web-hosts/chuckie.coppertone.tech/app/docs/youtube-scopes.md

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
2. YouTube Analytics API Scopes
3. YouTube Reporting API Scopes
4. YouTube Live Streaming API Scopes
5. Scope Usage Guidelines
6. 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

// 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
• Google OAuth 2.0 Documentation
• YouTube API Scope Reference
• Google API Client Libraries

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 to test scopes
• Check token information using the Google Token Info endpoint
• Review the YouTube API Error Reference

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