Scraping YouTube Channel Data
Exports channel-level statistics and optional video catalog for any YouTube channel URL or handle.
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: Normalize channel URLs
- [ ] Step 2: Run youtube-scraper
- [ ] Step 3: Poll for SUCCEEDED
- [ ] Step 4: Deliver channel dataset
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-channel-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}'
# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~youtube-channel-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_results.csv --format csv
# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~youtube-channel-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-channel-scraper"
Input:
{
"channelUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@channelhandle"],
"maxVideos": 30
}
REST API fallback:
curl -X POST \
"https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~youtube-channel-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"channelUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/@channelhandle"], "maxVideos": 30}'
Save id as RUN_ID. Poll until status = SUCCEEDED:
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" | grep '"status"'
Fetch results:
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID/dataset/items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN&format=json"
Step 3: Handle Edge Cases
- Channel URL not found: Handle may have changed — verify on YouTube.
- Hidden subscriber count: Some channels hide subscriber counts; field returns null — flag these.
- Age-restricted channel: May return limited metadata.
# YouTube Channel Dataset
Channels requested: N | Returned: N
| Channel | Subscribers | Total Views | Videos | Joined | Country | Recent Avg Views |
|---------|-------------|-------------|--------|--------|---------|-----------------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Available fields: channelName, channelId, subscriberCount, viewCount, videoCount,
country, joinedDate, description, channelUrl, recentVideos[]
Troubleshooting
Hidden subscriber count: YouTube allows channels to hide this — return null and note in output.
Large video catalogs: Set maxVideos: 100 max per run to avoid timeouts.