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Finding YouTube Micro-Influencers
Searches YouTube for channels in a specific niche, then filters by subscriber count to surface micro-influencers (typically under 100K subscribers) who have high engagement relative to their audience size. Ideal for affiliate programs and brand sponsorships where micro audiences convert better.
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 niche and subscriber range
- [ ] Step 2: Build keyword and search term list
- [ ] Step 3: Run youtube-scraper
- [ ] Step 4: Filter and calculate view-to-sub ratio
- [ ] Step 5: Deliver ranked channel listStep 1: Clarify Parameters
Ask the user for:
- Niche/topic (e.g., "personal finance for millennials", "vegan cooking", "PC gaming")
- Max subscribers (default: 100,000 — micro-influencer threshold)
- Min subscribers (default: 5,000 — filters out very new channels)
- Min videos (default: 20 — ensures established presence)
- Number of channels to return (default: 30)
Step 2: Build Search Term List
Generate 3-5 YouTube search queries for the niche. Think like a viewer, not a marketer:
- Personal finance →
"how to save money","budget for beginners","investing in your 20s" - Vegan cooking →
"easy vegan recipes","vegan meal prep","vegan on a budget" - PC gaming →
"budget PC build","PC gaming tips","indie game reviews"
Step 3: 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 jsonAPIFY_TOKENmust be set in environment or.envfile.
If Apify MCP is available:
Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~youtube-scraper"
Input:
{
"searchQuery": "[SEARCH_TERM]",
"maxResults": 50,
"scrapeVideoDetails": false,
"scrapeChannelDetails": true
}Run for each search query. Merge channel results, deduplicate by channel ID.
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 '{
"searchQuery": "[SEARCH_TERM]",
"maxResults": 50,
"scrapeChannelDetails": true
}'Wait for SUCCEEDED. Fetch dataset.
Step 4: Filter and Score
Apply subscriber range filter. Then calculate view-to-subscriber ratio as the micro-influencer quality signal:
view_ratio = (total_views / subscriber_count)
recent_momentum = avg_views_last_10_videos / subscriber_countHigh recent_momentum (>0.5) = channel punching above its weight — ideal micro-influencer.
Step 5: Format Output
Output Format
# YouTube Micro-Influencer Discovery: [NICHE]
Subscriber range: [MIN]–[MAX] | Results: [N] channels | Date: [DATE]
| # | Channel | Subscribers | Avg Views | View/Sub Ratio | Videos | Contact | URL |
|---|---------|-------------|-----------|----------------|--------|---------|-----|
| 1 | [name] | [N] | [N] | [X.Xx] | [N] | [email?]| [url] |
## Top 5 Picks for Outreach
1. **[Channel Name]** — [N] subs | [X.Xx] view ratio | Posts [X]x/month
Why: [brief reason — high engagement, relevant niche, consistent posting]
Contact: [email from About page if available]
Latest video: "[title]" — [N] views
2–5. [same structure]
## Notes
- [N] channels found total across all search queries
- [N] filtered out (outside subscriber range or too few videos)
- View/Sub Ratio > 1.0 = exceptional engagement (views exceed subscriber count per video avg)Troubleshooting
Only large channels in results: YouTube search ranks by relevance + views, surfacing big channels first. Try more niche-specific search terms or filter more aggressively on subscriber count. No contact info: Most YouTubers list business email in the About tab. If missing from scraper output, check the channel URL manually. Stale subscriber counts: YouTube data on Apify can be 24-72h old. For final outreach list, verify top picks manually.

