Use YouTube Channel Video Catalog & Profile Scraper with Python

Get a YouTube channel's profile details (subscribers, description, links, verification) together with its video, Shorts, playlist or live-stream catalog, for one channel or many at once.

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.

{
  "channelUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@Apify"
  ],
  "includeAbout": true,
  "includeCourses": false,
  "includeExactMetrics": true,
  "includeLiveVideos": false,
  "includeMembersOnly": false,
  "includePlaylists": false,
  "includePodcasts": false,
  "includeReleases": false,
  "includeShorts": false,
  "maxVideos": 3
}

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

Field	Type	Required	Description
`channelUrls`	array	required	YouTube channel URLs, handles (@username), or channel IDs (UCxxx). Accepts any format.
`maxVideos`	integer	optional	Maximum number of videos to scrape per channel. Set to 0 to get only channel info without videos.
`sortVideosBy`	string	optional	How to sort the channel's video listings. If YouTube does not offer the chosen sort for a channel, newest-first is used.
`sortShortsBy`	string	optional	How to sort the channel's Shorts listing (when includeShorts is enabled). Falls back to newest-first when the channel offers no Shorts sort.
`includeAbout`	boolean	optional	Extract total views, join date, location, country, and external links from the channel About page.
`includeShorts`	boolean	optional	Scrape the channel Shorts tab and include Shorts in the output.
`maxShorts`	integer	optional	Maximum number of Shorts to return (when includeShorts is enabled).
`includeLiveVideos`	boolean	optional	Scrape the channel Live/Streams tab and include live, upcoming, and past streams.
`maxLiveVideos`	integer	optional	Maximum live/stream videos to return (when includeLiveVideos is enabled).
`includePlaylists`	boolean	optional	Scrape the channel Playlists tab and include playlist metadata in the output.
`maxPlaylists`	integer	optional	Maximum number of playlists to scrape (when includePlaylists is enabled).
`includePodcasts`	boolean	optional	Scrape the channel Podcasts tab and include podcast shows (when the channel has one).
`maxPodcasts`	integer	optional	Maximum number of podcast shows to return (when includePodcasts is enabled).
`includeCourses`	boolean	optional	Scrape the channel Courses tab and include course playlists (when the channel has one).
`maxCourses`	integer	optional	Maximum number of courses to return (when includeCourses is enabled).
`includeReleases`	boolean	optional	Scrape the channel Releases tab and include release playlists (when the channel has one).
`maxReleases`	integer	optional	Maximum number of releases to return (when includeReleases is enabled).
`includeMembersOnly`	boolean	optional	Also list members-only videos (titles and public metadata) when YouTube offers the Members-only filter for this channel. Rows carry isMembersOnly and are added in addition to maxVideos. Playback still requires the membership.
`includeExactMetrics`	boolean	optional	Also fetch each video's exact view and like counts, duration, publish date, category, and description. Turn off for faster, cheaper runs with listing-page values only.
`market`	string	optional	Country used for regional content availability and localized results (YouTube gl parameter).
`language`	string	optional	Language for YouTube's interface text (relative dates like "2 days ago"). Titles and descriptions stay in the creator's own language.

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/fNm0e9I6ncv8nf6jt/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.

YouTube channel profile metadata and video, Shorts, playlist, podcast, course, release, and live-stream rows with exact views, likes, and publish dates.

Questions before you run

Which inputs are required?

The published required fields are channelUrls

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 6GWCnW79ucQmuV0Ao and its README and schemas. Source changes regenerate this guide; no third-party editorial claims are inferred.