How do I find a YouTube channel ID?

Paste any channel URL into our tool and we extract the channel ID automatically. Channel IDs start with UC and are 24 characters long.

Are YouTube video IDs permanent?

Yes. Video IDs never change once assigned. The only time an ID becomes invalid is if the video is deleted or the channel is terminated.

Can I batch extract multiple YouTube IDs?

Yes. Our Batch Extractor tab lets you paste multiple URLs, one per line, and extract all IDs at once.

How do I embed a YouTube video using just the video ID?

Use this iframe: . Our Embed Code tab generates this automatically with options.

What URL formats are supported?

All formats: youtube.com/watch?v=, youtu.be/, /embed/, /shorts/, /live/, /@handle, /channel/UC, /c/, /user/, and playlist?list=PL URLs.

YouTube ID Finder 2026 — Extract Video & Channel IDs Free

Paste any YouTube URL

Supports: watch URLs, youtu.be, /embed/, /shorts/, /live/, @handles, /channel/UC…, /c/, /user/, playlist?list=

Paste multiple YouTube URLs — one per line

0 URLs detected

Enter a video URL or ID to generate ready-to-use embed code with custom options.

Width (px)

Height (px)

Autoplay Muted Loop Show Controls Privacy-Enhanced Mode

Enter a video URL or ID to get ready-to-run YouTube Data API v3 snippets for 4 languages.

🔗 All Supported Formats

Every YouTube URL Format Explained

Our tool handles all 10+ URL formats YouTube uses across different platforms and surfaces.

URL Format	ID Location	ID Type	Length	Example
Standard Watch	After `?v=`	Video	11 chars	`youtube.com/watch?v=XXXXX`
Short URL (youtu.be)	After domain	Video	11 chars	`youtu.be/XXXXX`
Embed URL	After `/embed/`	Video	11 chars	`youtube.com/embed/XXXXX`
Shorts URL	After `/shorts/`	Shorts Video	11 chars	`youtube.com/shorts/XXXXX`
Live URL	After `/live/`	Video	11 chars	`youtube.com/live/XXXXX`
Nocookie Embed	After `/embed/`	Video	11 chars	`youtube-nocookie.com/embed/XXXXX`
Channel by ID	After `/channel/`	Channel	24 chars (UC…)	`youtube.com/channel/UCxxx`
Channel by Handle	After `/@`	Handle	Variable	`youtube.com/@username`
Legacy /c/ URL	After `/c/`	Channel Name	Variable	`youtube.com/c/ChannelName`
Legacy /user/ URL	After `/user/`	Username	Variable	`youtube.com/user/username`
Playlist URL	After `list=`	Playlist	34+ chars (PL…)	`youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxxx`
Watch + Playlist	`v=` and `list=`	Video + Playlist	Both	`watch?v=X&list=PL…`

📚 Deep Reference

YouTube ID Types: Complete Guide

Everything developers and creators need to know about each YouTube identifier.

Video ID (11 chars)

Alphanumeric + - and _. Assigned at upload and never changes. Used for embedding, API calls, thumbnail URL construction. Shorts and regular videos use the same format — they're interchangeable in embed URLs.

Channel ID (24 chars)

Always starts with UC. This is the permanent identifier — custom handles (@) can be changed by the creator, but the channel ID never can. Always resolve handles to a UC… ID before storing in a database.

Playlist ID (34+ chars)

Starts with PL (user playlists), UU (channel uploads), FL (favorites), or LL (liked videos). The uploads playlist ID = replace UC with UU in any channel ID.

Handle (@username)

Introduced in 2022, replacing legacy /user/ URLs. Not permanent — creators can change handles anytime. Never store a handle as a database key. Convert to UC… channel ID via the API first.

Thumbnail URLs

No API key needed. Pattern: img.youtube.com/vi/ID/quality.jpg. Five quality tiers from 120×90 to 1280×720. Note: maxresdefault may 404 on older videos — always fall back to hqdefault.

Uploads Playlist Trick

Every channel has a hidden uploads playlist. Derive it: replace UC with UU. Example: UCxxx → UUxxx. Use with playlistItems.list at 1 quota unit vs 100 units for search.list.

🔍 Visual Anatomy

Where IDs Appear in YouTube URLs

Exactly where each ID type lives across the most common URL patterns.

1

Standard Watch URL — most common

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&t=42s

The 11-char video ID follows v=. Params like t= (timestamp) and si= (share tracking) are ignored.

2

Short URL — used in shares and mobile

https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ?si=abc123XYZ&t=10

ID is the first path segment. The si= tracking token is not part of the ID.

3

Shorts — vertical short-form videos

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dQw4w9WgXcQ

Shorts use the same 11-char format. A Shorts ID works in regular embed URLs too.

4

Channel by UC ID — permanent

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw

24-char ID starting with UC. This is the only truly permanent channel identifier.

5

Channel Handle — changeable by creator

https://www.youtube.com/@MrBeast

Handles are NOT permanent. Always resolve to UC… channel ID before storing in a database.

6

Playlist URL

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeiKm4sgqunarQxjachaN

Playlist IDs start with PL and are 34+ characters. Use with the playlistItems.list API endpoint.

🖼️ Thumbnail Reference

YouTube Thumbnail Quality Tiers

Construct direct thumbnail URLs using only a video ID — no API key required.

Quality	Filename	Dimensions	Best For	Always Available?
Max Resolution	`maxresdefault.jpg`	1280×720	OG meta, hero images	Sometimes (may 404)
SD Default	`sddefault.jpg`	640×480	Blog posts, cards	Yes
HQ Default	`hqdefault.jpg`	480×360	Thumbnails, previews	Yes — use as fallback
MQ Default	`mqdefault.jpg`	320×180	Sidebars, small cards	Yes
Default	`default.jpg`	120×90	Tiny icons	Yes

URL Pattern: https://img.youtube.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/maxresdefault.jpg — Replace the quality filename as needed. Always use hqdefault.jpg as a fallback in production code.

👩‍💻 Developer Reference

YouTube Data API v3 Endpoints by ID Type

Every major API operation and which ID type it requires — with quota costs.

Operation	Endpoint	ID Required	Key Param	Quota Cost
Get video stats	`videos.list`	Video ID	`id=VIDEO_ID`	1 unit
Get video captions	`captions.list`	Video ID	`videoId=VIDEO_ID`	50 units
List comments	`commentThreads.list`	Video ID	`videoId=VIDEO_ID`	1 unit
Get channel info	`channels.list`	Channel ID	`id=CHANNEL_ID`	1 unit
List channel uploads	`playlistItems.list`	Uploads Playlist (UU…)	`playlistId=UU…`	1 unit
Search channel videos	`search.list`	Channel ID	`channelId=CHANNEL_ID`	100 units ⚠️
Get playlist items	`playlistItems.list`	Playlist ID	`playlistId=PL…`	1 unit
Resolve handle to ID	`channels.list`	Handle	`forHandle=@username`	1 unit

💡 Quota Tip: search.list costs 100 units vs just 1 unit for videos.list. Store video IDs in your database and fetch up to 50 at once with videos.list?id=ID1,ID2,ID3 — never search when you can look up directly.

🚀 Common Use Cases

What Developers Do With YouTube IDs

1

Embed Videos on Your Website

Use the video ID in an iframe: https://youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID. IDs are permanent, so embeds won't break if the creator renames the video. Add parameters like ?autoplay=1&mute=1 for autoplay. Use our Embed Code tab to generate the full iframe with all options.

2

Fetch Video Stats via API

Pass the video ID to videos.list?part=statistics,snippet&id=VIDEO_ID to get views, likes, comment count, title, description, and tags. Batch up to 50 IDs in one call to minimize quota usage. Use our API Snippets tab for ready-to-run code.

3

Display Thumbnails Without API Keys

Construct thumbnail URLs directly: img.youtube.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/hqdefault.jpg. No authentication needed. Use maxresdefault for HD images (fallback to hqdefault if 404). Perfect for video galleries and preview grids.

4

Store Video References in Databases

Always store the 11-char video ID, not the full URL. URLs can change format; IDs never do. For channels, store the UC… channel ID, not the handle. Derive the uploads playlist ID (UU…) from the channel ID to paginate all videos efficiently.

5

Build Playlist Embeds

Embed an entire playlist: https://youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?list=PLAYLIST_ID. The player will auto-advance through all playlist videos. Combine with &loop=1 for continuous playback. Use the channel uploads playlist ID to embed all channel videos automatically.

❓ FAQ

YouTube ID Questions Answered

The most complete FAQ on YouTube identifiers for developers and creators.

What is a YouTube video ID and why is it 11 characters?

A YouTube video ID is a permanent 11-character identifier assigned at upload. YouTube uses Base64 URL encoding (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, -, _) giving 64^11 ≈ 73 trillion combinations — enough for every video for centuries. The ID appears after v= in watch URLs and never changes, even if the title, description, or thumbnail is updated.

How do I convert a YouTube @handle to a permanent channel ID?

Handles and channel IDs are different things. Handles can be changed by creators; UC… channel IDs cannot. To convert, call the YouTube Data API v3: channels.list?part=id&forHandle=@username&key=YOUR_KEY. This returns the permanent UC… channel ID. Cost: 1 quota unit. Always do this conversion before storing a channel reference in your database.

What URL formats does this YouTube ID Finder support?

All YouTube URL formats: standard watch?v=, short youtu.be/, /embed/, youtube-nocookie.com/embed/, /shorts/, /live/, channel /channel/UC…, handle /@username, legacy /c/ and /user/, and playlist list=PL…. We also handle URLs with extra parameters like timestamps (t=), share tracking (si=), and playlist context.

Are YouTube video IDs truly permanent?

Yes — for the lifetime of the video. Changing the title, description, tags, thumbnail, category, privacy setting, or monetization does NOT change the ID. The only ways an ID becomes invalid: the video owner deletes it, YouTube removes it for policy violations, or the channel is terminated. This permanence makes video IDs the safest reference to store in databases and applications.

Can I embed a YouTube video using just the video ID?

Yes. The embed URL is https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID. Full iframe example: <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>. Add parameters: ?autoplay=1&mute=1&loop=1&playlist=VIDEO_ID&controls=0&start=30. Use our Embed Code tab to configure all options visually.

What is the uploads playlist ID and how do I use it?

Every YouTube channel has a hidden uploads playlist containing all public videos. Derive its ID by replacing the first two characters of the channel ID: UC → UU. Example: channel UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw → uploads playlist UUuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw. Use with playlistItems.list at 1 quota unit per call — vs 100 units for search.list. Essential for building video libraries efficiently.

Can I extract multiple YouTube IDs at once?

Yes — use our Batch Extract tab. Paste one URL per line and all IDs are extracted simultaneously. Each result shows the ID type (video/channel/playlist), the extracted ID, and whether parsing succeeded. Click "Copy All IDs" to get all extracted IDs as a comma-separated list ready for bulk API calls.

How do I get YouTube thumbnails without an API key?

Use the direct image URL pattern: https://img.youtube.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/QUALITY.jpg. Available qualities: maxresdefault.jpg (1280×720, may 404), sddefault.jpg (640×480), hqdefault.jpg (480×360 — always available, best fallback), mqdefault.jpg (320×180), default.jpg (120×90). Our Single URL tab shows a live preview of all three main quality tiers when you extract a video ID.

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