# Youtube Search Scraper (`scrapeai/youtube-search-scraper`) Actor

This YouTube Search Scraper extracts video results based on a dynamic user search query. It collects video title, URL, channel name, views, upload time, duration, thumbnail, and more. Supports result limits and saves structured data in JSON format for analysis and research purposes.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/scrapeai/youtube-search-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ScrapeAI](https://apify.com/scrapeai) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

$3.99/month + usage

To use this Actor, you pay a monthly rental fee to the developer. The rent is subtracted from your prepaid usage every month. You also pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher Apify subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#rental-actors

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## YouTube Search Scraper

This actor scrapes YouTube search results based on a user-provided search query.

***

### Features

- Dynamic search query input
- Automatically constructs YouTube search URL
- Scrapes video metadata from search results
- Supports max result limit
- Infinite scroll to load more results
- Outputs structured JSON dataset

***

### Input

```json
{
  "search_query": "cocomelon",
  "max_results": 20,
  "debugMode": false
}
```

#### Input Fields

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `search_query` | string | ✅ Yes | Keyword to search on YouTube |
| `max_results` | integer | No (default: 20) | Maximum number of videos to scrape |
| `debugMode` | boolean | No (default: false) | Save debug screenshots and verbose logs |

***

### How It Works

1. Accepts `search_query` from user input
2. Constructs search URL: `https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query={{search_query}}`
3. Opens YouTube search results page with Puppeteer
4. Scrolls the page to load more results
5. Extracts video metadata from all loaded video cards

***

> **Note:**
> By default `Actor.pushData(data)` writes to the **default** dataset (local path
> `storage/datasets/default/`). Opening a named dataset such as
> the former if you want all results in the default dataset; the latter if you
> need a dedicated dataset with its own view schema.

#### Example Record

```json
{
  "id": "xxxxxxx",
  "title": "Cocomelon - Wheels on the Bus",
  "description": "Sing along with JJ and friends...",
  "type": "video",
  "viewCount": 2100000000,
  "duration": "3:30",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxx",
  "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xxxxxxx/hqdefault.jpg",
  "date": "2021-02-26T00:00:00Z",
  "channelName": "Cocomelon - Nursery Rhymes",
  "channelUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@Cocomelon",
  "channelHandle": "@Cocomelon",
  "channelThumbnail": null,
  "searchQuery": "cocomelon",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-02-26T15:00:00.000Z",
  "raw": {
    "type": "video",
    "videoId": "xxxxxxx",
    "title": "Cocomelon - Wheels on the Bus",
    "channelTitle": "Cocomelon - Nursery Rhymes",
    "channelId": null,
    "channelHandle": "@Cocomelon",
    "description": "Sing along with JJ and friends...",
    "viewCountText": "2.1B views",
    "viewCount": "2100000000",
    "publishedTimeText": "5 years ago",
    "publishDate": null,
    "publishedAt": null,
    "lengthText": "3:30",
    "thumbnail": [
      {
        "url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xxxxxxx/hqdefault.jpg",
        "width": 480,
        "height": 360
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

#### Output Schema

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| `video_title` | string | Title of the video |
| `video_url` | string | Full YouTube video URL |
| `channel_name` | string | Name of the channel |
| `channel_url` | string | URL of the channel |
| `views` | string | View count text (e.g. `"2.1B views"`) |
| `uploaded_time` | string | Upload time text (e.g. `"5 years ago"`) |
| `video_duration` | string | Video duration (e.g. `"3:30"`) |
| `thumbnail_url` | string | High-quality thumbnail image URL |
| `description` | string | Short description snippet (if available) |

***

### Example

**Search Query:** `cocomelon`

**Generated URL:** `https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cocomelon`

***

# Actor input Schema

## `search_query` (type: `string`):

Keyword or phrase to search on YouTube (e.g. 'cocomelon', 'python tutorial')

## `max_results` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of videos to scrape

## `debugMode` (type: `boolean`):

Enable to save debug screenshots and detailed logs

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "search_query": "cocomelon",
  "max_results": 20,
  "debugMode": false
}
```

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("scrapeai/youtube-search-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("scrapeai/youtube-search-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call scrapeai/youtube-search-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,scrapeai/youtube-search-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/9BqMIjT8S0ljU6meN/builds/tnkAN74UitVpAZR83/openapi.json