youtube
YouTube API for videos and channels. Use when user mentions "YouTube", "youtube.com", "youtu.be", shares a video link, "channel stats", or asks about video content.
Best use case
youtube is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
YouTube API for videos and channels. Use when user mentions "YouTube", "youtube.com", "youtu.be", shares a video link, "channel stats", or asks about video content.
Teams using youtube should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/youtube/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How youtube Compares
| Feature / Agent | youtube | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
YouTube API for videos and channels. Use when user mentions "YouTube", "youtube.com", "youtu.be", shares a video link, "channel stats", or asks about video content.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
Related Guides
SKILL.md Source
## Troubleshooting
If requests fail, run `zero doctor check-connector --env-name YOUTUBE_TOKEN` or `zero doctor check-connector --url https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/search --method GET`
## How to Use
Base URL: `https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3`
### 1. Search Videos
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/search?part=snippet&q=kubernetes+tutorial&type=video&maxResults=5&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {videoId: .id.videoId, title: .snippet.title, channel: .snippet.channelTitle}'
```
### 2. Search with Filters
Search for videos uploaded this year, ordered by view count:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/search?part=snippet&q=react+hooks&type=video&order=viewCount&publishedAfter=2024-01-01T00:00:00Z&maxResults=10&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {videoId: .id.videoId, title: .snippet.title}'
```
### 3. Get Video Details
Replace `<your-video-id>` with an actual video ID:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos?part=snippet,statistics,contentDetails&id=<your-video-id>&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[0] | {title: .snippet.title, views: .statistics.viewCount, likes: .statistics.likeCount, duration: .contentDetails.duration}'
```
### 4. Get Multiple Videos
Replace `<your-video-id-1>`, `<your-video-id-2>`, `<your-video-id-3>` with actual video IDs:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos?part=snippet,statistics&id=<your-video-id-1>,<your-video-id-2>,<your-video-id-3>&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {id: .id, title: .snippet.title, views: .statistics.viewCount}'
```
### 5. Get Trending Videos
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos?part=snippet,statistics&chart=mostPopular®ionCode=US&maxResults=10&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {title: .snippet.title, channel: .snippet.channelTitle, views: .statistics.viewCount}'
```
### 6. Get Channel by ID
Replace `<your-channel-id>` with an actual channel ID:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/channels?part=snippet,statistics&id=<your-channel-id>&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[0] | {title: .snippet.title, subscribers: .statistics.subscriberCount, videos: .statistics.videoCount}'
```
### 7. Get Channel by Handle
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/channels?part=snippet,statistics&forHandle=@GoogleDevelopers&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[0] | {id: .id, title: .snippet.title, subscribers: .statistics.subscriberCount}'
```
### 8. Get Channel by Username
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/channels?part=snippet,statistics&forUsername=GoogleDevelopers&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[0] | {id: .id, title: .snippet.title, description: .snippet.description}'
```
### 9. List Playlist Items
Replace `<your-playlist-id>` with an actual playlist ID:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/playlistItems?part=snippet&playlistId=<your-playlist-id>&maxResults=20&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {position: .snippet.position, title: .snippet.title, videoId: .snippet.resourceId.videoId}'
```
### 10. Get Channel Uploads Playlist
First get the channel's uploads playlist ID, then list videos. Replace `<your-channel-id>` with an actual channel ID:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/channels?part=contentDetails&id=<your-channel-id>&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq -r '.items[0].contentDetails.relatedPlaylists.uploads'
```
### 11. Get Video Comments
Replace `<your-video-id>` with an actual video ID:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/commentThreads?part=snippet&videoId=<your-video-id>&maxResults=20&order=relevance&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {author: .snippet.topLevelComment.snippet.authorDisplayName, text: .snippet.topLevelComment.snippet.textDisplay, likes: .snippet.topLevelComment.snippet.likeCount}'
```
### 12. Search Comments
Replace `<your-video-id>` with an actual video ID:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/commentThreads?part=snippet&videoId=<your-video-id>&searchTerms=great+video&maxResults=10&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {author: .snippet.topLevelComment.snippet.authorDisplayName, text: .snippet.topLevelComment.snippet.textDisplay}'
```
### 13. Get Video Categories
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videoCategories?part=snippet®ionCode=US&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {id: .id, title: .snippet.title}'
```
### 14. Search Videos by Category
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/search?part=snippet&type=video&videoCategoryId=28&maxResults=10&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {videoId: .id.videoId, title: .snippet.title}'
```
Note: Category 28 = Science & Technology
### 15. Get Playlists from Channel
Replace `<your-channel-id>` with an actual channel ID:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/playlists?part=snippet&channelId=<your-channel-id>&maxResults=20&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {id: .id, title: .snippet.title, description: .snippet.description}'
```
## Common Video Categories
| ID | Category |
|----|----------|
| 1 | Film & Animation |
| 10 | Music |
| 17 | Sports |
| 20 | Gaming |
| 22 | People & Blogs |
| 24 | Entertainment |
| 25 | News & Politics |
| 26 | Howto & Style |
| 27 | Education |
| 28 | Science & Technology |
## Part Parameter Options
### Videos
- `snippet` - Title, description, thumbnails, channel
- `statistics` - Views, likes, comments count
- `contentDetails` - Duration, definition, caption
- `status` - Upload status, privacy, license
- `player` - Embeddable player
### Channels
- `snippet` - Title, description, thumbnails
- `statistics` - Subscribers, videos, views
- `contentDetails` - Related playlists (uploads, likes)
- `brandingSettings` - Channel customization
## Pagination
Use `nextPageToken` from response to get more results. Replace `<your-next-page-token>` with the actual token from the previous response:
```bash
curl -s "https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/search?part=snippet&q=python&type=video&maxResults=50&pageToken=<your-next-page-token>&key=$YOUTUBE_TOKEN" | jq '.items[] | {title: .snippet.title}'
```
## Guidelines
1. **Quota limits**: API has 10,000 units/day quota. Search costs 100 units, most others cost 1 unit
2. **Rate limits**: Implement exponential backoff on 403/429 errors
3. **API key security**: Never expose API keys in client-side code
4. **Caching**: Cache responses to reduce quota usage
5. **Video IDs**: Extract from URLs like `youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID` or `youtu.be/VIDEO_ID`Related Skills
zoom
Zoom API for managing meetings, webinars, cloud recordings, and user data. Use when user mentions "Zoom", "Zoom meeting", "join URL", "cloud recording", or "webinar".
zeptomail
ZeptoMail API for transactional email. Use when user mentions "ZeptoMail", "transactional email", "send email", or Zoho email.
zep
Zep API for long-term memory and conversation history management in AI agents. Use when user mentions "Zep", "conversation memory", "session memory", "memory search", "user facts", "agent memory", or "long-term memory".
zendesk
Zendesk API for customer support. Use when user mentions "Zendesk", "support ticket", "customer service", or help desk.
zapsign
ZapSign API for e-signatures. Use when user mentions "ZapSign", "e-signature", "sign document", or Brazilian e-signature.
zapier
Zapier API for workflow automation. Use when user mentions "Zapier", "zap", "automation", or asks about connecting apps.
xero
Xero API for accounting. Use when user mentions "Xero", "accounting", "invoices", "bookkeeping", or asks about financial management.
x
X (Twitter) API for tweets and profiles. Use when user mentions "X", "Twitter", "x.com", "twitter.com", shares a tweet link, "check X", or asks about social media posts.
wrike
Wrike API for project management. Use when user mentions "Wrike", "wrike.com", shares a Wrike link, "Wrike task", or asks about Wrike workspace.
workos
WorkOS API for enterprise SSO, SCIM directory sync, RBAC fine-grained authorization, and audit logs. Use when user mentions "WorkOS", "SSO", "SAML", "SCIM", "directory sync", "enterprise authentication", "audit log", or "fine-grained authorization".
workflow-migration
VM0 migration helper for Claude Code workflows. Use when user says "migrate to VM0", "move to VM0", "convert skill to VM0", or asks about migrating local Claude Code workflows.
wix
Wix API for website management. Use when user mentions "Wix", "wix.com", "wixsite.com", shares a Wix link, "Wix site", or asks about Wix CMS.