Paste a video or channel URL to see every metadata field returned by the YouTube API — displayed in a clean key-value grid with JSON export.
YouTube stores dozens of data points per video and channel that never appear on the public watch page. Our Metadata Viewer fetches the complete API response and displays it in a readable key-value grid — with one-click JSON export for developers and SEO auditors.
Includes stats, privacy settings, licensing, topic categories, and the full tag array hidden from viewers.
Includes channel keywords, banner URL, creation date, country, and whether subscriber count is hidden.
YouTube is powered by metadata. Every search result, suggested video, and homepage recommendation starts with structured data — titles, tags, descriptions, categories, and engagement stats that the algorithm reads but viewers rarely see.
Competitor research, SEO audits, API development, and content verification all require access to this raw data. YouTube Studio shows metadata to video owners, but researchers analyzing competitor videos need an external tool that reads public API data.
Paste any video URL, channel URL, or @handle. We detect the resource type, fetch all available fields, and display them in a sortable grid. Click Copy JSON to export the complete response for your workflow.
Pull tags, description, category, and topic categories from top-ranking videos. Compare metadata strategies across 5–10 competitors to identify ranking patterns.
Developers prototyping YouTube integrations can inspect real API responses without writing code. Copy JSON directly into test fixtures and documentation.
Journalists and researchers verify video ownership, publish dates, and privacy status when citing YouTube content in reports or academic papers.
YouTube hides tags from the watch page, but they appear in API metadata. Extract competitor tags before using our Tag Finder for deeper analysis.
Brands evaluating influencer partnerships check channel keywords, country, creation date, and subscriber visibility before signing deals.
Creators debugging why a video isn't appearing in search can verify privacy_status, category_id, and topic_categories are set correctly.
tagsArray of creator-set keywords hidden from viewers. Critical for SEO analysis — use with Tag Finder and Keyword Finder for deeper insights.
topic_categoriesWikipedia-based topic categories YouTube assigns automatically. Reveals how the algorithm categorizes content (e.g., "/m/02jjt" = Entertainment).
privacy_statuspublic, unlisted, or private. Only public and unlisted videos are accessible via API without owner authentication.
category_idNumeric YouTube category (1=Film, 10=Music, 20=Gaming, 22=People & Blogs, etc.). Affects browse page placement and search filtering.
keywordsChannel-level SEO keywords set in YouTube Studio. Often overlooked but influences channel search ranking and suggested channels.
hidden_subscriber_countBoolean flag — true when the creator hides their subscriber count. Explains why Live Subscriber Count shows "Hidden".
Search YouTube for your target keyword. Copy URLs of the top 5 results.
Paste each URL into Metadata Viewer. Note tags, category_id, topic_categories, and description length.
Look for tags shared across multiple top videos. These are proven ranking signals for your niche.
Verify which category_id and topic_categories top videos use. Mismatch may hurt your video's discoverability.
Copy JSON for each competitor video. Build a spreadsheet comparing metadata fields side by side.
Apply findings to your own title, tags, description, and category. Audit with SEO Score Checker after publishing.
| Data Point | Metadata Viewer | YouTube Watch Page |
|---|---|---|
| Video tags | Full array visible | Hidden from viewers |
| Exact view count | Yes | Rounded (1.2M) |
| Category ID | Numeric ID shown | Not displayed |
| Topic categories | Wikipedia URLs | Not displayed |
| Privacy status | Exact value | Only if you own the video |
| License type | Standard or Creative Commons | Not shown publicly |
| JSON export | One-click copy | Not available |
Pro tip: Start with Metadata Viewer for raw data, then use Keyword Finder for scored keywords and Tag Finder for tag suggestions — three tools, one research workflow.
Free tools to grow, analyze, and monetize your YouTube channel.