How to get comments from videos using YouTube API v3 and Python?

Question

I\'ve been trying to get comments (both threads and replies) from a given video on YouTube using Python (as an exercise to learn the language).

Based on the examples giv

Answer 1

You can fetch all the comments using the nextPageToken. YouTube v3 API has gone something messy. But don't worry, i think this is something you are looking for.

YOUTUBE_COMMENT_URL = 'https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/commentThreads'
def get_video_comment(self):

    def load_comments(self):
        for item in mat["items"]:
            comment = item["snippet"]["topLevelComment"]
            author = comment["snippet"]["authorDisplayName"]
            text = comment["snippet"]["textDisplay"]
            print("Comment by {}: {}".format(author, text))
            if 'replies' in item.keys():
                for reply in item['replies']['comments']:
                    rauthor = reply['snippet']['authorDisplayName']
                    rtext = reply["snippet"]["textDisplay"]

                print("\n\tReply by {}: {}".format(rauthor, rtext), "\n")

    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    mxRes = 20
    vid = str()
    parser.add_argument("--c", help="calls comment function by keyword function", action='store_true')
    parser.add_argument("--max", help="number of comments to return")
    parser.add_argument("--videourl", help="Required URL for which comments to return")
    parser.add_argument("--key", help="Required API key")

    args = parser.parse_args()

    if not args.max:
        args.max = mxRes

    if not args.videourl:
        exit("Please specify video URL using the --videourl=parameter.")

    if not args.key:
        exit("Please specify API key using the --key=parameter.")

    try:
        video_id = urlparse(str(args.videourl))
        q = parse_qs(video_id.query)
        vid = q["v"][0]

    except:
        print("Invalid YouTube URL")

    parms = {
                'part': 'snippet,replies',
                'maxResults': args.max,
                'videoId': vid,
                'key': args.key
            }

    try:

        matches = self.openURL(YOUTUBE_COMMENT_URL, parms)
        i = 2
        mat = json.loads(matches)
        nextPageToken = mat.get("nextPageToken")
        print("\nPage : 1")
        print("------------------------------------------------------------------")
        load_comments(self)

        while nextPageToken:
            parms.update({'pageToken': nextPageToken})
            matches = self.openURL(YOUTUBE_COMMENT_URL, parms)
            mat = json.loads(matches)
            nextPageToken = mat.get("nextPageToken")
            print("\nPage : ", i)
            print("------------------------------------------------------------------")

            load_comments(self)

            i += 1
    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        print("User Aborted the Operation")

    except:
        print("Cannot Open URL or Fetch comments at a moment")

Find the full source code for other utilites at GitHub

This script can fetch comments (along with replies), perform search and return videos, channels and playlist in categorized form and also returns country based search results.

Hope this helps.