YouTube channel guide
Connect a YouTube channel, configure a video upload, and understand Analytics freshness.
- Documentation owner:
- BlendDuck Documentation
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BlendDuck publishes videos to the YouTube channel owned by the connected Google account. A Google account without a YouTube channel cannot complete the connection.
Connect YouTube
- Sign in to the Google account that owns the intended YouTube channel.
- Open Dashboard → Channels.
- Choose YouTube → Connect.
- Approve channel read and video upload access. Approve analytics access when it is requested.
- Verify the returned channel title, custom URL or channel ID, and avatar.
- Upload a short private or unlisted test video before scheduling public work.
If Google shows a choice of accounts, select the one that owns the channel, not only an account that can watch or comment on YouTube.
Prepare the upload
YouTube publishing requires exactly one video. Images, text-only posts, multiple videos, and BlendDuck threads are not accepted by this adapter.
| Field | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Video type | Auto, Short, or Standard video. Auto lets YouTube classify eligible uploads. |
| Title | Required, 1–100 characters. |
| Description | Optional, up to 5,000 UTF-8 bytes. |
| Visibility | Public, private, or unlisted. |
| Made for kids | Explicitly choose Yes or No when applicable to your compliance workflow. |
| Tags | Optional list of YouTube tags. |
| Thumbnail URL | Optional public remote image URL that BlendDuck can download. |
The video source must be readable by BlendDuck and return both a content type and content length. Stored MP4, MOV, and WebM uploads can use the direct or multipart path up to 4,000,000,000 bytes. Remote URL imports remain limited to 64 MiB because they use the bounded proxy path. Large stored videos are inspected through byte ranges and sent to YouTube in resumable 32 MiB chunks; the complete file is not buffered in Worker memory. Standard and Auto modes allow landscape and long-form video up to YouTube's 12-hour hard maximum; accounts that have not enabled longer uploads remain subject to YouTube's dynamic 15-minute gate. Explicit Short mode requires a square or vertical video no longer than three minutes. Do not delete or revoke access to an uploaded source while a scheduled post still depends on it.
Publish safely
- Attach one final video and open the YouTube channel customization.
- Choose Auto, Short, or Standard video; then enter a descriptive title and select visibility deliberately.
- Set the audience declaration and optional tags.
- If using a thumbnail URL, open it in a private browser window to confirm it is publicly reachable.
- Preview the description and links.
- For a first connection, publish as private or unlisted and inspect the resulting YouTube video before using public visibility.
BlendDuck uses a resumable YouTube upload session. A successful operation returns the YouTube video ID and watch URL. Do not create a duplicate when the upload is still active; inspect History and the native channel first.
Analytics
YouTube Analytics includes channel totals, follower history, and video-level views, likes, comments, shares, watch time, average view duration, completion percentage, and subscriber changes when the provider supplies them. BlendDuck keeps uploaded items typed as videos until YouTube exposes an authoritative content classification; it does not infer Analytics content type from duration alone.
YouTube reporting can lag. Use a date range that ends before the newest unsettled period when comparing channels or exporting a report. BlendDuck also supports public YouTube comments and replies in Inbox when the connection was authorized with the explicit comment scope.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Resolution |
|---|---|
| Connection says there is no YouTube channel | Switch to a Google account that owns an initialized YouTube channel. |
| Composer requires media | Attach exactly one video; YouTube text-only publishing is not supported. |
| Title or visibility is rejected | Use a 1–100 character title and choose public, private, or unlisted. |
| A video over 15 minutes is rejected | Enable longer uploads for the connected YouTube account, then upload the video again. |
| Video source cannot be read | Confirm the upload is complete, still accessible, and reports a valid content type and length. |
| Custom thumbnail fails | Use a public image URL that does not require cookies, authentication, or an expiring browser session. |
| Analytics is incomplete | Wait for provider processing and verify that analytics access was granted during connection. |
Use Media preparation for upload checks and Analytics for freshness, filters, exports, and cross-channel interpretation.