This is a collection of simple tools for extracting data from the YouTube platform via the YouTube API v3.

For some context and a small introduction, please check out this blog post.

Each of the modules has a basic description of how it works, there is a FAQ section with additional information, an introductory video, and the excellent worksheet Working with YouTube Data Tools created by Daniel Jurg.

To learn more about how we handle data, please read our privacy policy.

If you use this tool in a scientific publication, please cite it, e.g. in APA style: Rieder, Bernhard (2015). YouTube Data Tools (Version 1.42) [Software]. Available from https://ytdt.digitalmethods.net.

This module retrieves different kinds of information for a channel from a specified channel id or channel URL. You can use this module to find channel ids to use in other modules.

launch

This module provides infos and statistics on channels taken from a searches or a list of channel ids.

launch

This module crawls a network of channels connected via the "featured channels" (and via subscriptions) tab from a list of seeds. Seeds can be channels retrieved from a search or via manual input of channel ids.

launch

This module creates a list of video infos and statistics from one of four sources: the videos uploaded to a specified channel, a playlist, the videos retrieved by a particular search query, or the videos specified by a list of ids.

launch

This module creates a network of videos, based on the concept of co-commenting. If a user comments on two videos, a link is made between these two videos and the more users co-comment, the stronger the link.

launch

This module starts from a video id and retrieves basic info for the video in question and provides a number of analyses of the comment section.

launch

• v1.42 - 03/11/2023 - Added pseudonymization option to video comments module
• v1.41 - 13/10/2023 - Added location search and location data to video list module
• v1.40 - 29/09/2023 - Video Network module removed, Video Co-commenting Network module added
• v1.31 - 25/02/2023 - Channel info module now works with channel URLs
• v1.30 - 13/01/2023 - Many bug fixes, renamed modules, added topic categories and keywords to channel list module, added co-tag network to video list module
• v1.24 - 01/12/2022 - Fixed channel network by moving to new API endpoint
• v1.23 - 22/05/2022 - Added output format selector
• v1.22 - 25/02/2021 - Added a means to limit to n top comments in video info module
• v1.21 - 11/01/2021 - Added video tags to video list module
• v1.20 - 31/12/2020 - Added channel search module, housekeeping
• v1.12 - 20/09/2019 - Added a channel network output to the video network module
• v1.11 - 02/07/2019 - Removed "related channel" module after YT removed the feature from the interface; added thumbnail url to video list module
• v1.10 - 15/11/2018 - Added a "related channel" module
• v1.09 - 10/05/2018 - Added a "per day" mode to the video list module
• v1.08 - 06/12/2017 - Channel info module can now make queries for several channels at a time
• v1.07 - 19/10/2017 - Added region code parameter to video list
• v1.06 - 12/05/2017 - Added country and "channel age" to channel network module
• v1.05 - 01/02/2017 - Added date limited search to video list module
• v1.04 - 01/02/2015 - Added like/dislike ratio to video network module output
• v1.03 - 18/10/2015 - Small bugfix
• v1.02 - 05/06/2015 - Added subscriptions to channel network
• v1.01 - 26/05/2015 - Bug fix for video network, video category added to several modules
• v1.00 - 04/05/2015 - Initial Release