YouTube Channel ID Finder

Paste a channel link to pull out its 24-character channel ID, or follow the steps to copy the ID from any channel page.

Quick answer

A YouTube channel ID is a 24-character code that starts with UC. To find one, open the channel, go to About, choose Share channel and then Copy channel ID. If a link already contains /channel/UC…, paste it below and the tool extracts the ID.

YouTube link or ID

Paste a channel link or a UC… ID. Without one, the steps below show how to find it.

Copy it from a channel page

Open the channel’s page on YouTube in a browser.
Open the About section by selecting the channel description.
Choose Share channel, then Copy channel ID.

A channel ID starts with UC and is 24 characters long.

What is a YouTube channel ID?

A channel ID is the permanent identifier YouTube gives every channel. It starts with UC and is 24 characters long. Unlike a handle or a custom name, it stays the same when the channel is renamed.

Where do you need a channel ID?

YouTube Data API requests that ask for a channelId.
The uploads RSS feed: https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=ID
Embedding a channel’s uploads: change UC at the start of the ID to UU to get the uploads playlist ID.
Spreadsheets and analytics tools that track channels over time.

Channel ID or handle?

A handle such as @name is easy to read, but it can be changed. The channel ID does not change, so tools and integrations should store the ID.

How this tool works

Paste any link that contains /channel/UC… and the tool extracts the ID and builds the channel page and RSS feed links. A handle can only be turned into an ID by YouTube’s servers, so for handle links the page shows the steps to copy the ID from the channel itself. For a longer walkthrough, read how to find a YouTube channel ID.

Read the full guide: How to Find a YouTube Channel ID (3 Easy Ways)

How to use it

Step 1

Paste a /channel/ link or an ID that starts with UC.

Step 2

No ID in the link? Follow the three steps on the page to copy it from the channel.

Step 3

Copy the ID, the channel page link or the uploads feed link.

Questions about this tool

What is a channel ID?

A permanent identifier that starts with UC and is 24 characters long. It stays the same when a channel changes its name or handle.

Why can’t the tool turn an @handle into an ID?

A handle is a display address. Turning it into an ID needs a lookup on YouTube’s servers, so the page shows how to copy the ID from the channel instead.

What is the uploads feed for?

It is an RSS link that lists a channel’s latest uploads, which feed readers and automation tools can follow.

Is a channel ID the same as a video ID?

No. A channel ID starts with UC and has 24 characters. A video ID has 11 characters and appears after v= in a watch link.