Video URL Analyzer — Extract Metadata, Tags, Duration

A video URL analyzer takes a public video link and extracts the platform metadata: title, channel, duration, publish date, view count, tag list, description, and the full thumbnail set. The Video Controls Plus URL analyzer supports YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion, runs in the browser, and caches results locally so re-analyzing the same URL within a session is instantaneous. The tool is read-only — it does not modify the source video, generate IDs, or post anything to the platform.

Use cases

Content audit and competitive research

Drop in 20 URLs from a competitor channel and the analyzer returns titles, durations, tag lists, and view counts in a uniform table. Useful for spotting patterns in topic, length, or tag strategy without manual page visits.

Citation prep for academic or blog work

When you need to cite a video, the analyzer returns the exact title, channel name, publish date, and a stable ID — everything a citation manager needs without manually opening the page.

Verifying that a link is what you expect

Before sharing a video, paste the URL into the analyzer to confirm the title and channel match what you remember. Useful when bookmarks rot or when channels rename.

Seeing the full tag list (which YouTube hides)

YouTube no longer displays tags publicly on the watch page. The analyzer surfaces them via the public oEmbed/API surfaces, which is useful for SEO research and content discovery.

How it works

  1. Paste the URL. YouTube, Vimeo, or Dailymotion. The platform is detected from the URL pattern.
  2. Read the result panel. Title, channel, duration, publish date, view count, tag list, description, and a thumbnail strip — all in one card.
  3. Copy specific fields. Each field has a copy button. Useful for citation, research notes, or feeding into another tool.
  4. Re-analyze freely. No rate limit beyond what the platform enforces. Recent results are cached for the session.

Examples

  • A YouTube video with 100 tags. Tag list rendered as comma-separated; copy button gives them as a flat string for SEO research.
  • A Vimeo paid-tier video. Returns title, duration, channel; some private metadata fields are unavailable because the channel has restricted them.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the data come from?

Public API endpoints (YouTube oEmbed and Data API; Vimeo oEmbed; Dailymotion API). The tool does not scrape HTML — only documented public endpoints.

Why does the tag list look empty on some videos?

Channels can choose not to publish tags. Private/unlisted videos also do not surface tags via the public API.

Can I bulk-analyze a CSV of URLs?

Not in the UI today. For bulk work, the same public APIs are scriptable from any HTTP client; the tool exists as a single-URL convenience.

Are view counts real-time?

Updated by the platform on its own cadence (typically hourly for active videos, daily for older ones). Treat the count as a snapshot, not a live counter.

Does it work for live streams?

Live streams return live-specific metadata: current viewers, status, scheduled start. Concurrent viewer count is real-time.

Is the data stored anywhere?

Only in browser local storage for the current session. No server-side log.

Tips

  • For SEO research, export the tag list of a top-performing competitor video and use it as a brainstorm seed for your own content.
  • For citation, the canonical URL pattern (`youtube.com/watch?v=<id>`) is what citation managers expect; copy that field rather than the share URL.
  • When researching a channel, analyze five or ten of their top videos in a row; patterns in title length and tag overlap surface quickly.
  • For livestream prep, the analyzer shows scheduled-start timestamps so you can set local-timezone reminders.

Limitations

  • TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook are not supported because their metadata APIs are gated behind partner programs.
  • Private/unlisted videos return only the metadata the platform exposes publicly, which is often empty.
  • No bulk-import UI — single URLs only. Bulk consumers should script the public APIs directly.
  • The tool does not download the video itself; it only reads metadata.

Last updated 2026-05-06 by Ahsan Mahmood, maintainer.