You can export YouTube comments using Google Takeout, which downloads your entire comment history as a file you can open on your computer

YouTube does not have a built-in export button for comments. Instead, you use Google Takeout, a Google service that lets you download data from any Google product you use — including YouTube. When you request your YouTube data, Google packages your comments into a file format you can read, search, and store offline. The process takes a few minutes to set up, and Google usually prepares your download within a few hours.

This method works whether you want to back up comments you have written, archive them before deleting your account, or review what you have said across all your subscribed channels. The file arrives as a compressed folder containing your comments organized by date.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Takeout is the official way to download your YouTube comment history, and it is free to use.
  • You need a Google account and access to your email, because Google sends a confirmation link before preparing your download.
  • The download includes every comment you have posted, organized by the video it was posted on, along with timestamps and like counts.
  • Google usually prepares your file within a few hours, but it can take up to 30 days if your account has a large amount of data.
  • Once downloaded, you can open the file in any text editor or spreadsheet program to search, sort, or print your comments.

Step-by-step: Downloading your comments through Google Takeout

Start by going to takeout.google.com in your web browser and signing in with the Google account that owns your YouTube channel. You will see a page that says "Select data to include" with a long list of Google products.

Scroll down until you find YouTube and YouTube Music. Click the checkbox next to it to select it. A menu will appear below showing what types of YouTube data are available — subscriptions, playlists, watch history, and comments. By default, all of these are checked. Uncheck everything except Comments so you download only what you need. This makes the file smaller and faster to prepare.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the blue Next step button. Google will ask you to choose a file format and delivery method. For comments, the default option is usually JSON format, which is a text-based format that most programs can read. You can also choose TGZ (a compressed folder) or ZIP — any of these work. Select whichever one you prefer, then choose how you want Google to send the file. The default is email, which is the simplest option.

Click Create export. Google will send a confirmation email to your account. Open that email and click the link inside it to confirm you want to download your data. After you confirm, Google starts preparing your file. You will receive another email when it is ready, usually within a few hours.

Opening and reading your downloaded comments

When your download is ready, Google sends you an email with a link. Click that link to download the file to your computer. If you chose ZIP or TGZ format, your computer will automatically unzip it into a folder. Open that folder and look for a file named comments.json or comments.csv depending on the format you selected.

If the file is JSON format, you can open it with any text editor — Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac both work. The file will show your comments in a structured format with information like the video title, the channel name, your comment text, the date you posted it, and how many likes it received. JSON format is harder to read at first glance because everything is packed together, but it contains the most complete information.

If you chose CSV format, you can open the file in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet program. CSV format displays your comments in rows and columns, which makes it much easier to search, sort, or filter. For example, you can sort by date to find your oldest comments, or filter by channel name to see all comments you left on a specific creator's videos.

What to do if Google Takeout takes longer than expected

Google usually prepares your export within a few hours, but if your account has years of comments or a very large amount of data, it can take up to 30 days. You do not need to do anything — Google will email you when the file is ready, and the link will work for a limited time after that.

If you do not receive an email after several days, log back into takeout.google.com and check your export history. You will see a list of all your past exports and their status. If an export shows "Expired", it means Google prepared it but the download link timed out. You can request a new export at any time by starting the process over.

If you see an error message during the export process, the most common cause is that your Google account has two-factor authentication enabled. Make sure you are signed in on a device Google recognizes, or temporarily disable two-factor authentication before requesting your export.

Organizing and backing up your comments after download

Once you have your comments file, consider where you want to store it. If you downloaded it to your computer's Downloads folder, move it to a more permanent location like your Documents folder or an external hard drive. This prevents the file from being accidentally deleted if you clear your Downloads folder.

If you want to search your comments later, a spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Sheets is the easiest tool. Open your CSV file in one of these programs and use the search or filter features to find specific words, channels, or dates. You can also create a new column to add your own notes or categories to your comments.

If you plan to download your comments regularly — for example, every few months — create a folder on your computer or cloud storage (like Google Drive or Dropbox) specifically for these exports. Label each file with the date you downloaded it, like "YouTube_comments_January_2024.zip". This way you have a complete history of your comments over time.

Exporting comments from specific videos or channels

Google Takeout downloads all your comments at once, not individual videos or channels. If you only want comments from one video or channel, you will need to manually copy them from YouTube instead. Go to the video or channel, scroll to the comments section, and select the text of your comment to copy it. Paste it into a text document or spreadsheet.

This manual method is practical if you only have a few comments to save, but it becomes time-consuming if you have commented on many videos. For a large number of comments from specific channels, Google Takeout is still the faster option — you download everything and then use your spreadsheet program to filter by channel name.

Some third-party tools claim to export comments from specific videos, but these are not official YouTube tools and may violate YouTube's terms of service. Google Takeout is the only method YouTube officially supports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I export comments from other people's channels?

No. Google Takeout only exports comments you personally wrote. You cannot download someone else's comments or an entire channel's comment section. If you need to review comments on your own videos, YouTube Studio (the creator dashboard) has a comments section where you can read, filter, and respond to all comments left on your channel.

Will exporting my comments delete them from YouTube?

No. Downloading your comments through Google Takeout creates a copy on your computer. Your comments remain on YouTube exactly as they were. If you want to delete your comments from YouTube after backing them up, you must do that separately by going to each video and deleting them manually, or by using YouTube's comment management tools in YouTube Studio.

What format should I choose if I want to edit my comments later?

Choose CSV format if you plan to open your comments in Excel or Google Sheets. CSV is the easiest format to edit and organize in a spreadsheet. JSON format is better if you want to preserve all the technical details about each comment, but it is harder to edit. TGZ and ZIP are just compression formats — the actual file inside will still be JSON or CSV.

How often can I request a new export?

You can request a new export from Google Takeout at any time. There is no limit on how many times you can download your data. If you want to keep regular backups of your comments, you can request a new export every month or every few months and store each one with a date label.

What if my comments contain special characters or emojis?

Google Takeout preserves emojis and special characters in your exported comments. If you open the file in a text editor, they should display correctly as long as your editor supports UTF-8 encoding (most modern editors do). If you open the file in Excel or Google Sheets, emojis and special characters will display normally in the cells.