# YouTube API Scopes - Complete Reference

This document provides a comprehensive list of all YouTube API scopes available for OAuth 2.0 authentication.

## Table of Contents

1. [YouTube Data API v3 Scopes](#youtube-data-api-v3-scopes)
2. [YouTube Analytics API Scopes](#youtube-analytics-api-scopes)
3. [YouTube Reporting API Scopes](#youtube-reporting-api-scopes)
4. [YouTube Live Streaming API Scopes](#youtube-live-streaming-api-scopes)
5. [Scope Usage Guidelines](#scope-usage-guidelines)
6. [Best Practices](#best-practices)

## YouTube Data API v3 Scopes

### Basic Scopes

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

### Channel-Specific Scopes

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

### Force SSL 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 |

## YouTube Reporting API Scopes

| 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

1. **Principle of Least Privilege**: Always request the minimum scope required for your application
2. **User Experience**: Fewer scopes = better user adoption
3. **Security**: More restrictive scopes reduce potential security risks

### 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

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

### Security Considerations

1. **Never hardcode scopes** in client-side code
2. **Use server-side authentication** for sensitive operations
3. **Regularly review** the scopes your application uses
4. **Monitor for scope changes** in API updates

### Example OAuth 2.0 Flow with Scopes

```javascript
// 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` | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |

## Additional Resources

- [Official YouTube API Documentation](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3)
- [Google OAuth 2.0 Documentation](https://developers.google.com/identity/protocols/oauth2)
- [YouTube API Scope Reference](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/guides/authentication)
- [Google API Client Libraries](https://developers.google.com/api-client-library)

## Troubleshooting

### Common Scope-Related Issues

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

### Debugging Tips

- Use the [Google OAuth 2.0 Playground](https://developers.google.com/oauthplayground/) to test scopes
- Check token information using the [Google Token Info endpoint](https://www.googleapis.com/oauth2/v3/tokeninfo)
- Review the [YouTube API Error Reference](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/docs/error-code-reference)

This comprehensive list covers all available YouTube API scopes with detailed explanations of their purposes and usage guidelines.