How to Use yt-dlp to Scrape YouTube Videos with Proxies

One of the most powerful tools for downloading and scraping videos from YouTube and other platforms is yt-dlp. It supports additional features like better format selection, sponsor skipping, and improved performance. Scraping videos at scale comes with challenges like IP bans, geo-restriction, and ISP throttling. An effective way to bypass these restrictions is using proxies.

This guide introduces how to scrape YouTube videos securely and effectively using yt-dlp and proxies, as well as the best proxy type and step-by-step commands.

What Is yt-dlp?

yt-dlp is an advanced fork of youtube-dl, a powerful command-line tool for downloading videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and other online platforms. It offers:

• Support multiple video sites.
• Bypass age restrictions and DRM-free content locks.
• Allow high-quality downloads (4K, 8K).

However, many users face geo-restrictions, IP bans, and rate-limiting issues, making proxies essential for uninterrupted video scraping.

Legal & Ethical Considerations When Scraping YouTube Videos

YouTube’s Terms of Service (TOS) prohibit unauthorized downloading, automated scraping, and bypassing restrictions. Violating these terms can result in IP bans, account suspension, and even legal action.

To stay compliant, please follow the below guidelines to ensure responsible and legal use:

1. Scrape only publicly available metadata (titles, descriptions, views).

2. Get permission from content creators before downloading videos.

3. Use YouTube’s official API instead of scraping when possible.

4. Avoid mass scraping to prevent server overload and detection.

5. Do not redistribute scraped content commercially or illegally. 

Why Use Proxies in yt-dlp Video Scraping?

When scraping videos with yt-dlp, you may face these common challenges:

1. Geo-Restrictions & IP Blocks

Many video platforms restrict content by IP location. If a video is unavailable in your country, yt-dlp will return an error and stop scraping.

Solution: Use proxies from unrestricted or target countries (e.g., a US proxy for US-only content or content block in other countries). Example command:

yt-dlp --proxy "http://us-proxy:port" -f best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exampleID

2. Rate-Limiting & CAPTCHA Blocks

If an IP makes too many requests, platforms will detect it as an automated download, and then throttle or block it. For example, frequent 403 Forbidden or 429 Too Many Requests errors, indicating rate limiting.

Solution: Use rotating proxies to change your IP on different requests. Example command:

yt-dlp --proxy "http://username:[email protected]:port" -f best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exampleID

3. ISP Throttling & Network Restrictions

Some schools, workplaces, and regions block video sites to prevent distractions or comply with the policy. Also, some ISPs throttle bandwidth when they detect heavy video downloads. 

Solution: Use datacenter proxies for fast downloads, and residential proxies to reduce the risk of detection.

Types of Proxies for yt-dlp Video Scraping: Choose the Best One

Proxy Type	Best For	Pros	Cons
Residential Proxies	Undetectable scraping	Real ISP-assigned IPs, hard to block	Expensive
Datacenter Proxies	Fast downloads	High speed, affordable	Easily detected
ISP Proxies (Static Residential)	Reliable scraping	Stable connections, good speed	Limited IP pool
Mobile Proxies	Bypassing strict anti-bot measures	Rotates through real mobile networks	Costly

Editor’s Tip: For large-scale scraping, residential proxies are the best options.

How to Use yt-dlp to Scrape YouTube Videos with Proxies

To ensure a smooth and efficient scraping process, this guide follows a flow based on operation steps and demand level:

Step 1. Setting Up yt-dlp for YouTube Scraping (Basic Setup)

Before using yt-dlp with proxies, install the necessary tools:

1. Install yt-dlp

For Copy:

pip install yt-dlp

2. Install Dependencies (Optional but Recommended)

For Copy:

pip install requests beautifulsoup4

Step 2. Configuring yt-dlp with Proxies

• Using an HTTP Proxy

For Copy:

yt-dlp --proxy "http://username:password@proxy_address:port" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

• Using a SOCKS5 Proxy

For Copy:

yt-dlp --proxy "socks5://username:password@proxy_address:port" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

• Using a Rotating Proxy

If your proxy provider offers automatic rotation, use the same command format while ensuring that the proxy credentials support dynamic IP changes.

Step 3. Scraping YouTube Video Data

1. Scraping YouTube Metadata

Extract metadata such as title, description, view count, and upload date:

For Copy:

yt-dlp --dump-json https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

To save the metadata to a file:

For Copy:

yt-dlp --dump-json https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID > video_data.json

2. Scraping YouTube Comments & Channel Information

Extracting Comments from a Video

For Copy:

yt-dlp --write-comments --skip-download https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

Gathering Data from a YouTube Channel

For Copy:

yt-dlp --dump-json https://www.youtube.com/c/CHANNEL_NAME

3. Scraping YouTube Search Results & Video URLs

Retrieve search results for a keyword:

For Copy:

yt-dlp "ytsearch10:keyword"

Extract metadata for these results:

For Copy:

yt-dlp --dump-json "ytsearch10:keyword"

4. Downloading YouTube Videos with yt-dlp & Proxies

Basic Video Download

For Copy:

yt-dlp --proxy "http://proxy_address:port" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

Download with the Best Quality

For Copy:

yt-dlp -f bestvideo+bestaudio --merge-output-format mp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

Extract Audio and Convert to MP3

For Copy:

yt-dlp -f bestaudio --extract-audio --audio-format mp3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

5. Advanced yt-dlp Features for Efficient Scraping

• Limit Download Rate

For Copy:

yt-dlp --limit-rate 500k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

• Bypass Age Restrictions

For Copy:

yt-dlp --age-limit 18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

• Use Custom User Agent

For Copy:

yt-dlp --user-agent "Mozilla/5.0" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

Best Practices to Avoid Detection While Scraping Videos

1. Use rotating proxies to prevent IP bans.

2. Add random delays between requests (--sleep-interval).

3. Use headless browsers if necessary for complex scraping tasks.

Example command:

yt-dlp --proxy "http://proxy_address:port" --sleep-interval 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

Final Thoughts

Using proxies with yt-dlp helps bypass geo-restrictions, avoid bans, and optimize speed.

For anonymous scraping? - Use rotating residential proxies.

For high-speed downloads? - Use datacenter proxies.

For bypassing restrictions? - Use country/city-specific proxies.

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