100% FREE - NO SIGN-UP

YouTube Video ID Extractor

Extract YouTube video IDs from any URL format. Supports bulk processing up to 50 links - Shorts, playlists, channels, and standard videos all at once.

Bulk: 50 URLs Videos + Shorts Playlists + Channels Download .txt
YouTube URLs (one per line, up to 50)
Supports all YouTube URL formats: watch, youtu.be, Shorts, playlists, channels, @handles, and embed URLs
Try:

Paste YouTube URLs above and click Extract IDs to get started.

youtube.com/watch?v=ID youtu.be/ID youtube.com/shorts/ID youtube.com/playlist?list=ID

How to Extract YouTube Video IDs

Get any YouTube ID in 3 simple steps.

01

Paste Your URLs

Paste one or multiple YouTube URLs, one per line. Supports all formats: videos, Shorts, playlists, channels, and @handles.

02

Click Extract IDs

The tool instantly parses all URLs, detects the type (video, Short, playlist, channel), and extracts the unique ID from each.

Instant
03

Copy or Download

Copy all IDs with one click, download as a .txt file, or get clean URLs without tracking parameters.

What Is a YouTube Video ID?

A YouTube video ID is a unique 11-character alphanumeric string that identifies every video on YouTube. It appears in the URL after v= or directly after youtu.be/. For example, in the URL https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ, the video ID is dQw4w9WgXcQ.

YouTube IDs use Base64 characters: uppercase letters (A-Z), lowercase letters (a-z), digits (0-9), hyphens (-), and underscores (_). This gives YouTube over 73 trillion possible unique IDs, ensuring every video ever uploaded has a permanent, unique identifier.

Video ID dQw4w9WgXcQ 11 characters
Shorts ID 7nosAJHwpRc 11 characters
Playlist ID PLrEnWoR732-BH... 34 characters
Channel ID UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA 24 characters (UC...)

How to Extract a YouTube Video ID (3 Ways)

  1. Use This Tool (Recommended)

    Paste your YouTube URL above and click Extract IDs. Works with all URL formats and supports batch processing of 50 URLs at once. No manual work needed.

  2. Extract Manually from the URL

    Look at the video URL in your browser. In youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ, the ID is everything after v= up to the next &. In youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ, it is the path after the slash.

  3. Find it on Mobile

    On mobile, tap Share on any YouTube video, then tap Copy Link. The copied URL contains the video ID. Paste it into our tool to extract just the ID.

Supported YouTube URL Formats

Our extractor recognizes every URL format YouTube has ever used:

URL Format Type Example ID
youtube.com/watch?v=ID Video dQw4w9WgXcQ
youtu.be/ID Video dQw4w9WgXcQ
youtube.com/shorts/ID Short 7nosAJHwpRc
youtube.com/embed/ID Video dQw4w9WgXcQ
youtube.com/live/ID Live jNQXAC9IVRw
youtube.com/playlist?list=ID Playlist PLrEnWoR732-BH...
youtube.com/channel/UC... Channel UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE...
youtube.com/@handle Channel @MrBeast

Why Do You Need a YouTube Video ID?

  • Embed videos on websites - The standard YouTube embed URL uses the video ID: youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID. Extract the ID to quickly build custom embed codes.
  • YouTube Data API - Most YouTube API v3 endpoints require the video ID to fetch metadata, statistics, captions, and more. Developers use this tool to batch-extract IDs for API calls.
  • Download thumbnails - YouTube thumbnail URLs follow the pattern img.youtube.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/maxresdefault.jpg. Extract the ID to generate thumbnail download links instantly.
  • Content management systems - CMS platforms, LMS tools, and course builders use video IDs to embed YouTube videos without full URLs or tracking parameters.
  • Analytics and tracking - Marketing platforms and analytics dashboards identify videos by their ID for consistent tracking across campaigns regardless of URL format changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are YouTube video IDs always 11 characters?

Yes, YouTube video IDs are always exactly 11 characters. They use a Base64 character set: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, hyphen (-), and underscore (_). This is consistent for both regular videos and Shorts. Playlist IDs start with PL and are typically 34 characters. Channel IDs start with UC and are 24 characters.

What is the difference between a video ID and a channel ID?

A video ID (11 characters, e.g., dQw4w9WgXcQ) uniquely identifies a single video or Short. A channel ID (24 characters starting with UC, e.g., UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA) identifies the channel that owns the videos. They serve different purposes in the YouTube Data API - video IDs retrieve video metadata, while channel IDs retrieve channel information and upload playlists.

Can I extract IDs from YouTube Shorts URLs?

Yes. YouTube Shorts use the format youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID and the video ID is still the standard 11-character alphanumeric code. Our extractor automatically detects Shorts URLs and labels them separately in the results panel under the Shorts tab, so you can filter them easily.

How do I use a YouTube video ID to embed a video?

Use this HTML snippet with the extracted video ID: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID" allowfullscreen></iframe>. Replace VIDEO_ID with the 11-character ID. You can also use our YouTube Embed Code Generator to create a fully customized embed code with additional parameters.

Can I extract multiple YouTube video IDs at once?

Yes. Our YouTube Video ID Extractor supports batch processing of up to 50 URLs simultaneously. Paste one URL per line in the text area, click Extract IDs, and see all results instantly organized by type (Videos, Shorts, Playlists, Channels). You can then copy all IDs to clipboard or download them as a .txt file.

What YouTube URL formats does this tool support?

The tool supports all current YouTube URL formats including: standard watch URLs (youtube.com/watch?v=ID), short URLs (youtu.be/ID), Shorts (youtube.com/shorts/ID), embed URLs (youtube.com/embed/ID), live stream URLs (youtube.com/live/ID), playlists (youtube.com/playlist?list=ID), channel URLs (youtube.com/channel/UC...), and @handles (youtube.com/@handle). It also strips tracking parameters like si=, utm_source, and fbclid.

More YouTube Tools

Channel ID Finder

Get any channel's UC ID

Thumbnail Downloader

Download HD thumbnails

Embed Code Generator

Custom embed codes

URL Cleaner

Remove tracking parameters

Need Custom YouTube Thumbnails?

Stand out in search results with professional thumbnails that maximize your CTR and attract more viewers to your videos.

Get Custom Thumbnails