YouTube Setup - YouTube Automation Agent

This guide walks you through the complete YouTube API setup process, from creating credentials to authenticating your channel.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

A YouTube channel
A Google account with access to the channel
Google Cloud Console access

You must be the owner or have manager permissions on the YouTube channel to authorize the application.

Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project

Open Google Cloud Console

Navigate to Google Cloud Console

Create New Project

Click the project dropdown at the top
Click “New Project”
Enter project details:
- Project name: YouTube Automation Agent
- Organization: Leave default or select your organization
Click “Create”

Wait for Project Creation

The project will be created in a few seconds. You’ll see a notification when it’s ready.

Step 2: Enable YouTube APIs

Navigate to APIs & Services

Select your project from the dropdown
Click on the hamburger menu (☰)
Go to “APIs & Services” → “Library”

Enable YouTube Data API v3

Search for “YouTube Data API v3”
Click on it
Click “Enable”

This API is required for uploading videos, managing playlists, and accessing channel information.

Enable YouTube Analytics API

Search for “YouTube Analytics API”
Click on it
Click “Enable”

This API provides access to video performance metrics and analytics data.

Before creating credentials, you must configure the OAuth consent screen:

Navigate to OAuth Consent Screen

Go to “APIs & Services” → “OAuth consent screen”

Select User Type

Choose “External” and click “Create”

Internal vs External

Internal: Only for Google Workspace organizations
External: For personal accounts and general use (choose this)

Fill App Information

App name: Your channel name or “YouTube Automation Agent”User support email: Your email addressApp logo: (Optional) Upload your channel logoApplication home page: (Optional) Your website or channel URLDeveloper contact information: Your email address

Configure Scopes

Click “Add or Remove Scopes”
Add these YouTube scopes:

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.upload
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.readonly
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/yt-analytics.readonly

What each scope does

youtube.upload - Upload videos
youtube - Manage videos and channel
youtube.readonly - Read channel information
yt-analytics.readonly - Access analytics data

Click “Update”

Add Test Users (Optional)

While in development/testing mode, add your Google account email as a test user.

In testing mode, only test users can authorize the app. For production use, you’ll need to submit for verification.

Review and Save

Review your settings and click “Save and Continue” through all screens.

Step 4: Create OAuth 2.0 Credentials

Navigate to Credentials

Go to “APIs & Services” → “Credentials”

Create OAuth Client ID

Click ”+ Create Credentials”
Select “OAuth client ID”

Configure Application Type

Application type: Select “Web application”Name: YouTube Automation OAuth Client

Add Authorized Redirect URIs

Under “Authorized redirect URIs”, add:

http://localhost:8080/oauth2callback

The redirect URI must match exactly what’s configured in your application. Port 8080 is the default.

If you’re running on a different port, update accordingly:

http://localhost:YOUR_PORT/oauth2callback

Create and Download

Click “Create”
A dialog will show your Client ID and Client Secret
Click “Download JSON” or copy the credentials

Step 5: Configure Application

Now add the credentials to your application:

Using credentials.json
Using Setup Wizard
Using Downloaded JSON

Create or edit config/credentials.json:

config/credentials.json

{
  "youtube": {
    "client_id": "123456789-abcdefg.apps.googleusercontent.com",
    "client_secret": "GOCSPX-abc123def456",
    "redirect_uris": [
      "http://localhost:8080/oauth2callback"
    ]
  },
  "channel": {
    "channelName": "Your Channel Name",
    "channelDescription": "Your channel description",
    "defaultCategory": "24",
    "defaultPrivacy": "public",
    "websiteUrl": "https://yourwebsite.com",
    "businessEmail": "your@email.com"
  }
}

Run the interactive setup:

npm run credentials:setup

The wizard will prompt you for:

YouTube API Client ID
YouTube API Client Secret
Redirect URI (default: http://localhost:8080/oauth2callback)
Channel configuration details

If you downloaded the JSON from Google Cloud:

Rename it to google-credentials.json
Place it in the config/ directory
The application will automatically parse it

Step 6: Authenticate Your Channel

Now authenticate the application with your YouTube channel:

Run Authentication

node authenticate.js

Or use the setup command:

npm run setup

Authorization URL

The console will display an authorization URL:

🔗 Please visit this URL to authorize the application:
https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/v2/auth?access_type=offline&scope=...

Copy and open this URL in your browser.

Grant Permissions

Sign in with your Google account (if not already signed in)
Select the YouTube channel to authorize
Review the requested permissions:
- Upload videos
- Manage your YouTube account
- View YouTube Analytics reports
Click “Allow”

If you see a “This app isn’t verified” warning, click “Advanced” → “Go to [App Name] (unsafe)”. This is normal for apps in testing mode.

Copy Authorization Code

After granting permissions, you’ll see an authorization code or be redirected to localhost:8080.If shown a code:

Copy the code
Paste it into the terminal when prompted

If redirected:

The application will automatically capture the code
Authentication will complete automatically

Verify Success

You should see:

✅ YouTube authentication completed!
✅ Tokens saved to config/tokens.json

Step 7: Verify Configuration

Test that everything is working:

Run Test Script

npm test

This will verify:

YouTube API connection
Channel access
Upload permissions
Analytics access

Check Channel Info

The test should output your channel information:

✅ Connected to channel: Your Channel Name
📊 Subscriber count: 1,234
🎬 Total videos: 56
👁️  Total views: 123,456

Channel Configuration

Configure channel-specific settings in config/credentials.json:

{
  "channel": {
    "channelName": "Your Channel Name",
    "channelDescription": "Description of your channel",
    "defaultCategory": "24",
    "defaultPrivacy": "public",
    "websiteUrl": "https://yoursite.com",
    "businessEmail": "business@email.com"
  },
  "content": {
    "contentTypes": ["tutorial", "explainer", "story"],
    "competitorChannels": [],
    "targetAudience": "Tech enthusiasts aged 18-35",
    "postingFrequency": "daily",
    "preferredPostTime": "14:00"
  }
}

Video Category IDs

YouTube Category Reference

ID	Category
1	Film & Animation
2	Autos & Vehicles
10	Music
15	Pets & Animals
17	Sports
19	Travel & Events
20	Gaming
22	People & Blogs
23	Comedy
24	Entertainment
25	News & Politics
26	Howto & Style
27	Education
28	Science & Technology
29	Nonprofits & Activism

Privacy Settings

public
unlisted
private

Recommended for: Growth-focused channels

Appears in search results
Recommended to viewers
Counts toward watch time
Eligible for monetization

Content Strategy Configuration

Configure what types of content to generate:

{
  "content": {
    "contentTypes": [
      "tutorial",
      "explainer",
      "list",
      "story",
      "review"
    ],
    "competitorChannels": [
      "UCxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
      "UCyyyyyyyyyyyyyy"
    ],
    "targetAudience": "Tech enthusiasts interested in AI and automation",
    "postingFrequency": "daily",
    "preferredPostTime": "14:00"
  }
}

Content Types

Tutorial

Step-by-step instructional videos teaching specific skills or processes.

Explainer

Educational content explaining concepts, technologies, or phenomena.

List

Top 10, best of, or compilation-style videos (e.g., “5 Ways to…”).

Story

Narrative-driven content with storytelling elements.

Review

Analysis and opinions on products, services, or content.

Posting Schedule

Configure automated posting:

{
  "content": {
    "postingFrequency": "daily",
    "preferredPostTime": "14:00",
    "timezone": "America/New_York"
  }
}

Frequency Options

Value	Description
`daily`	One video per day
`every-2-days`	Every other day
`3-per-week`	Three times per week
`weekly`	Once per week
`custom`	Define custom cron schedule

Best Posting Times

By Audience Location

US Audience:

12:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST (lunch/afternoon)
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM EST (evening)

European Audience:

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM CET
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM CET

Global Audience:

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM UTC

The system will analyze your channel’s analytics to recommend optimal posting times after collecting sufficient data.

Token Refresh

OAuth tokens expire periodically. The system automatically refreshes them:

// Automatic refresh logic
if (tokens.expiry_date < Date.now()) {
  const { credentials } = await oauth2Client.refreshAccessToken();
  oauth2Client.setCredentials(credentials);
  await saveTokens(credentials);
}

If you see authentication errors, the refresh token may be invalid. Re-run authentication:

node authenticate.js

Quota Management

YouTube API has daily quota limits:

Default quota: 10,000 units/day
Upload video: 1,600 units
Update video: 50 units
List videos: 1 unit

Monitor Usage

Check quota usage in Google Cloud Console:

Select your project
Navigate to “APIs & Services” → “YouTube Data API v3”
Click “Quotas”

Request Quota Increase

If you need more quota:

Go to “IAM & Admin” → “Quotas”
Filter for “YouTube Data API v3”
Select the quota to increase
Click “Edit Quotas”
Fill out the request form

Quota increases are usually approved within 24-48 hours for reasonable requests.

Troubleshooting

Error: redirect_uri_mismatch

Solution:

Check that redirect URI in code matches Google Cloud Console exactly
Ensure there are no trailing slashes or typos
Verify the port number matches

Update in Google Cloud Console:

Go to Credentials → OAuth 2.0 Client IDs
Edit your client
Update redirect URIs

Error: Access Not Configured

Solution:

Ensure YouTube Data API v3 is enabled in your project
Wait a few minutes after enabling APIs
Clear browser cache and try again

Error: Invalid Credentials

Solution:

Verify client_id and client_secret are correct
Check for extra spaces or line breaks when copying
Re-download credentials JSON from Google Cloud Console

Token Expired Errors

Solution:Re-authenticate:

rm config/tokens.json
node authenticate.js

Quota Exceeded

Solution:

Wait until quota resets (daily at midnight Pacific Time)
Reduce upload frequency
Request quota increase
Use GLOBAL_RATE_LIMIT_PER_HOUR to throttle requests

Security Best Practices

Protect Credentials

Never commit credentials.json or tokens.json to git
Add to .gitignore
Use environment variables in production

Rotate Keys

Regenerate OAuth credentials every 6 months
Delete old unused credentials
Use different credentials for dev/prod

Limit Scopes

Only request necessary OAuth scopes
Review permissions periodically
Revoke unused authorizations

Monitor Access

Check authorized apps in Google Account settings
Enable 2FA on Google account
Review API access logs

Next Steps

Your YouTube configuration is complete! Now you can:

Start the Agent

Launch the YouTube Automation Agent and start generating content

Configure Agents

Customize the specialized AI agents for your channel

​Prerequisites

​Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project

​Step 2: Enable YouTube APIs

​Step 3: Configure OAuth Consent Screen

​Step 4: Create OAuth 2.0 Credentials

​Step 5: Configure Application

​Step 6: Authenticate Your Channel

​Step 7: Verify Configuration

​Channel Configuration

​Video Category IDs

​Privacy Settings

​Content Strategy Configuration

​Content Types

Tutorial

Explainer

List

Story

Review

​Posting Schedule

​Frequency Options

​Best Posting Times

​Token Refresh

​Quota Management

​Monitor Usage

​Request Quota Increase

​Troubleshooting

​Security Best Practices

Protect Credentials

Rotate Keys

Limit Scopes

Monitor Access

​Next Steps

Start the Agent

Configure Agents

Prerequisites

Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project

Step 2: Enable YouTube APIs

Step 3: Configure OAuth Consent Screen

Step 4: Create OAuth 2.0 Credentials

Step 5: Configure Application

Step 6: Authenticate Your Channel

Step 7: Verify Configuration

Channel Configuration

Video Category IDs

Privacy Settings

Content Strategy Configuration

Content Types

Posting Schedule

Frequency Options

Best Posting Times

Token Refresh

Quota Management

Monitor Usage

Request Quota Increase

Troubleshooting

Security Best Practices

Next Steps