YouTube channel ID finder
Get the permanent UC… channel ID from an @handle, any channel URL or a video link. The channel's name and picture appear beside it, so you know it's the right one.
Works with @handle, youtube.com/@name, /channel/UC…, /c/, /user/ and any video or Shorts link.
4 steps, no signup
- 01
Copy any link
A channel link, an @handle, an old /c/ or /user/ URL, or a link to any video on the channel all work.
- 02
Paste it above
Paste it and press Find ID.
- 03
Check it's the right channel
The channel's name, handle and profile picture appear next to the ID, so you can confirm the match before you use it.
- 04
Copy what you need
Copy the channel ID, the permanent channel URL, the uploads playlist ID or the RSS feed URL.
Short answer: a YouTube channel ID is the 24-character code starting with UC that identifies a channel for good. To find one, paste the channel's @handle, its URL or a link to any of its videos into the box above. The tool returns the ID with the channel's name and picture so you can check it's the right one.
What this YouTube channel ID finder does
Every YouTube channel has a permanent ID: 24 characters starting with UC. Handles like @mkbhd are easier to read, but owners can change them, and old /c/ and /user/ URLs are a mess. The ID is what APIs, embeds, feed readers and ad tools actually need. The YouTube channel ID finder turns any link you have into that ID.
Most finders just print the ID. This one shows the channel's name, handle and profile picture beside it. Lookups from video links can quietly return the wrong channel (a re-upload, a clip channel), and a picture is the fastest way to catch that before the ID ends up in your code or your report.
What you get
| Value | Example | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Channel ID | UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA | YouTube Data API, embeds, tools that ask for an ID |
| Permanent URL | youtube.com/channel/UC… | Links that keep working if the handle changes |
| Handle | @MrBeast | Human-readable link and mentions |
| Uploads playlist ID | UUX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA | Listing every video via the API's playlistItems endpoint |
| RSS feed | youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UC… | Following a channel in any RSS reader, no account |
Which inputs work
| Input | Example | Works? |
|---|---|---|
| Handle | @mkbhd | Yes |
| Handle URL | youtube.com/@mkbhd | Yes |
| Channel ID URL | youtube.com/channel/UC… | Yes (it confirms the channel) |
| Legacy custom URL | youtube.com/c/name | Yes |
| Legacy username URL | youtube.com/user/name | Yes |
| Video or Short link | youtu.be/…, /shorts/… | Yes: returns the uploader's channel |
| Channel name only | Marques Brownlee | No: names aren't unique. Use the handle |
Finding a channel ID without a tool
- Your own channel: sign in, open YouTube → Settings → Advanced settings, and your channel ID is listed there (YouTube Help).
- Any channel, on desktop: open the channel, open the panel after its description (the "more" link); at the time of writing it has a Share channel → Copy channel ID option.
- From the page source: view source on the channel page and search for
channel_id=or"externalId".
The tool is faster when you have a video link, an old URL, or many channels to check.
Channel keywords
When a channel has set channel keywords (Studio → Settings → Channel → Basic info), the tool lists them under the ID. They work like tags for the whole channel and are invisible on YouTube itself. For a single video's tags, use the YouTube tag extractor.
A worked example
I pasted @mkbhd into the box. The tool showed Marques Brownlee's picture and name, the handle @mkbhd, and these values:
- Channel ID:
UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ - Permanent URL:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ - Uploads playlist ID:
UUBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ - RSS feed:
https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UCBJycsmduvYEL83R_U4JriQ
It also listed the channel keywords the owner set. Pasting a link to one of his videos gives the same ID, with an extra line naming the video it came from.
What it doesn't do
- It doesn't search by name. Two channels can share a display name, so the tool needs a handle, URL or video link.
- It doesn't show subscriber counts, views or revenue. For rough earnings, try the YouTube money calculator.
- It looks up one channel at a time. There's no bulk mode.
- The uploads playlist ID is derived, not fetched. It uses the UC→UU convention described in the FAQ. That has held for years but isn't documented by YouTube, so confirm it with the Data API if your code depends on it.
- Private videos can't be traced. The tool can't see who uploaded them.
Troubleshooting
- Wrong channel. You pasted a video uploaded by someone else. Paste the channel link or @handle instead.
- "No YouTube channel matches that link or @handle." The handle is misspelled, or the creator changed it and the old one now points nowhere.
- "That channel doesn't exist or has been terminated." The ID format was valid, but YouTube has no live channel behind it.
- "That doesn't look like a YouTube video or channel link." The input wasn't a YouTube URL, an 11-character video ID or an @handle.
- "This video is private, so its details aren't public." Ask the owner for their channel link instead.
- "YouTube didn't respond." YouTube was slow or blocked the request; wait a minute and try again. You'll also see this if you paste a playlist link, which the tool doesn't support. Open a video in the playlist and paste that link instead.
Related tools
Once you have the channel, you can pull a video's tags with the YouTube tag extractor, its full description with the description extractor, or the channel art with the YouTube banner downloader. The transcript downloader gets the captions from any of its videos.
Privacy
Your input goes to this site's server, which asks YouTube for the channel's public details and returns them. Nothing is stored or logged.
Last checked and updated: . Platforms change how they serve media; if this tool stops working for a link, it is usually fixed within days.
Frequently asked questions
What is a YouTube channel ID?
UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA. Handles and custom URLs can change; the channel ID never does.How do I find a YouTube channel ID?
Can I get a channel ID from a video link?
What's the difference between a channel ID and a handle?
Where do I need a channel ID?
What is the channel RSS feed URL?
youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id= followed by the ID. The tool builds it for you. Paste it into any RSS reader to follow the channel without an account.What is the uploads playlist ID?
channels.list (contentDetails.relatedPlaylists.uploads). Developers use it with the YouTube Data API's playlistItems endpoint to list a channel's videos.