PlaylistTime / Channel ID finder
YouTube channel ID finder: get the ID from a handle, video or link
Paste any YouTube link or @handle and get the channel ID that starts with UC, plus the handle, the uploads playlist ID and the RSS feed, each with a copy button.
This YouTube channel ID finder turns any link you have into the channel's permanent ID. Paste an @handle, a channel link, a video or Shorts link (you get the channel that uploaded it), a playlist link, an old /user/ name or a /c/ custom URL. You get the YouTube channel ID (the 24-character code that starts with UC), the handle, both channel URLs, the uploads playlist ID and the channel's RSS feed, each with a copy button.
The answer comes from YouTube's official Data API, not from scraping the page, so it is the same ID YouTube's own systems use. There is no sign-up and nothing you paste is stored.
What is a YouTube channel ID?
Every channel has one permanent identifier: a 24-character code that starts with UC, like UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA. It never changes, even when the channel changes its name or its handle, which is why other tools, embeds, RSS readers, ad platforms and the YouTube API ask for it. The channel ID is also part of the channel's oldest web address, youtube.com/channel/UC..., which keeps working forever.
The handle is the readable name starting with @, like @mrbeast. It is unique too, but the owner can change it, so links and integrations that must keep working use the ID.
How does the channel ID finder work?
It reads what kind of link you pasted and asks YouTube the cheapest exact question for it:
- @handle or youtube.com/@name: YouTube's channel lookup by handle.
- youtube.com/channel/UC...: the ID is already in the link; the tool confirms the channel exists and reads its details.
- Video or Shorts link: it looks up the video and takes the ID of the channel that uploaded it.
- Playlist link: it takes the channel that owns the playlist. An uploads playlist (it starts with
UU) maps straight to its channel. - youtube.com/user/name: YouTube's lookup by legacy username.
- youtube.com/c/name: see the next section.
Worked example
Pasting youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ (a Rick Astley music video) returns the channel ID UCuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw and the handle @rickastleyyt. Swap the UC at the start for UU and you have the uploads playlist, UUuAXFkgsw1L7xaCfnd5JJOw, which lists every public upload. Pasting youtube.com/user/PewDiePie returns UC-lHJZR3Gqxm24_Vd_AJ5Yw (checked 26 October 2026).
How to find a YouTube channel ID, step by step
1. Copy any link from the channel
On a computer, copy the address of the channel page, any of its videos or Shorts, or one of its playlists. In the YouTube app, tap Share, then Copy link. The @handle on its own works too.
2. Paste it above and press Find ID
The tool works out what kind of link it is and asks YouTube's official API for the channel behind it.
3. Copy what you need
Copy the channel ID, the handle, the channel URL, the uploads playlist or the RSS feed with its button, or Copy all for every line at once. Copy share link keeps the result in a link you can send.
How to find your own YouTube channel ID
YouTube shows your own IDs in your account settings:
- Sign in to YouTube on a computer.
- Click your profile picture in the top right, then Settings.
- In the left menu, choose Advanced settings. Your channel ID and your user ID are listed there with copy buttons.
YouTube's help page says only the channel's primary owner sees them there. Managers and editors can paste the channel's handle into the finder above instead.
How to find someone else's channel ID
- With this tool: paste their @handle, channel link or any of their video links. It works for every public channel.
- On the channel page (computer): open the channel, click ...more after the description, scroll to the bottom of the About panel, click Share channel, then Copy channel ID.
- From the address bar: if the address is
youtube.com/channel/UC..., the part after/channel/is the ID. Handle addresses (youtube.com/@name) do not show it.
How to find a YouTube channel ID on mobile (iPhone and Android)
The YouTube app does not show channel IDs. Open the channel or one of its videos, tap Share, then Copy link, and paste the link into the box above in your phone's browser. A video link from the app (youtu.be/...?si=...) works as it is.
Find the channel ID from a video, a Short or a playlist
Every video belongs to exactly one channel, so a video link is the most reliable way to identify a channel when you do not know its handle. Paste a watch?v=, youtu.be, /shorts/ or /live/ link. For a playlist, the owner of the playlist is returned, which may differ from the channels whose videos are in it. Mixes, Watch Later and Liked videos belong to no public channel, so they cannot be used.
YouTube channel ID vs user ID vs handle vs custom URL
| Name | Looks like | Can it change? |
|---|---|---|
| Channel ID | UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA | No, permanent |
| Handle | @mrbeast | Yes, by the owner |
| Legacy username | youtube.com/user/PewDiePie | Older channels only; the link still works |
| Custom URL | youtube.com/c/LinusTechTips | Existing ones still work; new ones can no longer be set up |
| User ID | Shown in Advanced settings | An account identifier shown only to the owner |
Can a /c/ custom URL be turned into a channel ID?
Usually, but not always, and we tell you when it fails. YouTube's API has no lookup for /c/ names. When handles arrived, most channels got a handle with the same name as their custom URL, and many old custom URLs equal the channel's legacy username. So the finder tries the name as a handle, then as a legacy username. For youtube.com/c/LinusTechTips the handle match gives UCXuqSBlHAE6Xw-yeJA0Tunw. If neither matches, the only way left would be YouTube search, which costs 100 times more of the daily API allowance than a lookup and can return the wrong channel, so the tool says so instead of guessing. Paste a link to one of the channel's videos and you get the exact answer.
YouTube channel RSS feed URL
Every channel has a public RSS feed at https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id= followed by its channel ID. Add it to any feed reader to follow a channel without an account. When we checked on 26 October 2026, the feed listed the channel's latest 15 uploads. A playlist feed works the same way with ?playlist_id=.
What is the uploads playlist ID?
Every channel has a hidden playlist of all its public uploads. Its ID is the channel ID with UC replaced by UU. Open it as a normal playlist (the tool gives you the link) to play a channel's videos in order, or paste it into the playlist length calculator to see how long they all take.
How accurate is it?
The ID, handle and uploads playlist come straight from YouTube's API, so they are exact. The tool cannot see private or terminated channels, and a /c/ URL that is neither a handle nor a username cannot be resolved without search (see above). A channel without a handle shows "No handle".
Sources
- YouTube Help: Find your YouTube user and channel IDs (steps in Advanced settings, checked 26 October 2026).
- YouTube Help: Understand your YouTube channel's URLs (handle, channel ID, custom and legacy username URLs).
- YouTube Data API: channels.list (lookups by handle, username and ID; page last updated 15 October 2026).
Why we built this YouTube channel ID finder
People ask for a channel ID when another tool demands it: an RSS reader, an embed, an analytics dashboard, an ad campaign. Most finders only accept one kind of link, and quietly fail on old /c/ addresses. Nitin Raja, who builds PlaylistTime, tested a lot of these pages before building this one: after testing out a lot of websites, he found what people need and what they do not, and built around that. So this page takes whatever link you have, explains where the answer came from, and says plainly when a link cannot be resolved.
What this finder reads
- The channel ID, title, handle, creation date and uploads playlist from YouTube's official Data API.
- For video and playlist links, the ID of the channel that owns them.
- The RSS feed and channel addresses are built from the ID in the documented format.
- What it does not do: it never uses YouTube search, never scrapes YouTube pages, and stores nothing you paste.
Why it is different
| This finder | Typical ID finders | |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | @handle, /channel/, /c/, /user/, video, Shorts, playlist | Often a channel link only |
| Outputs | ID, handle, both URLs, uploads playlist, RSS feed | The ID |
| Unresolvable /c/ links | Says so and suggests a video link | Often a wrong guess or an empty result |
| Data | Official YouTube Data API | Often scraped pages |
Questions
How do I find a YouTube channel ID?
Paste the channel's @handle, its link, or a link to any of its videos into the finder on this page and press Find ID. For your own channel, open YouTube Settings, then Advanced settings, where the channel ID is listed.
What does a YouTube channel ID look like?
It is 24 characters long and starts with UC, for example UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA. It is the part after /channel/ in a youtube.com/channel/ address.
Is the channel ID the same as the handle?
No. The handle is the readable @name, which the owner can change. The channel ID is a fixed code starting with UC that never changes, which is why other tools ask for it.
Can I find a channel ID from a video link?
Yes. Paste any watch, youtu.be, Shorts or live link and the finder returns the ID of the channel that uploaded the video.
How do I find a YouTube channel ID on my phone?
The YouTube app does not show it. Tap Share on the channel or one of its videos, choose Copy link, and paste the link into this page in your phone's browser.
Why can't a /c/ custom URL be found?
YouTube's API has no lookup for /c/ names. The finder tries the name as a handle and as a legacy username, which works for most channels. If neither matches, paste one of the channel's video links instead.
What is a YouTube channel's RSS feed?
It is https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id= followed by the channel ID. Feed readers use it to follow new uploads without an account.
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Built by Nitin Raja. Last updated 26 October 2026.