NEW
Tool Word Counter Blog Prompt Optimization: Solving the "Hallucination" Problem in AI Outputs Tool Readability Score Checker Blog How I Built a Free AI Carousel Generator (With The WebJSON Prompting Technique) Blog Agentic AI News 2026: Top 5 Autonomous Agents Shifting the Tech Industry Tool SEO Meta Tag Generator
Back to Free Tools

YouTube Channel ID Finder

Convert modern YouTube @handles back to their original raw UC... Channel IDs.

Why Do You Need a YouTube Channel ID?

In 2022, YouTube transitioned away from custom URLs (like /c/CreatorName) and introduced `@handles` for everyone. While handles are great for human readability, they completely broke thousands of backend integrations that rely on a static, immutable database ID.

Every YouTube channel is assigned a unique string starting with UC. Even if the creator changes their name or handle, this ID never changes.

Common Use Cases for the UC ID:

  • API Integrations: If you are building an app using the YouTube Data API v3, you cannot query channel statistics using a handle. The API strictly requires the UC channel ID.
  • RSS Feeds: Want to automatically tweet when a channel uploads? Or connect a channel to Discord or Zapier? You need to generate an RSS feed URL, which requires the raw ID.
  • Embedding Widgets: Most website builders (like WordPress or Webflow) that offer "YouTube Subscribe" widgets require the raw ID to function correctly.

How This Tool Works

This tool acts as a server-side scraper. When you paste a URL, our server visits the page, parses the underlying HTML source code, and locates the hidden itemprop="channelId" meta tag that YouTube embeds in the head of the document.

About the YouTube Channel ID Finder

This free YouTube channel ID finder converts any channel reference — a modern @handle, a legacy /c/ or /user/ custom URL, or even a video link — into the canonical channel ID that starts with UC.

You need that ID for the YouTube Data API, for building a channel RSS feed (feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UC…), for embedding an uploads playlist, and for most analytics and automation tools. Handles can change; the UC ID never does.

How to use it

  1. 1. Paste a channel handle, custom URL, or any video from the channel.
  2. 2. Run the finder.
  3. 3. Copy the UC… channel ID it returns.
  4. 4. Use it in your API request, RSS feed URL, or embed code.

Frequently asked questions

What does a YouTube channel ID look like?
It is 24 characters beginning with "UC", for example UCxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. It is permanent and unique to the channel.
How do I build a channel RSS feed from the ID?
Use https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UC… — replace UC… with the ID from this tool.
Why not just use the @handle?
Handles are human-friendly but can be changed by the owner and are not accepted by every API endpoint. The UC ID is the stable identifier.
Is this free?
Yes, free and no login required.

More free tools you might like

B-Roll Idea Generator Paste your script and instantly get a shot list of B-roll ideas to make your video more engaging and visual. Video Aspect Ratio Calculator Instantly calculate perfect video dimensions for 16:9, 9:16 Shorts, 4:3, or 1:1. Never stretch or distort your videos again. YouTube Shorts Safe Zone Viewer Preview your vertical videos under the YouTube Shorts UI overlay. Ensure your text and important graphics don't get covered by buttons. YouTube Tag Extractor — See Any Video's Hidden Tags Free Free YouTube tag extractor: paste a video URL to reveal the hidden keyword tags it uses, copy them, and reverse-engineer what is ranking in your niche. YouTube Thumbnail Downloader — Grab HD Thumbnails Free Free YouTube thumbnail downloader: paste any video URL and download its thumbnail in full HD (1280×720) plus SD and HQ sizes. No watermark, no sign-up. YouTube Timestamp Link Creator Instantly generate exact start-time short links for any YouTube video. Share specific moments with a click.

Looking for something else? Browse all free AI tools for bloggers or read the AiTooly blog.