# YouTube Channel

> Get channel details, metrics, and latest videos for a YouTube channel using the youtube138 RapidAPI.

Source: https://cotera.co/docs/reference/tools/individual-tools/youtube-channel

---

**Authentication Type:** API Key\
**Description:** Get channel details, metrics, and latest videos for a YouTube channel. Returns subscriber count, view count, verification status, avatar/banner thumbnails, channel tabs, and a summary of the latest uploaded videos.

***

## Authentication

To authenticate, provide a RapidAPI key for the [youtube138 API](https://rapidapi.com/ytjar/api/youtube138).

**Note:** Sign up for a RapidAPI account and subscribe to the youtube138 API to obtain your key.

***

## Channel Operations

Retrieve details and metrics for a YouTube channel.

### Get Channel Details

Fetch details, metrics, and latest video summaries for a YouTube channel by channel ID or URL.

**Operation Type:** Query (Read)

**Parameters:**

* **channelId** `string` (required): The YouTube channel ID (e.g., `UCxxxxxx`) or a channel URL containing `/channel/<id>` — the ID is automatically extracted from URLs in the format `https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxxxxxx`
* **hl** `string` (optional, default: `"en"`): Language/locale code for the response (e.g., `"en"`, `"fr"`, `"de"`)

**Returns:**

* **channelId** `string`: The YouTube channel ID
* **title** `string`: Channel name
* **description** `string`: Channel description text
* **customUrl** `string | null`: Channel custom URL handle (e.g., `@channelname`) if set
* **country** `string | null`: Country code for the channel
* **subscribersCount** `number | null`: Subscriber count
* **subscribersCountText** `string | null`: Human-readable subscriber count (e.g., `"1.2M subscribers"`)
* **videosCount** `number | null`: Total number of uploaded videos
* **viewCount** `string | null`: Total channel view count
* **joinedDate** `string | null`: Date the channel joined YouTube (e.g., `"Joined Jan 1, 2020"`)
* **isVerified** `boolean`: Whether the channel has a verification badge
* **isFamilySafe** `boolean`: Whether the channel is marked as family-safe
* **avatar** `array of objects`: Channel avatar thumbnails — each with `url`, `width`, `height`
* **banner** `array of objects`: Channel banner image thumbnails — each with `url`, `width`, `height`
* **tabs** `string[]`: List of channel tab names visible on the channel page
* **latestVideos** `array of objects`: Summary of the latest uploaded videos:
  * **videoId** `string`: YouTube video ID
  * **title** `string`: Video title
  * **url** `string`: Full YouTube watch URL (`https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<videoId>`)
  * **thumbnails** `array`: Video thumbnail images — each with `url`, `width`, `height`
  * **viewCount** `string | null`: View count text
  * **publishedTimeText** `string | null`: Relative publish time (e.g., `"3 days ago"`)
  * **lengthSeconds** `number | null`: Video duration in seconds
  * **isLive** `boolean`: Whether the video is a live stream
  * **isUpcoming** `boolean`: Whether the video is an upcoming premiere
  * **isPremium** `boolean`: Whether the video requires YouTube Premium

**Example Usage:**

```json
{
  "channelId": "UCVHFbw7woebKtKXqoVOXVhg",
  "hl": "en"
}
```

You can also pass a full channel URL:

```json
{
  "channelId": "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVHFbw7woebKtKXqoVOXVhg",
  "hl": "en"
}
```

***

## Common Use Cases

**Channel Research:**

* Look up subscriber counts and total views for competitor or partner channels
* Check channel verification status and country of origin
* Retrieve channel avatars and banners for display in dashboards

**Content Analysis:**

* Survey the latest video titles, durations, and view counts for trend monitoring
* Identify live streams or upcoming premieres on a channel
* Compare video publishing cadence across multiple channels

**Enrichment Pipelines:**

* Enrich a list of channel IDs with metadata for reporting or CRM updates
* Aggregate channel-level metrics alongside transcript or comment data