YouTube channel ID finder
Find the channel ID (UC…) of any YouTube channel from its @handle or URL, plus its uploads playlist ID. Free, instant, no sign-up.
About the channel id finder tool
Paste a YouTube @handle, channel URL or custom URL to get the channel's permanent ID, the 24-character code starting with UC that every YouTube API call needs. You also get the uploads playlist ID (the channel ID with UC replaced by UU), which lists every video the channel has published.
Why you need the channel ID
Handles and custom URLs can change whenever the owner likes; the channel ID never does. The YouTube Data API, embed codes, RSS feeds (youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=…) and most analytics tools identify a channel by this ID, so it is the value to store.
Finding it by hand
On YouTube, open the channel, click About, then Share channel → Copy channel ID. This tool does the same lookup instantly from any handle or URL, and adds the uploads playlist ID, which you can't copy from the YouTube interface.
Frequently asked questions
What does a YouTube channel ID look like?
24 characters starting with UC, for example UC_x5XG1OV2P6uZZ5FSM9Ttw. Handles start with @ and can change; the ID is permanent.
What is the uploads playlist ID?
Every channel has a hidden playlist containing all its uploads. Its ID is the channel ID with the leading UC replaced by UU. Use it with the Playlist items endpoint to list every video of a channel.
Can I find a channel ID from a video URL?
Paste the channel's handle or URL. For a video, open the video, click the channel name under it, and paste that channel URL.
Can I look up channel IDs in bulk?
Yes. The Channels list endpoint takes forHandle or forUsername and returns the ID and statistics for 1 credit per call.
Get the data behind this tool
The same numbers, as JSON, for any number of accounts:
- Channels list · 1 credit