AM Every YouTube channel has a permanent ID, a 24-character code that starts with UC. Handles and channel names can change, but the ID never does, which is why the YouTube Data API, feed readers, ad platforms and automation tools ask for it. This finder turns a channel URL, an @handle or a video link into that ID, and builds the other values you usually need next: the RSS feed, the uploads playlist and a subscribe link.
You get 20 free lookups per day, and results are cached for 12 hours, so checking the same channel again does not use another lookup. No sign-in is needed, and the channel owner is not notified.
How to use the YouTube Channel ID Finder
- Copy a link. A channel page, an @handle, or any video or Short the channel uploaded all work.
- Paste it into the box above. A full YouTube link starts the lookup as soon as you paste it. For a typed handle, press Enter or click Find channel ID.
- Check the channel name in the result before you copy anything, especially if you typed a handle from memory.
- Copy the value you need. Each row has its own Copy button.
If your link already contains the ID (a /channel/UC... URL, or the bare ID), the tool reads it straight from the text without a lookup and marks it "Read from the link". Press Confirm the channel name if you want to make sure the ID belongs to the channel you expect. That uses one lookup.
What you get
| Result | Example | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Channel ID | UCxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | The YouTube Data API, analytics tools, ad placement lists |
| Channel name and handle | My Channel, @mychannel | Confirming you found the right channel |
| RSS feed URL | youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UC... | Feed readers and automations that post new uploads |
| Channel URL | youtube.com/channel/UC... | A link that keeps working if the handle changes |
| Uploads playlist | UU... (the ID with UC changed to UU) | Embedding or listing every public upload |
| Subscribe link | .../channel/UC...?sub_confirmation=1 | A link that opens a subscribe prompt |
Which inputs work
- Handle URL or handle:
youtube.com/@channelnameor just@channelname. - Channel ID URL:
youtube.com/channel/UC..., answered instantly. - Legacy URLs:
youtube.com/c/Nameandyoutube.com/user/Name, followed to the current channel. - Video links:
watch?v=,youtu.be/,/shorts/,/live/and/embed/links. The result is the channel that uploaded the video.
The tool reads the same public page any visitor sees. Private, deleted and region-blocked videos cannot be resolved, and a handle that does not exist returns no result.
Worked examples
Following a competitor without the YouTube home page
A Shopify store owner selling camping gear wants to see every new upload from three review channels. She pastes each @handle, copies the three RSS feed URLs and adds them to a feed reader. New videos now appear in one list, in the order they were published, with no recommendations mixed in. The feed shows the most recent 15 uploads, so she checks it weekly.
Posting new uploads to Discord automatically
A gaming creator wants his Discord server told whenever he uploads. He pastes one of his own video links, copies the RSS feed URL, and uses it as the trigger in an automation tool such as Zapier, Make or IFTTT. Because the feed uses the channel ID, the automation keeps working even if he changes his handle next year.
An embed that always shows the latest video
A church or school site wants its homepage player to show the newest service or lesson. Copy the uploads playlist ID (the UU version), then paste youtube.com/playlist?list= plus that ID into the YouTube embed code generator. The player then plays the channel's uploads in order, starting with the latest.
Channel ID, handle, custom URL and user ID
- Channel ID (
UCplus 22 characters): permanent, unique and used by the YouTube Data API. This is what most tools mean by "channel ID". - Handle (
@name): unique and human-friendly, but the owner can change it twice in any 14-day period, so links built on it can break. - Custom URL (
/c/Name) and legacy username (/user/Name): older formats that YouTube now redirects to the channel. - User ID: a separate value shown next to the channel ID in your account's advanced settings. Most tools do not need it, so check which one a tool asks for.
Tip: Save links with the channel ID rather than the handle in anything long-lived, such as API scripts, ad placement lists or old blog posts. If the owner changes the handle, the ID link still works.
Channel ID vs video ID vs playlist ID
YouTube uses a different code for each kind of object, and tools often ask for one specific kind. You can tell them apart by length and prefix.
| ID | Format | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Channel ID | 24 characters starting with UC | youtube.com/channel/UC... |
| Uploads playlist ID | 24 characters starting with UU | Built from the channel ID |
| Video ID | 11 characters | watch?v=, youtu.be/ and /shorts/ links |
| Playlist ID | Usually starts with PL, after list= | Playlist links |
A developer who wants the latest 50 videos from a channel would call the Data API's playlistItems endpoint with playlistId set to the UU version of the channel ID, rather than running a search, because a playlist request costs far fewer API quota units than a search request. The finder gives you that UU value ready to copy.
Who needs a channel ID
- Developers calling the YouTube Data API. Requests such as
channels.listandsearch.listtake achannelId, and the uploads playlist ID feedsplaylistItems.list. - Advertisers and agencies building placement or exclusion lists in Google Ads. Channel URLs with the ID are unambiguous.
- Creators connecting their channel to third-party dashboards, subscriber counters or sponsorship platforms.
- Website owners and marketers who want feeds, embeds or a subscribe link on a site or in an email.
- Researchers and students collecting data on a list of channels, where names are not unique but IDs are.
How to find your own channel ID in YouTube
If you own the channel, YouTube shows the ID in your settings, as described in its help article on channel IDs.
- Sign in to YouTube.
- Click your profile picture in the top right, then Settings.
- In the left menu, click Advanced settings.
- Copy the Channel ID. The user ID is shown next to it.
Managers and editors of a brand channel may not see that page. The finder above works for anyone, because it only needs a public link.
Troubleshooting
- "That does not look like a YouTube link or handle." Check for typos, or paste the full channel URL instead of a name. Channel names with spaces are not handles.
- "YouTube did not share the details for that link." The video may be private, age-restricted or removed, or the handle does not exist. Try a different public video from the same channel.
- The wrong channel came back. A handle typo can land on a different, real channel, and a video link returns the uploader, not the channel that shared it with you.
- A brand has several channels. Each one has its own ID. Look them up separately.
- "You have used today's free checks." The free limit resets daily. Links containing the ID still work without a lookup.
Privacy and limits
Lookups read public YouTube pages only. We keep a short-lived cache of the result so repeated checks are fast, and we do not store who looked up which channel. The tool cannot reveal private information such as an owner's email or a hidden subscriber count.
Research you can do with channel IDs
Channel IDs are the starting point for tracking competitors. Pull their feeds into one reader to see what they publish and how often. Paste their best videos into the YouTube tag extractor to see which phrases they target, and save thumbnails with the YouTube thumbnail downloader to study their style. When you want to turn that research into your own plan, YouTube Studio in AM Jarvis extracts competitor tags and groups real YouTube search suggestions into video topic clusters.