apidojo-io Analyzing Youtube Competitor Channel Strategy
Executes analyzing youtube competitor channel strategy using apidojo scrapers. Part of the apidojo intelligence skills library.
Prerequisites
APIFY_TOKENenvironment variable set- Optional: Apify MCP server installed
Inputs
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
startUrls |
array | Optional | [] |
YouTube URLs — channels, playlists, Shorts, search results |
youtubeHandles |
array | Optional | [] |
YouTube channel handles (e.g. @kurzgesagt) |
getTrending |
boolean | Optional | false |
Retrieve trending videos |
keywords |
array | Optional | [] |
Search keywords |
gl |
string | Optional | us |
Country code for results (e.g. US, GB) |
hl |
string | Optional | en |
Language code (e.g. en, de) |
uploadDate |
string | Optional | all |
Upload date filter: any, hour, today, week, month, year |
duration |
string | Optional | all |
Duration filter: any, short, long |
features |
string | Optional | all |
Feature filter: 4k, hd, live, cc, 3d, hdr, etc. |
sort |
string | Optional | r |
Sort order for search results |
maxItems |
number | Optional | Unlimited | Maximum videos to return |
customMapFunction |
string | Optional | — | JavaScript function to transform each output object |
Workflow
Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Define parameters
- [ ] Step 2: Run youtube-scraper
- [ ] Step 3: Filter and classify results
- [ ] Step 4: Score by quality and relevance
- [ ] Step 5: Deliver output
Step 2: Run the Actor
Recommended — run_actor.js (handles waiting, output, and file saving automatically):
# Quick answer (prints table to chat)
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~youtube-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}'
# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~youtube-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_results.csv --format csv
# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "apidojo~youtube-scraper" \
--input '{"param": "value"}' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_results.json --format json
APIFY_TOKENmust be set in environment or.envfile.
If Apify MCP is available:
Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~youtube-scraper"
Input:
{
"searchTerms": "https://www.youtube.com/@[COMPETITOR_CHANNEL]",
"maxItems": 100
}
REST API fallback:
curl -X POST \
"https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~youtube-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"searchTerms": "https://www.youtube.com/@[COMPETITOR_CHANNEL]", "maxItems": 100}'
Wait for SUCCEEDED. Fetch dataset:
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID/dataset/items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN"
Step 3: Classify Results
classification: GROWING (view rate > 20%) | HEALTHY (10-20%) | PLATEAU (5-10%) | DECLINING (< 5%)
Step 4: Score Each Result
score = channel_health = avg_views/subscriber_count * 100 # view rate; healthy > 10%
Step 5: Edge Cases
- Channels with old viral videos have inflated subscriber counts relative to current performance — use median views from last 20 videos as the current health indicator
Additional fallbacks:
- < 20 results: Broaden search terms; remove secondary filters
- No results: Verify the search terms are correct; try alternate phrasings
- Data quality issues: Remove entries with missing key fields; note count in output
Output Format
# Analyzing Youtube Competitor Channel Strategy
Results: [N] | Date: [DATE]
| # | [Key Field] | [Metric 1] | [Metric 2] | [Classification] | [Score] |
|---|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------------|---------|
| 1 | [value] | [value] | [value] | [type] | [0.XX] |
## Summary
Top result: [description]
Key finding: [insight]
Troubleshooting
Too few results: Broaden the primary search term; remove restrictive filters. Low quality results: Apply minimum score threshold (≥ 0.50) to filter noise. Actor fails to run: Verify API key; check actor status at apify.com/apidojo.