YouTube video ID extractor
Extract a YouTube video ID from any URL
Share sheets, Studio, and “copy link” wrap the same 11 characters in junk. This page pulls the ID, the clean watch URL, and the title when oEmbed knows it.
How to find a YouTube video ID (every common link)
| Link type | Where the ID sits |
|---|---|
| Watch | v= in youtube.com/watch?v=ID |
| Share | Path of youtu.be/ID |
| Shorts | After /shorts/ |
| Embed | After /embed/ |
| Live | After /live/ |
| Music | v= on music.youtube.com |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw&t=12s&si=abc
→ ID: jNQXAC9IVRw
→ Clean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRwFull examples: find a YouTube video ID.
Why the video ID is the only stable handle
Titles change. Custom thumbnails change. The video ID does not. Thumbnail CDN paths, oEmbed, and Studio’s share box all key off those eleven characters. If you document a still in a design system, store the ID — not a 200-character mobile share URL with si=.
What is not a YouTube video ID
- Channel IDs start with
UCand are longer than 11 characters. - Handles like
@nameare not IDs. - Playlist IDs often start with
PL,UU, orLL.
If you paste a playlist URL with no v=, there is no still to fetch until you pick a video. This extractor reports a playlist ID when it sees one, but keys thumbnails off the video. Next: thumbnail URL generator or the link cleaner.
FAQ
YouTube video ID FAQ
How long is a YouTube video ID?
Eleven characters. Letters, numbers, underscore, and hyphen. It is not the channel ID (starts with UC) and not a playlist ID (often starts with PL or UU).
Where is the ID in a youtu.be link?
Immediately after the slash: youtu.be/jNQXAC9IVRw. Query flags after the ID are not part of it.
How do I find a YouTube video ID from a Shorts URL?
It sits after /shorts/. Example: youtube.com/shorts/jNQXAC9IVRw — the ID is jNQXAC9IVRw.
Can I extract a YouTube ID from an embed code?
Yes. youtube.com/embed/ID and youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ID both carry the same 11 characters. Paste the iframe src or the full page URL.
Is a playlist ID the same as a video ID?
No. Playlist IDs are longer and often start with PL, UU, or LL. This extractor reports a playlist ID when list= is present, but thumbnail files key off the video ID.
Why do I need the video ID to download a thumbnail?
Every i.ytimg.com path is /vi/{ID}/filename.jpg. Without the ID there is no still to fetch. Titles can change. The ID does not.