YouTube · Guide

How to get YouTube channel details

TL;DR
To get YouTube channel details, sign up for a free Captapi key, then send one GET request to /v1/youtube/channel-details with your input. You get clean JSON back in seconds for 1 credit per call — no OAuth, scraping or platform SDKs. YouTube channel stats — ISO country, createdAt date-only, real banner or null, quote-aware SEO tags, absolute links. Flat 1 credit.

How to get YouTube channel details (step by step)

  1. 1

    Get a free API key

    Create a free Captapi account (100 credits, no card) and generate an API key from the dashboard.

  2. 2

    Call the YouTube Channel Details API

    Send an authenticated GET request to /v1/youtube/channel-details with your input. No OAuth, no scraping setup.

  3. 3

    Read the JSON response

    Parse the clean JSON response. Pass cache=true for a free 24h cache hit; default is always fresh.

Code example

curl "https://api.captapi.com/v1/youtube/channel-details?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUCLA_DiR1FfKNvjuUpBHmylQ" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer capt_live_..."
# or: -H "x-api-key: capt_live_..."

What the response looks like

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "platform": "youtube",
    "id": "UCLA_DiR1FfKNvjuUpBHmylQ",
    "username": "NASA",
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLA_DiR1FfKNvjuUpBHmylQ",
    "canonicalUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/@NASA",
    "displayName": "NASA",
    "bio": "NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research.\r\n\r\nTo do that, we have worked around the world—and off it—for more than 60 years, searching for answers to fundamental questions about our place in the universe. We're exploring space and discovering Earth. Join us on this exciting and important journey.",
    "avatar": "https://yt3.googleusercontent.com/eIf5fNPcIcj9ig-wZBeq4stFy1lgjWTW1nLT5dYlFkHZprZ03QBiMcbpwNMB6XSBjrSFGtAGQg=s900-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj",
    "banner": "https://yt3.googleusercontent.com/y8Srh-oCcilLvBO8jAPI546m1bn0puA5DIvQiBZ1cSxc_rZfKxKSFlTCtoCQCtB6viUf1NGsaQ=w2560-fcrop64=1,00005a57ffffa5a8-k-c0xffffffff-no-nd-rj",
    "followers": 15100000,
    "followersIsApproximate": true,
    "postCount": 6100,
    "viewCount": 1130025466,
    "country": null,
    "countryName": null,
    "createdAt": "2008-06-03",
    "verified": true,
    "links": [
      {
        "text": "nasa.gov",
        "url": "https://nasa.gov"
      },
      {
        "text": "X",
        "url": "https://x.com/nasa"
      }
    ],
    "email": null,
    "tags": [
      "nasa",
      "space"
    ]
  }
}

Billing metadata (credits charged, cache hit/miss) is returned in the X-Captapi-Credits and X-Captapi-Cache response headers.

Request parameters

NameTypeRequiredDescription
urlstring YesYouTube channel URL, @handle, bare handle, or UC... channel ID, e.g. https://youtube.com/@handle or @mkbhd. The URL platform must match this endpoint's platform. Do not pass cross-platform URLs, e.g. YouTube to TikTok, Instagram to Facebook, LinkedIn to X/Twitter, or Pinterest to Rumble.
cachebooleanNoSet true to serve from the 24h response cache (0 credits on hit). Default false — always fetch fresh.

Frequently asked questions

What does the YouTube Channel Details API do?

The YouTube Channel Details API lets you fetch profile or page details and audience stats from a public YouTube profile or page using one GET request to /v1/youtube/channel-details. It returns clean JSON — no OAuth or infrastructure setup required.

How many credits does the YouTube Channel Details API cost?

Each successful call costs 1 credit. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Selected profile endpoints also accept cacheMaxAge=1d|3d|7d|14d|30d. Failed or empty results are never charged.

Do I need a YouTube API key or OAuth?

No. A single Captapi key works across every platform Captapi supports — YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, Reddit, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Rumble, Spotify, Kwai, and more. We handle access, rate limits, retries, and authentication for you.

Why is banner null instead of omitted?

Channel-details identity cards keep a stable key set. banner, country, countryName, and email are present and null when unknown. banner: null is deliberate — we never substitute the avatar. Resolver/search rows (instagram/profile-search) omit-when-absent; that is a different class of endpoint.

Is cache on by default?

No. Default is always fresh (1 credit). Pass cache=true for the 24h shared cache.

Is the YouTube Channel Details API suitable for production use?

Yes. It is a stable REST endpoint with predictable JSON and automatic retries. Pass cache=true to serve from the 24h cache (0 credits on hit); default is always fresh. Selected profile endpoints also accept cacheMaxAge=1d|3d|7d|14d|30d. Use it for analytics, monitoring, and content automation.

Ready to get YouTube channel details?

Start free with 100 credits — no credit card required.

Get your free API key