YouTube Channel ID Finder
Paste a channel URL, an @handle, or any video link from the channel, and get the underlying UC… channel ID that APIs, RSS feeds, and moderation tools actually need.
Why channel IDs matter more than handles
A YouTube channel has two names: the handle you see (@somecreator) and a permanent identifier that starts with UC and never changes. Handles can be edited by their owner; the channel ID cannot. Anything that needs to reliably point at a channel a year from now — an RSS feed, an allowlist, a blocklist, an analytics integration — should store the ID.
This matters for giveaways specifically. If you block a channel by display name and that person renames themselves, your blocklist silently stops working. Blocking by channel ID survives every rename.
What you can paste
Channel URLs in every format YouTube has used: /channel/UC…, /@handle, /c/CustomName, and the legacy /user/Username form. Video links work too — the tool resolves the video, then reports the channel that uploaded it.
What to do with the ID
Paste it into the blocked-channels field of the comment picker to exclude someone from a draw. Feed it to the YouTube RSS endpoint to follow uploads without an API key. Or store it alongside your entrant exports so repeat winners stay identifiable across giveaways even if they change their handle.
Frequently asked questions
What is a YouTube channel ID?
A channel ID is the permanent identifier YouTube assigns to every channel. It always begins with UC and is 24 characters long. Unlike a handle or custom URL, the owner cannot change it, which makes it the only reliable way to reference a channel long-term.
How do I find my own channel ID?
Paste any link to your channel or to one of your videos into the box above. You can also find it in YouTube Studio under Settings, then Channel, then Advanced settings, where it is listed directly.
Why does a handle not work with the API?
Most YouTube API endpoints and RSS feeds accept only the UC-prefixed ID, because handles are mutable and can be reassigned. Resolving the handle to an ID once and storing that is the reliable pattern.