Analyzing Youtube Competitor Channel Strategy
Executes analyzing youtube competitor channel strategy using apidojo scrapers. Part of the apidojo intelligence skills library.
Prerequisites
APIFY_TOKEN environment variable set- Optional: Apify MCP server installed
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Notes |
|---|
startUrls | array | Optional | [] | YouTube URLs — channels, playlists, Shorts, search results |
youtubeHandles | array | Optional | [] | YouTube channel handles (e.g. @kurzgesagt) |
getTrending | boolean | Optional | false | Retrieve trending videos |
keywords | array | Optional | [] | Search keywords |
gl | string | Optional | us | Country code for results (e.g. US, GB) |
hl | string | Optional | en | Language code (e.g. en, de) |
uploadDate | string | Optional | all | Upload date filter: any, hour, today, week, month, year |
duration | string | Optional | all | Duration filter: any, short, long |
features | string | Optional | all | Feature filter: 4k, hd, live, cc, 3d, hdr, etc. |
sort | string | Optional | r | Sort order for search results |
maxItems | number | Optional | Unlimited | Maximum videos to return |
customMapFunction | string | Optional | — | JavaScript function to transform each output object |
Workflow
Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Define parameters
- [ ] Step 2: Run youtube-scraper
- [ ] Step 3: Filter and classify results
- [ ] Step 4: Score by quality and relevance
- [ ] Step 5: Deliver output
Step 2: Run the Actor
Recommended — run_actor.js (handles waiting, output, and file saving automatically):
# Quick answer (prints table to chat)
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~youtube-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}'
# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~youtube-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_results.csv --format csv
# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~youtube-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_results.json --format json
APIFY_TOKEN must be set in environment or .env file.
If Apify MCP is available:
Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~youtube-scraper"
Input:
{
"searchTerms": "https://www.youtube.com/@[COMPETITOR_CHANNEL]",
"maxItems": 100
}
REST API fallback:
curl -X POST \
"https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~youtube-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"searchTerms": "https://www.youtube.com/@[COMPETITOR_CHANNEL]", "maxItems": 100}'
Wait for SUCCEEDED. Fetch dataset:
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID/dataset/items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN"
Step 3: Classify Results
classification: GROWING (view rate > 20%) | HEALTHY (10-20%) | PLATEAU (5-10%) | DECLINING (< 5%)
Step 4: Score Each Result
score = channel_health = avg_views/subscriber_count * 100 # view rate; healthy > 10%
Step 5: Edge Cases
- Channels with old viral videos have inflated subscriber counts relative to current performance — use median views from last 20 videos as the current health indicator
Additional fallbacks:
- < 20 results: Broaden search terms; remove secondary filters
- No results: Verify the search terms are correct; try alternate phrasings
- Data quality issues: Remove entries with missing key fields; note count in output
# Analyzing Youtube Competitor Channel Strategy
Results: [N] | Date: [DATE]
| # | [Key Field] | [Metric 1] | [Metric 2] | [Classification] | [Score] |
|---|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------------|---------|
| 1 | [value] | [value] | [value] | [type] | [0.XX] |
## Summary
Top result: [description]
Key finding: [insight]
Troubleshooting
Too few results: Broaden the primary search term; remove restrictive filters.
Low quality results: Apply minimum score threshold (≥ 0.50) to filter noise.
Actor fails to run: Verify API key; check actor status at apify.com/apidojo.