--- title: "Channel Resolver" description: "Convert any YouTube channel URL, handle, or username into a usable Channel ID through your AI assistant. The NexLev Channel Resolver is a utility tool that sits beneath every other NexLev feature — whenever you paste a YouTube link or handle, the AI uses this tool to extract the correct Channel ID before running analytics." source: "https://dashboard.nexlev.io/docs/mcp/channel-resolver" --- # Channel Resolver Convert any YouTube channel URL, handle, or username into a usable Channel ID through your AI assistant. The NexLev Channel Resolver is a utility tool that sits beneath every other NexLev feature — whenever you paste a YouTube link or handle, the AI uses this tool to extract the correct Channel ID before running analytics. ## What is Channel Resolver? Channel Resolver translates any YouTube channel reference into a standardized Channel ID (`UC…`) that all other NexLev tools require. Through your AI assistant's natural language interface, you can: - **Resolve channel URLs** - Convert `youtube.com/channel/UC…` links to a usable ID - **Resolve handles** - Turn `@ChannelHandle` into a Channel ID automatically - **Resolve custom URLs** - Handle `youtube.com/c/ChannelName` legacy formats - **Retrieve channel metadata** - Get the channel title, handle, and canonical URL alongside the ID - **Enable downstream tools** - Seamlessly feed results into analytics, geography, niche overview, and more ## Prerequisites Before using Channel Resolver, ensure you have: - **Connected AI assistant** — Claude, ChatGPT, or any other supported platform - **Active NexLev account** — [Connect to your AI assistant](/docs/mcp/quickstart) to get started. [Upgrade to Pro](?required_nexlev_lite_pro_access=true) for higher quota limits. > **Info** > > **First Time Setup:** If you haven't connected NexLev to your AI assistant > yet, follow our [Quickstart guide](/docs/mcp/quickstart) for step-by-step > setup instructions. It takes less than 5 minutes! ## When to Use Channel Resolver You rarely need to call this tool explicitly — your AI assistant invokes it automatically. However, you can use it directly when you want to: - **Verify a channel before running analytics** - Confirm you have the right channel before a deeper query - **Look up a channel ID from a URL** - When you only have a YouTube link and need the raw ID - **Resolve a handle to an ID** - When another tool requires a `UC…` ID and you only have `@handle` - **Disambiguate channels with similar names** - Confirm the correct channel before comparing ## Basic Usage Simply paste any YouTube channel reference and ask your AI assistant to resolve it: ``` Resolve this channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vaibhavsisinty ``` ``` What is the channel ID for youtube.com/channel/UClXAalunTPaX1YV185DWUeg? ``` ``` UClXAalunTPaX1YV185DWUeg — resolve this channel ``` ## What You'll Receive ### Sample AI Response > **Note** > > **📝 Note:** The following is a sample text response from your AI assistant. > Actual responses may vary in format, structure, and content based on the AI's > analysis and the specific channel data. ``` ✅ Channel resolved successfully: Channel ID UClXAalunTPaX1YV185DWUeg Title Vaibhav Sisinty Handle @vaibhavsisinty URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXAalunTPaX1YV185DWUeg Would you like me to pull analytics, find similar channels, or do anything else with this channel? ``` ## Supported Input Formats Channel Resolver accepts any of the following input formats: | Format | Example | | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | Channel URL | `https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXAalunTPaX1YV185DWUeg` | | Handle URL | `https://www.youtube.com/@vaibhavsisinty` | | Handle only | `@vaibhavsisinty` | | Custom URL | `https://www.youtube.com/c/ChannelName` | | Raw Channel ID | `UClXAalunTPaX1YV185DWUeg` | > **Tip** > > **💡 Pro Tip:** You can paste any YouTube URL directly into the chat. Your AI > assistant will automatically detect that it's a YouTube channel link and > resolve it without you needing to specify the format. ## Example Prompts ### 1. Resolve from Handle URL ``` Resolve this channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vaibhavsisinty ``` **Returns:** Channel ID, title, handle, and canonical URL ### 2. Resolve from Channel URL ``` Get the channel ID for https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXAalunTPaX1YV185DWUeg ``` **Returns:** Confirmed Channel ID with metadata ### 3. Resolve and Continue with Analytics ``` Resolve https://www.youtube.com/@vaibhavsisinty and then pull channel analytics ``` **Returns:** Channel resolution followed immediately by full analytics ### 4. Resolve Multiple Channels ``` Resolve these channels and compare their analytics: https://www.youtube.com/@vaibhavsisinty https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd ``` **Returns:** Both channels resolved, then a side-by-side analytics comparison ### 5. Resolve from a Raw ID ``` UClXAalunTPaX1YV185DWUeg — what channel is this? ``` **Returns:** Channel title, handle, and canonical URL for the given ID. ## How It Works Channel Resolver is a foundational utility in the NexLev MCP tool chain: 1. **You provide any channel reference** — URL, handle, or raw ID 2. **NexLev looks up the channel** — matching it against YouTube's channel index 3. **Returns the canonical Channel ID** — the `UC…` identifier all other tools use 4. **Your AI continues** — passing the resolved ID directly into analytics, niche overview, geography, or any other tool you request This means you never need to manually find or copy a Channel ID — just share any YouTube link and NexLev handles the rest. ## Use Cases ### Quick Channel Lookup Verify a channel before running a deep analysis: ``` Resolve @vaibhavsisinty — confirm the channel and show me its analytics ``` ### Research Workflow Resolve multiple channels from a list: ``` Resolve each of these channels and give me their IDs: @mkbhd @LinusTechTips @MrBeast ``` ### Chained Analytics Resolve and immediately run a downstream tool: ``` Resolve https://www.youtube.com/@vaibhavsisinty Then show me the last 30 days of daily analytics ``` ### Competitive Research Resolve a competitor's channel from a URL you found: ``` I found this channel: youtube.com/@CompetitorChannel Resolve it and compare it to my channel UC9XrHBgOxsNFEBXkLtEqCwA ``` ## Troubleshooting ### Channel Not Found If the resolver returns no result: - Double-check the URL or handle is correct and the channel is publicly visible - Try the full URL instead of just the handle - The channel may have been terminated or made private ### Unexpected Channel Returned If the wrong channel is returned: - Use the full `youtube.com/channel/UC…` URL format for an exact match - Handles can occasionally redirect — confirm on YouTube first ### Setup Issues If your AI assistant doesn't invoke the resolver: - Check your NexLev account is active and the MCP connection is complete (see [Quickstart](/docs/mcp/quickstart)) - If you've hit your daily quota, [Upgrade to Pro](?required_nexlev_lite_pro_access=true) for higher limits ## Privacy & Security Channel Resolver uses only publicly available YouTube channel data through the secure NexLev MCP integration. No private channel information is accessed or stored. ## Get More Help Need additional assistance with Channel Resolver? - **Full Dashboard** - [dashboard.nexlev.io](https://dashboard.nexlev.io) - **Documentation** - Browse complete [NexLev MCP guides](/docs/mcp/quickstart) - **Support Email** - [contact@nexlev.io](mailto:contact@nexlev.io) - **Community** - Join our [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/youtubefaceless) for growth strategies ## Rate Limits | Plan | Calls per 24h | | --- | --- | | Free | 10 | | Lite | 100 | | Pro | 500 | ## What's Next? Now that you can resolve any channel, put that ID to work with NexLev's analytics tools: - **[Channel Analytics](/docs/mcp/channel-analytics)** - Get a comprehensive snapshot of any channel's metrics - **[Daily Analytics](/docs/mcp/daily-analytics)** - Track day-by-day view and subscriber growth - **[Geography & Revenue](/docs/mcp/geography-revenue)** - Analyze audience geography and revenue insights - **[Similar Channels](/docs/mcp/similar-channel)** - Find channels similar to any resolved channel - **[Niche Overview](/docs/mcp/niche-overview)** - Understand content strategy and brand opportunities - **[Short vs Long Views](/docs/mcp/short-vs-long-views)** - Compare Shorts and long-form video performance Continue exploring the [complete documentation](/docs/mcp/quickstart) to master NexLev MCP.