How to Scrape YouTube Search Results with R

Extract search data from YouTube

📊 Using R

Overview

Learn how to scrape YouTube search results using R. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process, from setup to implementation.

What You'll Learn

• Setting up your development environment
• Installing the required HTTP client
• Authenticating with the ScrapeCreators API
• Making requests to YouTube
• Handling responses and errors
• Best practices for production use

What You'll Get

• Access to search results data
• JSON formatted responses
• Real-time data access
• Scalable solution
• Error handling patterns
• Performance optimization tips

Prerequisites

1. API Key

First, you'll need a ScrapeCreators API key to authenticate your requests.

2. Development Environment

Make sure you have the following installed:

• R and its dependencies
• A code editor (VS Code, Sublime, etc.)
• Basic understanding of API requests
• Command line interface access

Step 1: Install HTTP Client

httr is a user-friendly HTTP client for R

install.packages("httr")

Step 2: API Implementation

Now let's make a request to the YouTube API using R. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key.

library(httr)
library(jsonlite)

API_KEY <- "YOUR_API_KEY"
BASE_URL <- "https://api.scrapecreators.com"
ENDPOINT_PATH <- "/v1/youtube/search"

scrape <- function() {
  # Build query parameters
  params <- list(
    "query" = "example_value",
    "uploadDate" = "example_value",
    "sortBy" = "relevance",
    "filter" = "all",
    "continuationToken" = "4qmFsgKrCBIYVUNkRkpXVWE0M3NtUm00SXBIQnB",
    "includeExtras" = "false"
  )
  
  tryCatch({
    response <- GET(
      url = paste0(BASE_URL, ENDPOINT_PATH),
      add_headers(
        "x-api-key" = API_KEY,
        "Content-Type" = "application/json"
      ),
      query = params
    )
    
    if (status_code(response) == 200) {
      data <- fromJSON(rawToChar(response$content))
      cat("Response:
")
      print(data)
      return(data)
    } else {
      stop(paste("HTTP", status_code(response), ":", rawToChar(response$content)))
    }
  }, error = function(e) {
    cat("Error:", e$message, "
")
    return(NULL)
  })
}

# Usage
result <- scrape()

Step 3: Testing Your Code

API Parameters

This endpoint accepts the following parameters:

queryRequired(string)

Search query

uploadDateOptional(select)

Upload date

sortByOptional(select)

Sort by

Example: relevance

filterOptional(select)

Filter by these options. Note this doesn't work when you use either 'uploadDate' or 'sortBy'. It basically only works when you have a query.

Example: all

continuationTokenOptional(string)

Continuation token to get more videos. Get 'continuationToken' from previous response.

Example: 4qmFsgKrCBIYVUNkRkpXVWE0M3NtUm00SXBIQnB

includeExtrasOptional(string)

This will get you the like + comment count and the description. To get the full details of the video, use the /v1/youtube/video endpoint. *This will slow down the response slightly.*

Example: false

Run Your Code

Execute your script to test the API connection. You should see a JSON response with YouTube search results data.

✅ Success: You should receive a structured JSON response containing the requested data.

Expected Response

Here's an example of the JSON response you'll receive:

Sample Response

{
  "videos": [
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "BzSzwqb-OEE",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzSzwqb-OEE",
      "title": "NF - RUNNING (Audio)",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BzSzwqb-OEE/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLCasEKav1CLqeSSE2IYDqjGiIMBGw",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCoRR6OLuIZ2-5VxtnQIaN2w",
        "title": "NFrealmusic",
        "handle": "channel/UCoRR6OLuIZ2-5VxtnQIaN2w",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/J1_Si0TYNZ-991v09y8RpCh4_Z_ALwKmPgMYnJqjNhoglVtipf3oEN8LpzG1kS0qsv8Jptpmmg=s88-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "14,860,541 views",
      "viewCountInt": 14860541,
      "publishedTimeText": "2 years ago",
      "publishedTime": "2023-05-28T17:08:46.499Z",
      "lengthText": "4:14",
      "lengthSeconds": 254,
      "badges": []
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "-tLKoLN-dz4",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tLKoLN-dz4",
      "title": "Not Alone, Racing the High Lonesome 100",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-tLKoLN-dz4/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLD1ziOa9dTFWSL6lyK6m6eO_uZkJg",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCNKMpnM_Yvf6E-Hhf9btYqA",
        "title": "Jeff Pelletier",
        "handle": "JeffPelletier",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/YLRllcd7Q0iPYDIkJjXGEiOiJStz4KK7iepwcfTVK0yveHKqFSaLVzTvvZ0anO-SeUlXs1jNCIE=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "119,308 views",
      "viewCountInt": 119308,
      "publishedTimeText": "3 months ago",
      "publishedTime": "2025-02-28T18:08:46.499Z",
      "lengthText": "53:18",
      "lengthSeconds": 3198,
      "badges": [
        "4K",
        "CC"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "2LnqF4CziXY",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LnqF4CziXY",
      "title": "Base running blunder you've never seen costs the Braves a comeback vs. the Padres, a breakdown",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2LnqF4CziXY/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCOADEI4CSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLAKH3MD2Ehyuh7C0pK-RA_Whf0GAg",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCl9E4Zxa8CVr2LBLD0_TaNg",
        "title": "Jomboy Media",
        "handle": "JomboyMedia",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIdro_l3ee46SNWQDE3tpPXONvTIEN2ZFGF7DMRLSc4kPx1zhEQ=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "146,461 views",
      "viewCountInt": 146461,
      "publishedTimeText": "19 hours ago",
      "publishedTime": "2025-05-28T17:08:46.499Z",
      "lengthText": "4:56",
      "lengthSeconds": 296,
      "badges": [
        "New"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "v5ePUS8sspo",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5ePUS8sspo",
      "title": "Why We Run | Eric Floberg, Chapter 1",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v5ePUS8sspo/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLDcFW-Qb4HhP5NRcz4QQfx0-qzbVg",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCN9LezrPgYqJ_FsuculbCew",
        "title": "Path Projects",
        "handle": "pathprojects",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/2OgXxRXjngjCwkJvzxSP-LvTTHg8HZjcNvkyR50-owtvPJAS_8auaC2Swcy8OP_yweTh5kNM=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "38,271 views",
      "viewCountInt": 38271,
      "publishedTimeText": "2 weeks ago",
      "publishedTime": "2025-05-14T17:08:46.499Z",
      "lengthText": "7:09",
      "lengthSeconds": 429,
      "badges": [
        "4K"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "BQm9bvIbHWg",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQm9bvIbHWg",
      "title": "Shin Sonic - Running (official song)",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BQm9bvIbHWg/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLBCDQzMBzFlHO_MNmf_09RvctE1FA",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UC3KTMQwLhXp-e2PNHl4UqgQ",
        "title": "Horror Skunx 2",
        "handle": "HorrorSkunx2",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/DZcKI4hN0NjmeZUDJ0p89GplMV9TvI5p4sc-g8sOmvIAEsOhk1rZgEImleTIX1lm1XcGSoFjibw=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "33,016,214 views",
      "viewCountInt": 33016214,
      "publishedTimeText": "8 months ago",
      "publishedTime": "2024-09-28T17:08:46.499Z",
      "lengthText": "2:27",
      "lengthSeconds": 147,
      "badges": [
        "4K"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "ZzckdJQXTRw",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzckdJQXTRw",
      "title": "Nebraska Legislature running out of time with five days left in session",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZzckdJQXTRw/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLDWSuGN6sKLL_0zi0qW6dq9KUJJXw",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCczdiIilpYSmiF074WMCNiA",
        "title": "KETV NewsWatch 7",
        "handle": "KETV",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIdro_nbSThKRi-Oy5f4MwrLasU8ZKjmPwWQICJWL7Qoi39XxhE=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "131 views",
      "viewCountInt": 131,
      "publishedTimeText": "1 day ago",
      "publishedTime": "2025-05-27T17:08:46.499Z",
      "lengthText": "2:55",
      "lengthSeconds": 175,
      "badges": [
        "New",
        "CC"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "DQBCdbV2Enc",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQBCdbV2Enc",
      "title": "Virtual Running Videos For Treadmill With Music | Virtual Run Mountain",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DQBCdbV2Enc/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLDwizepUqaWsce-i6KKncGQ8gt4Mw",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCY95zbGK0vlAZ8Gk8OZqa1g",
        "title": "Virtual Running Videos",
        "handle": "virtualrunningvideo",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIdro_nSOB2OGNIDZ8-eSTUX-qGsioNIZQrIjzMhicCXxT_OWw4=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "1,549,036 views",
      "viewCountInt": 1549036,
      "publishedTimeText": "4 years ago",
      "publishedTime": "2021-05-28T17:08:46.499Z",
      "lengthText": "50:20",
      "lengthSeconds": 3020,
      "badges": [
        "4K"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "8Z1N-wfKq8Q",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z1N-wfKq8Q",
      "title": "Long Run Home | Wesley Kiptoo Documentary",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8Z1N-wfKq8Q/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLCdSHUqQUGg3qfvcvmgSfsa2w76EQ",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UC1aUDqQeH_3lPoilfa--Eaw",
        "title": "The Art of Documentary",
        "handle": "theartofdocumentary",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/Ihd0tsIyhuchHYwbva2RrqqgkWLdkxIRXBJT-TiXOUOo732C7kNAT77iIDy89uGjJOx_DKZcSA=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "733,315 views",
      "viewCountInt": 733315,
      "publishedTimeText": "1 year ago",
      "publishedTime": "2024-05-28T17:08:46.500Z",
      "lengthText": "22:22",
      "lengthSeconds": 1342,
      "badges": [
        "4K"
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "9DpejbEJ5Gs",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpejbEJ5Gs",
      "title": "Chiké & Simi – Running (To You) [Official Video]",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9DpejbEJ5Gs/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLBdg5rjuERQWjbbFyTu6RXIyxdwXQ",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCVXhwLsuNli6N8FElr7sNvQ",
        "title": "Chike",
        "handle": "channel/UCVXhwLsuNli6N8FElr7sNvQ",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ZapjSStUkuj7kGKoa-fNzhFMNFQsVCV6yF517qmp5VqQ6ozsVxsAEKiNa0dMfN3Vo-sGEuKj6oo=s88-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "85,803,087 views",
      "viewCountInt": 85803087,
      "publishedTimeText": "4 years ago",
      "publishedTime": "2021-05-28T17:08:46.500Z",
      "lengthText": "3:35",
      "lengthSeconds": 215,
      "badges": []
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "6l0Qp1GXY7w",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l0Qp1GXY7w",
      "title": "NF - RUNNING (Lyrics)",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6l0Qp1GXY7w/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLBWYszI_N1ezpehAw-Tv7BZDz5j8Q",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCcJZ-w0N3-Z2jnJ8UgoBclQ",
        "title": "SauceOnly",
        "handle": "SauceOnly",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/dy5MPezFhnDfpaf7loqoSTGAS9LuIo4EOs-ckW9FMGU15KlG7SFtvzFNVEcfH8DCBpHs8Hxe=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "2,117,140 views",
      "viewCountInt": 2117140,
      "publishedTimeText": "2 years ago",
      "publishedTime": "2023-05-28T17:08:46.500Z",
      "lengthText": "4:14",
      "lengthSeconds": 254,
      "badges": []
    },
    {
      "type": "video",
      "id": "K1QDYuHGa_I",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1QDYuHGa_I",
      "title": "David Goggins - How To Run Every Single Morning",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/K1QDYuHGa_I/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEnCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAxkIARUAAIhCGAHYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB&rs=AOn4CLAQQN7_MjBcgTLtPH3bi-5rvakK2g",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCIaH-gZIVC432YRjNVvnyCA",
        "title": "Chris Williamson",
        "handle": "ChrisWillx",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/ytc/AIdro_mmN30Y4ap7dtPfLw8Algolz_LGtHHpTJxa-qAw-MCQpdo=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "5,030,730 views",
      "viewCountInt": 5030730,
      "publishedTimeText": "2 years ago",
      "publishedTime": "2023-05-28T17:08:46.500Z",
      "lengthText": "11:23",
      "lengthSeconds": 683,
      "badges": [
        "4K"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "channels": [],
  "playlists": [],
  "shorts": [
    {
      "type": "short",
      "id": "uMNvF-lSCHg",
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMNvF-lSCHg",
      "title": "LONG RUN ROUTINE #run #runvlog #runner #shorts #morning",
      "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uMNvF-lSCHg/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwFBCNAFEJQDSFryq4qpAzMIARUAAIhCGADYAQHiAQoIGBACGAY4AUAB8AEB-AG2CIACgA-KAgwIABABGFsgXyhlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLA_P-5ExEn9EGLJDNeJedsxb3k1eQ",
      "channel": {
        "id": "UCGRdcRxpJWi5Q2oDCrMDUuQ",
        "title": "Abby and Ryan",
        "handle": "abbyandryan",
        "thumbnail": "https://yt3.ggpht.com/8UdUEesepx1Ry_rFUPJOJgndTCKno9VTkSysnuJpFjMj63N6av0pNwnqoiKh_7PN2dw7PGIp=s68-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj"
      },
      "viewCountText": "462,705 views",
      "viewCountInt": 462705,
      "publishedTimeText": "10 months ago",
      "publishedTime": "2024-07-28T17:08:46.498Z",
      "lengthText": "0:44",
      "lengthSeconds": 44,
      "badges": []
    }
  ],
  "shelves": [
    {
      "type": "shelf",
      "title": "Shorts",
      "items": [
        {
          "type": "short",
          "id": "LLBR5nO05tE",
          "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLBR5nO05tE",
          "title": "running through walls gone wrong",
          "thumbnail": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LLBR5nO05tE/oardefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEoCJUDENAFSFqQAgHyq4qpAxcIARUAAIhC2AEB4gEKCBgQAhgGOAFAAQ==&rs=AOn4CLCYYIIDmBllgkLP68AjVs25UpyevQ",
          "viewCountText": "750K",
          "viewCountInt": 750000
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lives": [],
  "continuationToken": "EooDEg..."
}

Verify Response Structure

Check that your response includes the expected fields:

✓videos(object)
✓channels(object)
✓playlists(object)
✓shorts(object)
✓shelves(object)
... and 2 more fields

Best Practices

Error Handling

Implement comprehensive error handling and retry logic for failed requests. Log errors properly for debugging.

Caching

Cache responses when possible to reduce API calls and improve performance. Consider data freshness requirements.

Security

Never expose your API key in client-side code. Use environment variables and secure key management practices.

Performance Tips

Batch Requests

When scraping multiple search results, consider batching requests to maximize throughput while staying within rate limits.

Async Processing

Use asynchronous processing in R to handle multiple requests concurrently and improve overall performance.

Common Use Cases

Market Research

Analyze YouTube search results to understand market trends, competitor analysis, and audience insights.

Content Analytics

Track performance metrics, engagement rates, and content trends across YouTube search results.

Lead Generation

Identify potential customers and business opportunities throughYouTube data analysis.

Troubleshooting

Common Errors

401 Unauthorized

Check your API key is correct and properly formatted in the x-api-key header.

402 Payment Required

You ran out of credits and need to buy more.

404 Not Found

The resource might not exist or be private.

500 Server Error

Temporary server issue. Implement retry logic with exponential backoff.

Need Help?

Documentation More Tutorials

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to scrape YouTube search results?

ScrapeCreators offers 100 free API calls to get started. After that, pricing starts at $10 for 5k requests with volume discounts available.

Is it legal to scrape YouTube data?

Scraping publicly available data is fair game, and we only collect public data. So anything that you can see in an incognito browser is what we collect.

How fast can I scrape YouTube search results?

There is no rate limit! So you can scrape as fast as you want!

What data format does the API return?

All API responses are returned in JSON format, making it easy to integrate with any programming language or application.

Can I use this with other R frameworks?

Yes! This tutorial focuses on core R HTTP concepts that work with any framework. The API calls remain the same regardless of your specific R setup.

How do I handle large datasets?

For large datasets, implement pagination, use streaming responses where available, and consider storing data in a database for efficient querying.

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