If you’ve ever tried to manage your YouTube subscriptions — especially if you follow a lot of creators — you’ll know it’s not exactly built for organisation. I ran into this myself while updating my Thailand Vloggers page and realised there’s no simple “Export” button for everyone, despite what some older guides claim.

So here’s the reliable method that does work: exporting your subscriptions using Google Takeout.

Export Your YouTube Subscriptions into a CSV File

YouTube doesn’t offer a built‑in export option for all users, but Google Takeout gives you full access to your subscription data in a clean, downloadable format. Here’s how to get it.

Step‑by‑Step Guide

1. Visit Google Takeout:
   https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout/custom/youtube

2. Sign in with the Google account linked to your YouTube subscriptions.

3. Click Deselect all at the top.

4. Scroll down and enable YouTube and YouTube Music.

5. Expand the section using the dropdown arrow.

6. Select Deselect all, then tick Subscriptions only.

7. Click OK to confirm your selection.

8. Scroll to the bottom and choose Next step.

9. Select your preferred export format (ZIP is fine) and delivery method.

10. Click Create export.

Google will prepare your file — this can take a few minutes depending on how many channels you follow.

Once it’s ready, download the archive and open the CSV file inside using Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet tool.

What You Can Do with the CSV File

Once you’ve exported your subscriptions, you can:

• sort channels by name
• filter by category or niche
• track upload frequency
• clean up inactive channels
• build curated lists (like my Thailand Vloggers page)
• analyse your viewing habits
• migrate your subscriptions to another account

It’s a simple export, but surprisingly powerful once you start organising things your way.

Why the “Subscription Manager Export” Button Doesn’t Show

Some older guides mention an Export button on the YouTube Subscription Manager page.
For many users — myself included — this button simply doesn’t exist anymore.

Google Takeout is the only consistent method that works for everyone.

Conclusion

Exporting your YouTube subscriptions is a great way to organise your feed, curate lists, or simply get a clearer picture of what you’re actually watching. Google Takeout makes the process straightforward, and once you have the CSV, you can slice and sort it however you like.

If you’re updating your own lists or building something similar to my Thailand Vloggers page, this method will save you a lot of time.