YouTube API Scopes - Complete Reference

YouTube Data API v3 Scopes

Basic Scopes

Scope	Description	Access Level
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube	Manage your YouTube account - full read/write access	Full access
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.readonly	View your YouTube account - read-only access	Read-only
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.upload	Upload YouTube videos - upload-only access	Upload only

Channel-Specific Scopes

Scope	Description	Access Level
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.channel-memberships.creator	Manage YouTube channel memberships	Creator access

Partner Scopes

Scope	Description	Access Level
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtubepartner	View and manage your assets and associated content on YouTube	Partner access
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtubepartner-channel-audit	View private information of your YouTube content	Audit access

YouTube Analytics API Scopes

Scope	Description	Access Level
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/yt-analytics.readonly	View YouTube Analytics reports for your YouTube content	Read-only
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/yt-analytics-monetary.readonly	View monetary reports for your YouTube content	Financial read-only

Scope	Description	Access Level
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.readonly	View YouTube reporting data	Read-only
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/yt-analytics.readonly	View YouTube Analytics reports	Read-only

YouTube Live Streaming API Scopes

Scope	Description	Access Level
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube	Manage YouTube live streams	Full access
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.readonly	View YouTube live stream information	Read-only
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.upload	Upload YouTube live stream content	Upload access

Scope Usage Guidelines

Choosing the Right Scope

Principle of Least Privilege: Always request the minimum scope required for your application

User Experience: Fewer scopes = better user adoption
Security: More restrictive scopes reduce potential security risks
App Review: Some scopes require additional verification

Common Scope Combinations

Basic Video Upload

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.upload

Channel Management

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube

Analytics Dashboard

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

Content Creator App

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtubepartner

Best Practices

Scope Request Best Practices

Incremental Authorization: Request additional scopes as needed rather than all at once
Scope Explanation: Provide clear explanations to users about why each scope is needed
Error Handling: Handle scope-related errors gracefully
Token Management: Store and refresh tokens securely

Security Considerations

Security Warning: Never hardcode scopes in client-side code. Use server-side authentication for sensitive operations.

Regularly review the scopes your application uses
Monitor for scope changes in API updates
Implement proper token storage and rotation
Use HTTPS for all API communications

Example OAuth 2.0 Flow with Scopes

// Node.js example using Google API Client Library
const {google} = require('googleapis');
const youtube = google.youtube('v3');

// Configure OAuth2 client
const oauth2Client = new google.auth.OAuth2(
  'YOUR_CLIENT_ID',
  'YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET',
  'YOUR_REDIRECT_URL'
);

// Generate auth URL with specific scopes
const scopes = [
  'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.upload',
  'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.readonly'
];

const url = oauth2Client.generateAuthUrl({
  access_type: 'offline',
  scope: scopes
});

console.log('Authorize this app by visiting:', url);
        

Complete Scope Reference

All YouTube API Scopes

Basic YouTube Data API

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.readonly https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.upload

YouTube Partner Scopes

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtubepartner https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtubepartner-channel-audit

YouTube Analytics

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

YouTube Channel Memberships

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.channel-memberships.creator

Scope Comparison Table

Scope	Read	Write	Upload	Analytics	Partner	Memberships
`youtube`	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
`youtube.readonly`	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
`youtube.upload`	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
`youtubepartner`	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌
`yt-analytics.readonly`	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌
`youtube.channel-memberships.creator`	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅

Troubleshooting

Common Scope-Related Issues

Insufficient Permissions: Ensure you're requesting the correct scope for the operation
Scope Mismatch: Verify the token was obtained with the required scopes
Expired Tokens: Implement token refresh logic
User Denied Scopes: Handle authorization failures gracefully

Debugging Tips

Use the Google OAuth 2.0 Playground to test scopes
Check token information using the Google Token Info endpoint
Review the YouTube API Error Reference

Note: Always refer to the official YouTube API documentation for the most up-to-date information and scope changes.