Live data

YouTube Channel ID Finder

Paste a YouTube channel URL or @handle to find its permanent channel ID — the 24-character code starting with UC. You also see the channel’s public subscriber count, video count, and lifetime views.

FreeNo signupInstant results

How to find a channel ID

Handle in, permanent ID out.

1Copy the channel’s @handle or its URL from YouTube.
2Paste it above and look up the channel.
3Copy the UC channel ID for your API key, embed, integration, or records.

What you get

The ID plus public channel stats

Permanent UC channel ID
Channel name and avatar
Public subscriber count
Public video count
Lifetime channel views

Accepts @handles, youtube.com/@handle links, /channel/ URLs, and older /c/ and /user/ custom URLs.

IDs never change

A channel can change its name and @handle, but its UC channel ID stays the same. That makes it the safest reference to store.

Why you need it

Channel IDs are used by the YouTube Data API, RSS feeds, analytics tools, embeds, and many third-party integrations.

Hidden counts

If a channel hides its subscriber count, the tool shows “Not public” rather than guessing.

Common questions

YouTube channel ID FAQ

What a channel ID is and how to find your own.

Sources

YouTube Help: Understand your channel’s URLs

What is a YouTube channel ID?

A channel ID is the permanent, unique identifier for a YouTube channel. It is 24 characters long and always starts with UC, for example UCxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

How do I find my own YouTube channel ID?

Paste your @handle into this tool, or open YouTube Studio settings and view the Advanced settings under Channel, where YouTube lists your channel ID.

Is a channel ID the same as a handle?

No. A handle is the @name people see and type, and it can be changed. The channel ID is a fixed code that stays the same for the life of the channel.

Can I get a channel RSS feed with the ID?

Yes. YouTube provides an RSS feed for public uploads at youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id= followed by the channel ID.

Go deeper on the channel

YouTube Channel Analytics YouTube Subscribe Link Generator

Channel ID guide

What a YouTube channel ID unlocks

Handles and custom URLs are made for people; channel IDs are made for software. This guide explains the different kinds of channel URLs, what you can build once you have a channel ID, how to find your own ID without a tool, and the mistakes that most often break integrations.

What kinds of YouTube channel URLs are there?

One channel can be reached through several addresses. YouTube treats handle URLs, custom URLs, and legacy username URLs as personalized URLs, while the channel URL built on the ID is the fixed one.

YouTube channel URL formats
Format	Example	Can it change?
Handle URL	youtube.com/@creatorname	Yes, when the owner changes the handle
Channel URL (ID-based)	youtube.com/channel/UC…	No, it is permanent
Custom URL	youtube.com/c/CreatorName	Older personalized format
Legacy username URL	youtube.com/user/creatorname	Oldest format, from early accounts

What can you do with a channel ID?

Common uses of a channel ID
Use	How the ID is used
New-upload feed	Add it to youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id= to follow uploads in an RSS reader
YouTube Data API	Look up a channel’s statistics, playlists, and uploads by its ID
Uploads playlist	Swap the leading UC for UU to get the playlist of the channel’s public uploads
Website embeds	Use that uploads playlist in a playlist embed to show a channel’s latest videos
Long-term records	Store the ID in spreadsheets and CRMs so links survive handle changes

How do you find your own channel ID without a tool?

Sign in to YouTube on a computer or a mobile browser.
Select your profile picture, then Settings.
Choose Advanced settings in the left menu to see your user ID and channel ID.

You must be signed in as the channel’s primary owner to see this page. For any other channel, paste its handle or URL into the finder at the top of this page.

Why do handles change while IDs stay the same?

A handle is a public name. It has to be unique, it is usually between 3 and 30 characters, and owners can update it when they rebrand. The channel ID is assigned when the channel is created and never changes, so anything built on the ID keeps working through every rename.

Which channel ID mistakes break integrations?

Using a video ID. Video IDs are 11 characters long and come from watch links, not channel pages.
Using the user ID from Advanced settings. It is a separate value; tools that ask for a channel ID need the one starting with UC.
Pasting a UU ID. IDs starting with UU belong to uploads playlists, not channels.
Copying extra characters. Trailing slashes, spaces, or tracking parameters can make an otherwise valid ID fail.