How to find a video ID
Any link format, one clean ID.
- 1Copy a YouTube video link from the address bar, share menu, or embed code.
- 2Paste it above to extract the video ID.
- 3Copy the ID or any of the rebuilt clean links.
All links
YouTube Video ID Finder
Paste any YouTube link — watch, Shorts, youtu.be, live, or embed — to extract its 11-character video ID. You also get a clean watch link, short link, embed URL, and HD thumbnail URL.
FreeNo signupInstant results
What you get
The ID and four clean links
- 11-character video ID
- Standard watch link
- youtu.be short link
- Embed URL
- Max-resolution thumbnail URL
Tracking parameters like si=, feature=, and pp= are dropped, so the rebuilt links are clean to share.
Every link format
Works with youtube.com/watch?v=, youtu.be/, /shorts/, /live/, /embed/, mobile m.youtube.com links, and youtube-nocookie.com.
Runs in your browser
The ID is read directly from the link on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.
Built for developers
Video IDs are what the YouTube Data API, embed players, and thumbnail URLs need.
Common questions
YouTube video ID FAQ
Where the ID lives in each link format.
What is a YouTube video ID?
A video ID is the unique 11-character code YouTube assigns to every video and Short. It uses letters, numbers, dashes, and underscores, such as dQw4w9WgXcQ.
Where is the video ID in a YouTube URL?
In a watch link it follows v=. In youtu.be links it comes right after the slash. In Shorts, live, and embed links it follows /shorts/, /live/, or /embed/.
Do Shorts have video IDs?
Yes. Shorts use the same 11-character IDs as regular videos. A Short can also be opened with youtube.com/watch?v= and the same ID.
Can a video ID change?
No. A video keeps the same ID for as long as it exists, even if the title, thumbnail, or visibility changes.
Video ID guide
Reading YouTube video IDs in any link
Every YouTube video and Short has an 11-character ID, but each link format tucks it into a different place. This guide maps the ID in every common link, shows what you can build from it, explains the extra parameters links pick up, and tells video IDs apart from the other IDs YouTube uses.
Where is the video ID in each kind of YouTube link?
| Link type | Example | Where the ID is |
|---|---|---|
| Watch page | youtube.com/watch?v=aBcDeFgHiJk | After v= |
| Short link | youtu.be/aBcDeFgHiJk | Right after the slash |
| Shorts | youtube.com/shorts/aBcDeFgHiJk | After /shorts/ |
| Live stream | youtube.com/live/aBcDeFgHiJk | After /live/ |
| Embed | youtube.com/embed/aBcDeFgHiJk | After /embed/ |
| Privacy-enhanced embed | youtube-nocookie.com/embed/aBcDeFgHiJk | After /embed/ |
| Mobile site | m.youtube.com/watch?v=aBcDeFgHiJk | After v= |
What can you build from a video ID?
| What | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Clean watch link | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID |
| Short share link | https://youtu.be/ID |
| Link that starts at 1:30 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID&t=90s |
| Embed address | https://www.youtube.com/embed/ID |
| HD thumbnail | https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ID/maxresdefault.jpg |
| Standard thumbnail | https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ID/hqdefault.jpg |
What are the extra parameters in YouTube links?
| Parameter | Meaning | Needed to play the video? |
|---|---|---|
| v | The video ID on watch pages | Yes |
| t | Start time, such as t=90s or t=1m30s | No |
| list | The playlist the video is being played from | No |
| index | The video’s position in that playlist | No |
| si | A tracking value added by the share button | No |
| feature, pp | Labels YouTube adds about where a link came from | No |
The finder ignores everything except the ID, so the links it rebuilds are clean and safe to share.
How do video IDs differ from other YouTube IDs?
| Identifier | Looks like | Points to |
|---|---|---|
| Video ID | 11 characters, such as aBcDeFgHiJk | One video or Short |
| Channel ID | 24 characters starting with UC | A channel |
| Playlist ID | Often starts with PL (creator playlists) or UU (uploads) | A playlist |
| Handle | @ followed by a unique name | A channel’s public address |
How do you find a video ID on your phone?
- Open the video or Short in the YouTube app and tap Share.
- Choose Copy link. The app copies a youtu.be link for regular videos or a youtube.com/shorts/ link for Shorts, usually with a tracking value on the end.
- Paste the link into the finder above, or read the ID yourself: it is the 11 characters straight after youtu.be/ or /shorts/ and before any question mark.
In a mobile browser, the address bar shows the full watch link instead, and the ID follows v= just as it does on a computer.
What trips people up with video IDs?
- IDs are case-sensitive, so changing a single capital letter points to a different video, or to nothing.
- Dashes and underscores are valid characters; removing them breaks the ID.
- A link copied from inside a playlist holds two IDs: the video after v= and the playlist after list=.
- Spaces or line breaks pasted along with the ID make it invalid in most tools and APIs.
Keep moving
Related creator tools
Live data
YouTube Channel ID Finder
Resolve any handle or channel URL to its permanent UC channel ID.
Open tool Full reportYouTube Channel Analytics
See a public channel report with uploads, views, and earnings estimates.
Open tool YPP checkYouTube Monetization Checker
Estimate whether a public channel is likely monetized using visible channel signals.
Open tool