YouTube URL Parser
YouTube URL Parser reads common YouTube URL formats and extracts the useful parts for debugging, sharing, docs, and analytics notes. It works with watch URLs, youtu.be links, playlist IDs, handles, and timestamps.
YouTube URL Parser
Extract video IDs, playlist IDs, channel handles, and timestamps from YouTube URLs. Everything runs locally in this tab.
Video ID: dQw4w9WgXcQ Playlist ID: Not found Channel handle: Not found Timestamp: 43s Host: youtube.com
Frequently asked questions
Is YouTube URL Parser free to use?
Yes. The tool is free and runs directly in your browser with no account required.
Does this tool access social media accounts or download media?
No. It only processes text or URLs you paste into the browser. It does not log in, scrape, or download third-party content.
What is this tool best for?
It is best for pulling the video ID, playlist ID, channel handle, and timestamp out of a messy YouTube link in one step, instead of reading the query string by eye.
Which YouTube URL formats does it understand?
Standard watch URLs (youtube.com/watch?v=...), shortened youtu.be/ links, URLs with a list= playlist parameter, channel handle paths (/@name), and t= or start= timestamp parameters.
What happens if I paste an invalid or non-YouTube URL?
The tool reports 'Invalid YouTube URL' if the text can't be parsed as a URL at all. If it's a valid URL but missing certain parts (like no playlist), those fields show 'Not found' instead of guessing.
Can it extract the video ID from a Shorts URL?
It parses the video ID from the v= query parameter or from a youtu.be/ path. A youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID path is not one of the patterns it checks, so the video ID field will show 'Not found' for Shorts links.
Does it resolve channel handles or video IDs to actual channel/video data?
No. It only extracts the handle or ID text that's already present in the URL — it does not call the YouTube API to look up the channel name, video title, or any other metadata.
Why does the timestamp field sometimes show a value like '43s' instead of seconds?
It reads the raw t= or start= parameter exactly as it appears in the URL. YouTube sometimes writes this as a plain integer (seconds) and sometimes as a string like 1m30s — the tool doesn't normalize the format, it passes through what's in the link.