YouTube RSS Feed Scanner

Features

• Scan YouTube RSS feeds without the YouTube API
• Detect newly uploaded videos
• Parse channel and playlist feeds
• Lightweight and fast
• Works with:
  • Channel URLs
  • @handles
  • Channel IDs
  • Playlist URLs
• JSON output support
• Easy to self-host
• Perfect for:
  • RSS readers
  • Automation tools
  • Archiving workflows

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Why?

YouTube still provides RSS feeds for channels and playlists, making it possible to track uploads without using the official API.

This project makes it easy to:

• Convert YouTube URLs into RSS feeds
• Monitor channels for new uploads
• Build automation around YouTube content
• Avoid API quotas and API keys
• Integrate YouTube feeds into custom workflows

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Run Locally

Get the project running in just a few minutes.

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1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/DisabledAbel/YouTube-RSS-Feed-Scanner.git

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2. Enter the project folder

cd YouTube-RSS-Feed-Scanner

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3. Install dependencies

npm install

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4. Start the project

npm start

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/api/feed (POST)

Scan a YouTube channel

npm start "https://www.youtube.com/@LinusTechTips"

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/feed/<channel_url> (GET)

Get RSS feed via URL path

Access a YouTube channel's RSS feed by passing the channel URL in the path.

Important: The channel_url parameter must be URL-encoded (percent-encoded) to avoid 404 errors.

Example with encoding:

// URL-encode the full YouTube URL
const channelUrl = 'https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXuqSBlHAE6Xw-yeJA0Tunw';
const encodedUrl = encodeURIComponent(channelUrl);
// Result: https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUCXuqSBlHAE6Xw-yeJA0Tunw

// Use in request
fetch(`/feed/${encodedUrl}`)

Alternative (recommended): Use query parameters to avoid encoding issues:

/feed?channel_url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXuqSBlHAE6Xw-yeJA0Tunw

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Scan a playlist

npm start "https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxxxxxxxx"

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Output JSON

npm start --json

Include API endpoints in terminal output

python rss_scanner.py "https://www.youtube.com/@LinusTechTips" --include-api-endpoints --base-url "https://your-domain.com"

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Example RSS Feed

https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UCxxxxxxxx

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Example Output

{
  "title": "New Video Title",
  "videoId": "abc123",
  "published": "2026-05-11T12:00:00Z",
  "channel": "Example Channel"
}

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Use Cases

RSS Readers

Track uploads in:

• Feedly
• FreshRSS
• Miniflux
• NewsBlur

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Archiving

Monitor and archive newly uploaded videos automatically.

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Deployment

Vercel

Deploy instantly with Vercel.

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Contributing

Pull requests are welcome.

If you find a bug or want a feature added, open an issue.

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Disclaimer

This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube or Google.

Users are responsible for complying with YouTube’s Terms of Service.