How to Get a YouTube API Key [Tutorial + Examples]

Written by Anna Fitzgerald | Mar 22, 2022 11:00:00 AM

Good news: There's an easy way to use YouTube to grow your business without creating videos. You can embed existing YouTube content on your site using the YouTube API.

No scripting, no story boarding, and no filming required. Just use the content that has already been created. Let鈥檚 take a look at what the is, how you can get an API key, and how you can use it for your brand.

Like other APIs (or Application Programming Interfaces), the YouTube API makes a programmer鈥檚 work easier by skipping the drudgery of writing every single line of code every time users need to access data. Instead, programmers can use predefined functions and protocols to curate YouTube videos on a website.

Additionally, the YouTube API has a wide selection of features and functionalities that make it accessible to developers and valuable to businesses. It allows you to retrieve data at a mass scale without needing to access individual videos and channels.

With that in mind, what kind of data can you feature using the YouTube API? Let鈥檚 take a look.

YouTube API Data

The YouTube API gives you access to YouTube鈥檚 data in a more comprehensive, scalable way than standalone YouTube embed codes would. You can retrieve entire playlists, users鈥� uploads, and even search results using the YouTube API. You can also add YouTube functionalities to your website so that users can upload videos and manage channel subscriptions straight from your website or app.

Let鈥檚 take a look at some of the most popular functionalities of the API. This is not an exhaustive list; we recommend perusing .

YouTube Resource	Example HTTP Request	Description
i.e what you鈥檇 like to use the API for	i.e one possible request you could make with this resource	i.e what the action would look like on your website or app
	GET / search	Retrieves a range of search results based on the query you鈥檝e set.
	DELETE / playlists	Deletes a playlist.
	POST / videos	Uploads a video to YouTube from your website or app.
	POST / comments / markAsSpam	Allows you to flag one or more comments as spam.
	GET / channels	Retrieves a channel鈥檚 videos or playlists (or any other resource, such as comments).
	POST / subscriptions	Adds a subscriber to an authenticated user鈥檚 channel.
	GET / members	Retrieves a list of members for a channel that has given you authorization.
	PUT / captions	Updates a caption track (you can upload a new file or change it to a draft).
	POST / channelSections	Allows you to add a section of featured videos, for example, to an authenticated user鈥檚 channel.
	POST / watermarks / unset	Allows you to remove a watermark image associated with a channel.

Benefits of Using the YouTube API

Many marketers and business owners are missing out on the benefits of incorporating YouTube into their digital marketing strategy. Usually, it's a question of how much time it takes to create high-quality video content.

In a typical strategy, you would consistently publish video content every week with the hopes of generating likes and subscribers 鈥� a portion of which you鈥檇 hope would convert into customers. Luckily, this is no longer the only way to use YouTube for your business. YouTube has created an API that allows you to integrate your website with the social platform.

Here are some of the greatest benefits of using the YouTube API:

You can take advantage of existing content. With the YouTube API, you don鈥檛 have to spend valuable time and resources creating content. Instead, you can take advantage of the content that has already been published to increase user engagement on your site.
YouTube is one of the top social media platforms. With active users in more than , YouTube is the . It's also the , the , and the on the internet.
Featuring YouTube鈥檚 content can increase your dwell time. Because the YouTube API can help you add YouTube content to your website, it will help users stay on the page for longer as they watch the content that you鈥檝e specifically curated for them. This increase in dwell time signals to search engines that your content is valuable, boosting your rankings for target keywords.
Using the API can help you convert more website visitors. Using the API is also valuable from a conversion rate and revenue standpoint. Prospects who engage with your content and stay on your website are more likely than not to make a purchase.

Using the YouTube API is a no-brainer for many marketers, but YouTube doesn't allow just anyone to access this valuable tool or its data. To prevent potential abuse, YouTube grants each user a unique API key that allows them to connect their website or app to the platform.

Each API key is designated for an individual project. If you鈥檙e using the API on two different websites, you should create two different API keys.

Now, let鈥檚 go over how to get a YouTube API key step-by-step.

If you'd prefer to watch a , check out this walkthrough by DAIMTO Developer tips:

1. Log in to Google Developers Console.

You can log in to using your Google account. If you don鈥檛 yet have one, you鈥檒l need to create one.

2. Create a new project.

Once you log in, you鈥檒l automatically be taken to an empty dashboard. On the upper right-hand corner, click Create Project.

You鈥檒l be taken to a screen where you can add a project name, select your organization, and select a location (URL).

You can create a project without an organization. If you don鈥檛 have an organization, you won鈥檛 be prompted to select a location.

Once you create a project, everything you do from here onwards, including creating the API key, will apply to that specific project. If you have multiple projects going at the same time, ensure that the correct one is selected by double-checking that the project is listed on the top navigation bar.

3. On the new project dashboard, click Explore & Enable APIs.

After creating a project, you鈥檒l be taken to a brand new dashboard with different cards: Project Info, Resources, and so on.

Navigate to the Getting Started card and click on Explore & Enable APIs.

Alternatively, on the sidebar, navigate to APIs & Services > Library.

4. In the library, navigate to YouTube Data API v3 under YouTube APIs.

Once you鈥檝e reached the library, you鈥檒l see a page divided into sections. Navigate to the section titled YouTube APIs and select YouTube Data API v3.

Alternatively, you can search for the YouTube Data API on the search bar.

5. Enable the API.

After you arrive at the YouTube Data API page, click a blue button with the word Enable.

6. Create a credential.

After clicking Enable, you鈥檒l be taken to an overview page.

On the top right corner, click Create Credentials.

On the Credentials window, select YouTube Data API v3 for the first blank space, Web server (e.g. node js. Tomcat) for the second, and check the Public data box on the third prompt.

Right below that, click on the blue button titled What credentials do I need?

After that, your API key will automatically load.

Click Done.

7. A screen will appear with the API key.

Finished! You鈥檝e got your API key. It鈥檚 saved in your credentials for easy retrieval.

YouTube API Key Troubleshooting

Where is My YouTube API Key?

Have you created an API key but don鈥檛 know how to find it? We鈥檒l walk you through the process of finding it step-by-step.

Step 1: Log in to .
Step 2: You鈥檒l automatically be taken to your project dashboard, where you鈥檒l see a series of cards. Under the APIs card, click Go to APIs overview.

Step 3: You鈥檒l be taken to a dashboard with a sidebar. On this sidebar, click Credentials.

Step 4: All done! You鈥檒l find the YouTube API key you created.

My YouTube API Key is Not Working

Glitches happen all the time, especially when it comes to APIs.

Your API key may not be working because you鈥檙e using it for the wrong project. Be sure you鈥檙e using the key for the project that you created it for, especially if you created multiple projects at the same time.

If it鈥檚 still not working, consider creating a new API key entirely.

Once you鈥檝e retrieved your YouTube API key, you can use it to call YouTube鈥檚 data. One other highly beneficial use is live-streaming events for your business. This will require you to access the YouTube Live Streaming API.

How to Access YouTube Live API

1. Follow steps 1-7 above to get a YouTube API key.

First, set up your project, website, or app and then get a YouTube API key. This key will let you access YouTube鈥檚 Live Streaming API.

Don鈥檛 forget to so that your API requests are successfully authenticated.

2. Learn the resources associated with the YouTube Live API.

The YouTube Live Streaming API has a distinct set of resources you can make API calls for. These include:

refers to the metadata of your live YouTube video.
refers to the actual content you鈥檒l be transmitting during your live event.
refers to an ad break in your live video.

The YouTube Live API also shares some resources with the YouTube Data API, including:

video refers to a single YouTube video.
videoAdvertisingOptions refers to the ad settings for your broadcast.
asset refers to a piece of intellectual property (such as a scene from a movie or show) that鈥檚 not owned by you.
policy refers to any rules or policies that your live broadcast or YouTube video is under.

3. Learn what you can do with certain resources.

For each of these resources, you can complete a certain set of actions, which are called 鈥渕ethods.鈥� The methods you can use will vary depending on the resource you鈥檙e trying to create an API call for.

For instance, you can do the following with a liveBroadcast resource:

list: Allows you to retrieve a range of broadcasts that match your request parameters.
insert: Allows you to create a live broadcast.
update: Allows you to change a live broadcasts鈥� metadata or settings.
delete: Allows you to delete a broadcast.

And much, much more. It all depends on what exactly you鈥檙e trying to do. If you鈥檙e feeling at a loss and don鈥檛 know how to use the YouTube Live Streaming API for, say, your WordPress website, you might consider using a plugin such as .

4. Try it out using Google鈥檚 API explorer tool.

Before you touch a single line of your code on your actual app or website, try out the Live Streaming API using Google鈥檚 built-in API explorer tool. In it, you can specify parameters such as broadcastStatus, broadcastType, pageToken, and more (but the fields will vary depending on the resource and method you鈥檙e testing). This allows you to draft up the code in a sandbox environment without manipulating the code you鈥檝e already written for your website or app.

If you鈥檙e looking for more general examples of the YouTube Data API, you鈥檙e in luck. Below, we share some code samples for common things you might want to do using the API.

YouTube API Examples

What are some other ways you can use the YouTube API on your website or app? Below, you鈥檒l find useful code samples for common YouTube API use cases.

1. Retrieving Your Uploads

The following code samples allow you to retrieve your own or another user鈥檚 uploads. Choose the one that aligns with the coding language or platform you鈥檙e using.