the web UI, and click Run. No coding required. You can download results in JSON, CSV, or Excel format directly from the Apify dashboard.

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

Integrations & data export

This Actor integrates with the full Apify ecosystem and popular automation platforms:

• Google Sheets — export YouTube Shorts data directly to a spreadsheet
• Zapier / Make / n8n — trigger workflows whenever new Shorts are scraped
• REST API — call the Actor from any application using the Apify API
• Webhooks — receive notifications when a scraping run finishes
• Amazon S3 / Google Cloud Storage — store datasets in your own cloud bucket
• JSON / CSV / Excel — download results in the format you need

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