Use YouTube Playlist Contents & Channel Playlist Finder with Python

List every video in a YouTube playlist, or discover every public playlist a channel owns, with titles, durations, thumbnails, and playlist metadata.

1. Choose the data you need

Review the published README for supported collection modes, examples, and limits. The recipe below uses the current published input definition.

2. Prepare a source-based input

This JSON contains published prefills and required-field defaults. Review every value for your task before running it; it is not a promise of successful collection.

{
  "includeUnavailableVideos": false,
  "includeVideoDetails": true,
  "maxVideos": 3,
  "playlistUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgzTt0k8mXzEk586ze4BjvDXR7c-TUSnx"
  ]
}

Download input.example.json and save your reviewed copy as input.json.

Field	Type	Required	Description
`playlistUrls`	array	optional	YouTube playlist URLs, watch URLs with a list parameter, or bare playlist IDs whose videos you want. Combine with Channel URLs or Search Queries in one run.
`channelUrls`	array	optional	Channel handles, URLs, or channel IDs. The actor lists every public playlist, show, course, podcast, and album on each channel.
`searchQueries`	array	optional	Keywords to search for public playlists and courses, for example "python course" or "lofi study". Up to 20 queries per run.
`maxPlaylists`	integer	optional	Maximum number of collections to list per channel.
`maxSearchResults`	integer	optional	Maximum number of playlist results to return for each search query.
`maxVideos`	integer	optional	Maximum number of rows to return per playlist. Set to 0 for every video. Unavailable placeholders count toward the limit when enabled.
`includeUnavailableVideos`	boolean	optional	Emit a placeholder row for each deleted, private, or hidden playlist entry, with its real position and thumbnail.
`includeVideoDetails`	boolean	optional	Add exact views, likes, publish date, description, category, and tags for every available video. Turn off for a faster listing-only run.

3. Start an Actor run

Set APIFY_TOKEN in your environment. Python 3.10 or newer is sufficient; this recipe uses no third-party packages.

Execution may incur charges. Review current pricing on Apify. The request asks for a 120-second timeout and a charge limit; these settings are subject to Apify’s pricing and do not guarantee an all-inclusive spending cap.

import json
import os
import urllib.request

# Save the schema-derived example as input.json; review and edit it first.
with open("input.json", encoding="utf-8") as stream:
    actor_input = json.load(stream)

token = os.environ["APIFY_TOKEN"]
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/Dg3fDelv93OSfgvkB/runs?timeout=120&maxTotalChargeUsd=0.50",
    data=json.dumps(actor_input).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer " + token, "Content-Type": "application/json"},
    method="POST",
)
# This starts a potentially billable run. Do not automatically retry this POST.
with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=40) as response:
    run = json.load(response)["data"]
print("Run ID:", run["id"])
print("Status:", run["status"])
# Inspect and download results in Apify Console once the run succeeds.

4. Inspect the actual results

Open the run in Apify Console and wait for a successful completion. Use the published output schema to locate results and the dataset schema to understand declared views. Missing or optional record fields must not be treated as guaranteed values.

Playlist video rows with exact views, likes, publish dates and unavailable placeholders, plus channel collection and playlist-search rows.

Questions before you run

Which inputs are required?

No top-level fields are marked required in the published schema. Conditional requirements can still apply; check the README.

What does this guide verify?

The fields, prefills, and schema links are rendered from the published build. This is a usage recipe, not a paid live extraction test. Source availability and collection results can vary.

What if the run request times out?

Check Apify Console before retrying. The first request may already have created a run. Do not automatically repeat a run-creation POST.

Open on Apify Full Actor reference

Generated from source build swYZ3TQrDebcdec5a and its README and schemas. Source changes regenerate this guide; no third-party editorial claims are inferred.