YouTube Channel Keywords
Every channel can set a keyword list once in its own settings - separate from tags on individual videos. This tool reveals exactly what that list says, for any public channel, without opening YouTube Studio yourself.
Free, no sign-up needed.
Channel keywords vs. video tags - what's the difference?
A creator sets channel keywords once, under YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Basic info. They describe the channel as a whole and help YouTube understand its overall topic. Video tags are set per-upload and can be completely different from one video to the next - see the Video Tag Extractor for those, or Top Tags Across a Channel to see which video tags a channel reuses most.
Where do channel keywords actually show up in YouTube Studio?
Channel keywords live under YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Basic info, in a field most creators fill in once and never revisit. They're not shown anywhere in YouTube's normal viewing experience - not on the channel page, not in search results - which is exactly why a lookup tool is the fastest way to actually see them, on your own channel or anyone else's.
Checking your own channel vs. a competitor's
If it's your own channel, YouTube Studio will show you the same list directly. The value of a standalone checker is being able to pull the same field for any other public channel, which Studio has no way to show you.
What makes for good channel keywords
Since this is one field covering an entire channel, it works best as a handful of broad topic terms rather than anything video-specific - closer to how a channel would describe itself in one line than a list of search terms. Channels that set five or six focused words describing their actual niche tend to use this field more effectively than ones that try to cram in every keyword the channel might ever touch.
Who should use this tool?
Anyone doing competitor research on positioning rather than individual videos. The channel-level keywords a competitor sets say a lot about how they want YouTube to categorize their content overall - useful when deciding how to position a new or existing channel in the same niche.
Questions about channel keywords, how they differ from video tags, and building your own keyword strategy.
Where do channel keywords actually show up?
They're not visible anywhere in YouTube's normal viewing experience - a creator sets them once in YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Basic info, purely for YouTube's own indexing. A channel keywords checker like this one is one of the few ways to actually see them.
Why is the list sometimes empty?
Many channels never fill in this field at all, especially smaller or newer ones that focus on video-level tags instead. An empty result means the channel genuinely hasn't set any channel keywords in Studio - it doesn't mean the lookup failed or the channel is hiding anything.
Does this work on any public channel, or only my own?
Any public channel - enter the handle (the @name from its URL) and the tool looks up its channel-level keyword settings directly from YouTube. You don't need to own the channel or sign into YouTube Studio; it works the same for a competitor's channel as your own.
How is this different from checking my own channel in YouTube Studio?
YouTube Studio only shows you the keyword field for channels you personally manage. This tool works on any public channel, which is the only way to see what keyword strategy a competitor or channel you admire has set - Studio has no equivalent feature for other channels.
Can I use this to plan my own channel's keywords?
Yes - a common workflow is checking what a handful of successful channels in your niche have set as channel keywords, then setting your own accordingly in YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Basic info, informed by patterns across several competitors rather than guessing.
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