Free tool
YouTube Channel ID Finder
Turn an @handle, a channel link or a video link into the channel's permanent UC ID. Copy it, plus the RSS feed and uploads playlist.
Links that already contain /channel/UC are read in your browser and never sent to us
Handle, custom URL, channel ID: which is which
A YouTube channel can be reached three ways. The @handle (youtube.com/@name) is the one people see and share, and the owner can change it. Older channels may also have a legacy custom URL under /c/ or /user/. Underneath both sits the channel ID, a 24-character code starting with UC, which never changes.
Anything that needs to keep working after a rebrand uses the ID: the YouTube Data API, analytics and embed tools, RSS feeds, and links you want to put in a contract or a sponsor brief.
How the finder resolves each kind of link
- A link with /channel/UC in it: the ID is already there, so it is read in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.
- An @handle or a /c/ or /user/ link: our server opens the public channel page once and reads the ID from it.
- A video, Shorts or youtu.be link: the server reads the video page to find which channel posted it.
Two more IDs you get for free
Every channel has an RSS feed of its latest uploads at a fixed address built from the ID, which any feed reader can follow without a YouTube account. And every channel’s uploads playlist uses the same ID with the first two letters changed from UC to UU. Both are shown with copy buttons.
More free YouTube tools
The YouTube subscriber count checker shows the same channel’s subscribers, total views and join date, and the live subscriber count keeps it refreshing. For a video, the tag extractor shows its hidden tags. For growing a channel, see the YouTube growth page or go straight to YouTube subscribers and views.
FAQ