ytsearch-cli — YouTube Search Command-Line Tool

Overview

ytsearch-cli is the command-line version of ytsearch.js, offering developers and power users the ability to search YouTube directly from their terminal. It supports videos, channels, playlists, video details, and playlist videos, with multiple display modes and an interactive search mode for a smooth terminal experience.

Published to the npm registry, ytsearch-cli is a globally installable package designed for speed, usability, and flexibility.

Features

• 🔍 Search YouTube videos, channels, and playlists directly from terminal.
• 📜 Fetch video details & playlist videos with one command.
• 🎛 Multiple display modes — default, compact, online, detailed.
• 🖥️ Interactive Mode (--watch) with arrow key navigation.
• ⚡ Lightweight & Fast — powered by ytsearch.js.
• 🎨 Styled output with tables, colors, and banners.
• 📦 Easy installation: npm install -g ytsearch-cli.
• 🔔 Update notifier — informs users of new versions.

Installation

npm install -g ytsearch-cli

Run help menu:

ytsearch --help

Usage

Video Search

ytsearch video "never gonna give you up"

Channel Search

ytsearch channel "RickAstleyVEVO"

Playlist Search

ytsearch playlist "Top Hits 2025"

Video Details

ytsearch details <videoId>

Playlist Videos

ytsearch playlist-videos <playlistId>

Search All Types

ytsearch search "lofi hip hop"

Options

• -l, --limit <n> → Number of results (default: 10)
• -s, --sort <type> → relevance, upload_date, view_count, rating
• -m, --mode <type> → default, compact, online, detailed
• -j, --json → Output raw JSON
• -w, --watch → Interactive mode

Example:

ytsearch video "javascript tutorial" -l 5 -m compact

Display Modes

• default → Rich tables with video/channel/playlist info.
• compact → Minimal quick view.
• online → Clickable links in supported terminals.
• detailed → Full metadata (title, views, published date, duration, etc.).

Interactive Mode

Run:

ytsearch --watch

Features:

• 🔄 Continuous search without rerunning commands.
• ⌨️ Arrow key navigation.
• ⚙️ Live update of settings (limit, sort, mode).
• 🎬 Quick preview of video/channel info.

Example Output

ytsearch video "Black Panther" -l 3 -m compact

1. Marvel Studios Black Panther - Official Trailer | 50.5M views
2. Wakanda Battle - I’m Not Dead Scene - Black Panther Returns | 19.9M views
3. Hiding in the Shadows | The Real Black Panther | 4.2M views

Tech Stack

• ytsearch.js — Core YouTube scraping/search library.
• commander — CLI framework for commands & options.
• inquirer — Interactive prompts.
• chalk — Colors and terminal styling.
• figlet — ASCII banners.
• cli-table3 — Structured tables in terminal.
• ora — Loading spinners.
• update-notifier — Auto version check.

Status

✅ Completed (September 30, 2025) 🛠️ Maintained with regular updates for features and bug fixes.

Links

• 📦 NPM Package: npmjs.com/package/ytsearch-cli
• 💻 GitHub Repository: github.com/RJRYT/ytsearch-cli