Free Metadata Extractor · 2026

YouTube Data Viewer

Instantly extract video IDs, channel info, thumbnail URLs, embed codes and direct tool links from any YouTube URL. No API key needed — works entirely from the URL.

0
API Keys Required
5
Thumbnail Qualities Shown
10+
URL Formats Supported
Free
No Sign-Up Required

Supports all formats: watch, youtu.be, /shorts/, /live/, /@handle, /channel/UC…, /c/, /user/, playlist

All Thumbnail Quality URLs
Ready-to-Use Embed Code

            
          
Open in Related Tools
📊 What You Get

Data Extracted From Any YouTube URL

Everything the tool surfaces instantly — no API key, no authentication needed.

Video & Channel IDs

The permanent 11-char video ID and UC… channel ID (where available in the URL). These are the foundation for all YouTube API operations and reliable database storage.

All 5 Thumbnail URLs

Direct image URLs for all five quality tiers — from default (120×90) to maxresdefault (1920×1080). Preview all resolutions and copy any URL with one click.

Embed Code

A ready-to-paste iframe embed code generated from the video ID. Copy it directly into any HTML page or CMS. Permanent — won't break if video title changes.

Canonical URL

The clean, permanent canonical video URL — youtube.com/watch?v=ID — regardless of what format URL you pasted. Useful for deduplicating video records.

Watch & Short URLs

Both the full watch URL and the short youtu.be/ format — handy for sharing in different contexts where URL length matters.

Direct Tool Links

One-click links to open the same video in the Thumbnail Downloader, ID Finder, and other tools — with the video ID pre-populated automatically.

⚠️ What requires an API key: Live view counts, like counts, subscriber numbers, video titles, descriptions, comment counts, and upload dates all require the YouTube Data API v3. Our API Snippets section below shows you exactly how to fetch this data once you have a key.
🔗 Supported Formats

All YouTube URL Formats Supported

Paste any YouTube URL — the tool automatically detects the type and extracts the right data.

URL Format What Gets Extracted Thumbnails? Embed Code? Example
Standard WatchVideo ID + all URLsYes (all 5)Yeswatch?v=XXXXX
Short URL (youtu.be)Video ID + all URLsYes (all 5)Yesyoutu.be/XXXXX
Shorts URLVideo ID + all URLsYes (all 5)Yes/shorts/XXXXX
Live URLVideo ID + all URLsYes (all 5)Yes/live/XXXXX
Embed URLVideo ID + all URLsYes (all 5)Yes/embed/XXXXX
Channel by IDChannel ID + handleNo (channel)No/channel/UCxxx
Channel HandleHandle extractedNoNo/@username
Playlist URLPlaylist IDNoNolist=PLxxxx
👩‍💻 Go Further with the API

Get Live Stats with YouTube Data API v3

Use the video ID extracted above to fetch full live statistics — views, likes, comments, tags, and more.

Fetch Video Stats (JavaScript)

Paste your extracted video ID and API key to get live view count, likes, and comment count.

const VIDEO_ID = "YOUR_VIDEO_ID";
const API_KEY  = "YOUR_API_KEY";

fetch(`https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos
  ?part=snippet,statistics
  &id=${VIDEO_ID}
  &key=${API_KEY}`)
  .then(r => r.json())
  .then(d => {
    const v = d.items[0];
    console.log("Title:", v.snippet.title);
    console.log("Views:", v.statistics.viewCount);
    console.log("Likes:", v.statistics.likeCount);
    console.log("Tags:", v.snippet.tags);
  });

Fetch Video Stats (Python)

A minimal Python snippet using the requests library to pull video metadata.

import requests

VIDEO_ID = "YOUR_VIDEO_ID"
API_KEY  = "YOUR_API_KEY"

url = "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos"
params = {
    "part": "snippet,statistics",
    "id": VIDEO_ID,
    "key": API_KEY
}

r = requests.get(url, params=params).json()
v = r["items"][0]
print("Title:", v["snippet"]["title"])
print("Views:", v["statistics"]["viewCount"])
print("Tags:", v["snippet"].get("tags", []))
📌 Get a free API key: Go to Google Cloud Console → Create project → Enable YouTube Data API v3 → Credentials → Create API key. Free tier includes 10,000 units/day. videos.list costs just 1 unit per call.
❓ FAQ

YouTube Data Viewer Questions Answered

What is the YouTube Data Viewer?
The YouTube Data Viewer is a free tool that extracts publicly available metadata from any YouTube URL — video ID, channel info, all five thumbnail quality URLs, embed code, canonical URLs, and direct links to related tools. It works entirely from the URL you paste, requiring no API key and no authentication. For live statistics like view count or subscriber numbers, a YouTube Data API v3 key is required (we provide code snippets for that above).
Why does the tool not show views, likes, or video titles?
Live video statistics (views, likes, comment counts) and metadata like video titles and descriptions require authentication through the YouTube Data API v3. This tool works without any API key by extracting data directly from URL patterns — which gives you the video ID, thumbnail URLs, embed code, and canonical URLs instantly. Use the API code snippets provided to fetch live stats once you have a free Google API key.
What data can I get without an API key?
Without an API key you can extract: the 11-char video ID, the canonical watch URL (youtube.com/watch?v=ID), the short URL (youtu.be/ID), the embed URL, all five thumbnail image URLs (default through maxresdefault), a ready-to-paste iframe embed code, and direct links to the Thumbnail Downloader and ID Finder pre-loaded with this video. For channels, you get the channel ID and handle where present in the URL.
What YouTube URL formats are supported?
All formats: youtube.com/watch?v=, youtu.be/, /shorts/, /live/, /embed/, youtube-nocookie.com/embed/, channel URLs (/channel/UC…), handle URLs (/@username), legacy /c/ and /user/ URLs, and playlist URLs (list=PL…). The tool automatically detects what type of URL you pasted and extracts the appropriate data.
How do I get a YouTube API key to fetch live stats?
Go to the Google Cloud Console at console.cloud.google.com. Create a new project, search for "YouTube Data API v3" in the Library, enable it, then go to Credentials → Create Credentials → API Key. The free tier gives you 10,000 units/day — plenty for personal projects. A videos.list call costs just 1 unit, while a search.list costs 100 units. Use the video ID extracted by this tool in your API calls for the most efficient quota usage.
Can I use this tool to analyze YouTube Shorts?
Yes. YouTube Shorts use the same 11-char video ID system as regular videos. Paste any Shorts URL (youtube.com/shorts/XXXXX) and the tool extracts the video ID, all thumbnail URLs, embed code, and tool links — exactly the same as for regular videos. The thumbnail may show the Shorts-format framing (vertical) at higher resolutions.

Every YouTube Tool You Need — Free

Metadata viewer, ID extractor, thumbnail downloader, earnings calculators — all in one place.

Analyze a YouTube Video