YouTube video metadata scraper in n8n
Get full metadata for any YouTube video or Short: channel info, chapters, endscreen elements, caption track list, related videos and comments, from a URL or video ID.
What this workflow does
Import it and n8n runs the YouTube Video Metadata & Chapter Extractor Actor on Apify every day at 08:00 with the starter input below. Each row comes back with video id, url, title, channel and 56 more; repeats with the same url are dropped. A Google Sheets append is included and stays off until you add your sheet. The only credential it needs is your Apify API token.
Read from the workflow file, built for YouTube Video Metadata & Chapter Extractor version 1.0.2. Updated 2026-11-14.How the rows travel
6 nodes, in the order n8n runs them. The yellow stop is the call to the Apify Actor; the dashed stop is optional.
- Daily trigger Schedule trigger
- Configure input Code
- Run Apify Actor HTTP Request
- Normalize + dedupe Code
- Rows ready No operation
- Google Sheets (optional) Google Sheets, off until you switch it on
Input
The Configure input node holds the starter input. Change it there; every setting the Actor accepts is listed below.
{
"videoUrls": [
"jNQXAC9IVRw",
"dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"M7lc1UVf-VE"
],
"includeEndscreen": false,
"includeTranscript": false
}| Setting | Type | Required | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| videoUrls | array | Yes | – | YouTube watch, youtu.be, Shorts, embed or live links, or 11-character video IDs. Duplicates are removed. |
| maxComments | integer | No | 0 | Maximum comment texts to collect per video. Set to 0 to skip comments. The display comment count is extracted separately. |
| includeChapters | boolean | No | true | Extract manual and automatic chapters with title, start, end and source. |
| includeHeatmap | boolean | No | false | Add the Most replayed heatmap segments and labels when YouTube provides them. |
| includeEndscreen | boolean | No | true | Extract endscreen elements shown at the end of the video. |
| includeCards | boolean | No | false | Extract interactive info cards embedded in the video. |
| includeTranscriptMetadata | boolean | No | true | List available caption tracks with language and manual or auto-generated status. |
| includeTranscript | boolean | No | true | Download the transcript when a caption track is available. Adds one request per video. |
| includeRelatedVideos | integer | No | 0 | Number of related videos to extract from the watch page sidebar. 0 skips them. |
What each row holds
Every field the Actor returns stays in the row (60 in its dataset schema). Normalize + dedupe trims text, drops empty fields, removes repeats with the same url and adds _source and _scrapedAt. The main fields:
| Field | What it is |
|---|---|
| videoId | Video ID |
| url | URL |
| title | Title |
| channelName | Channel |
| viewCount | Views |
| likeCount | Likes |
| commentCount | Comments |
| durationSeconds | Duration (s) |
| publishedDate | Published |
| publishedAt | Published at |
| category | Category |
| playabilityStatus | Playability Status |
| isPlayable | Is Playable |
| isAgeGated | Age Gated |
| commentsDisabled | Comments Disabled |
| success | Success |
What the first run costs
Each run starts at $0.40 on the Free plan (4 GB of memory), then $0.99 per 1,000 results, plus platform usage.
The Actor lists $0.99 per 1,000 results; its catalogue page breaks the price down by Apify plan. The Apify Free plan includes $5 of usage a month.
The Actor behind it
YouTube Video Metadata & Chapter Extractor: Get full metadata for any YouTube video or Short: channel info, chapters, endscreen elements, caption track list, related videos and comments, from a URL or video ID.
The same job from an AI agent
The matching agent skill gives Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other agents the same Actor, input and fields. Install it in one line:
npx skills add https://scraperfinder.com --skill youtube-video-metadata-and-chapter-extractor The youTube video metadata scraper skill, with manual install and run steps
Questions people ask
How do I import this workflow into n8n?
Copy https://scraperfinder.com/n8n/youtube-video-metadata-and-chapter-extractor.json. In n8n, open a new workflow, click the three-dot menu, choose Import from URL and paste it. Or download the JSON file and use Import from File; both give the same 6 nodes.
Do I need an Apify account?
Yes. The workflow calls the YouTube Video Metadata & Chapter Extractor Actor through the Apify API with your own token, and each run is billed to your Apify account. The Free plan includes $5 of usage a month.
What does a run cost?
Each run starts at $0.40 on the Free plan (4 GB of memory), then $0.99 per 1,000 results, plus platform usage. The Actor's Store page shows the current price.
Can I change what it collects?
Yes: edit the input object in the Configure input node. The Actor takes 9 settings; the table on this page lists each one with its default. Raise maxComments once the first rows look right.
Does it work without Google Sheets?
Yes. The rows wait in the Rows ready node, so you can connect any other node there: a database, Airtable, a webhook or an email. The Google Sheets node is only one option.