YouTube API and Authorization

FOXI Studio has two different YouTube connections, and it is important not to confuse them:

1. YouTube API key — used for topic research, Scout, and analysis of public YouTube data.
2. YouTube OAuth — used to upload finished videos to your YouTube channel.

In simple words: API key helps FOXI read public YouTube information, while OAuth allows FOXI to publish videos to your channel.

Quick comparison

Connection	What it is for	Gives access to your channel	When to connect
YouTube API key	Topic research, Scout, competitor analysis, reading public data	No	When you want to find topics and analyze a niche
YouTube OAuth	Uploading videos, thumbnails, descriptions, and schedules	Yes	When you are happy with video quality and ready to enable auto-publishing

For beginners, the safest order is:

1. First configure the project and generate a test video.
2. Then connect YouTube API key for Scout if you need topic research.
3. Only after quality checks, connect YouTube OAuth for publishing.

YouTube API key: what it is for

YouTube API key is used when FOXI needs to read public YouTube data:

• search videos by keywords;
• analyze competitors;
• collect titles, views, dates, and channels;
• help Scout find topics;
• help AI Config understand the niche through competitors.

API key does not publish videos and does not control your channel. It is a key for reading public information.

Does everyone need a YouTube API key?

No. Not everyone needs it.

YouTube API key is needed if you want to:

• run Scout in YouTube analysis mode;
• find topics through competitors;
• analyze a niche through YouTube;
• regularly collect ideas for the topic queue.

You can start without a YouTube API key if you:

• already know your topics and add them manually;
• only want to test script, voice, images, and Builder;
• use the AI assistant for brainstorming without deep YouTube search.

How YouTube API quota works

Google gives daily quota to a Google Cloud project, not to each separate key inside one project.

This is important:

• 1 Google Cloud project = one daily quota;
• 10 keys inside one project = still one shared quota;
• if Scout needs more stability, create several separate projects, each with one key.

Example:

Setup	What happens with quota
10 keys created inside one project	Quota does not increase; all keys share one limit
5 projects with 1 key in each	5 separate daily quotas

If Scout often reaches limits, the issue may not be FOXI. All keys may have been created inside the same Google Cloud project.

How to get a YouTube API key

Below is the general process. The Google interface may change slightly, but the logic stays the same.

Step 1. Open Google Cloud Console

Go to Google Cloud Console and sign in to the Google account where you will create projects.

Step 2. Create a separate project

Open the project list and create a new project. Give it a clear name, for example:

FOXI-YouTube-API-1

For the next key, create the next project:

FOXI-YouTube-API-2
FOXI-YouTube-API-3

Step 3. Enable YouTube Data API v3

Inside the selected project, find YouTube Data API v3 and click Enable.

After clicking Enable, wait until Google shows that the API is enabled for the selected project.

Without this, the key may exist, but Scout will not be able to read YouTube data correctly.

Step 4. Create an API key

Open Credentials and create a new API key.

After creation, copy the key.

If Google offers API restrictions for the key, select YouTube Data API v3. This keeps the key limited to YouTube Data API instead of allowing it to be used across all Google services.

Step 5. Paste the key into FOXI

Open project settings in FOXI and paste the key into the YouTube API field.

If you have several keys, paste them separated by semicolons:

AIzaSy...;AIzaSy...;AIzaSy...

Step 6. Check the keys

Use the key check button in FOXI. It helps verify whether the service can see the key and access YouTube.

The check may show:

• key works;
• key is empty or invalid;
• YouTube Data API v3 is not enabled;
• quota is exhausted;
• Google temporarily rejected the request;
• key was created in the wrong project.

How many keys are needed?

For the first tests, one key is often enough. For active Scout usage, it is better to have several keys from different Google Cloud projects.

Approximate guide:

Scenario	Keys to prepare
Just test Scout	1 key
Occasionally search topics for one channel	2–3 keys
Actively run several channels	5–10 keys
Large-scale research in difficult niches	10+ keys if you have time to configure them

Do not create dozens of keys in advance if you have not tested the project itself yet. First make sure the niche, style, and video generation are good.

YouTube OAuth: what it is for

YouTube OAuth is used to publish videos to your channel. This is not just reading public data. You allow FOXI to perform actions on behalf of your YouTube account within the granted permissions.

OAuth is needed if you want to:

• upload finished videos to the channel;
• attach a thumbnail;
• send title, description, and tags;
• schedule publication;
• automate publishing for several projects.

When to connect OAuth

Do not connect auto-publishing too early. First check quality.

Correct order:

1. Create a project.
2. Generate 1–2 test videos.
3. Download the result manually.
4. Check sound, script, images, subtitles, and thumbnail.
5. Fix settings if needed.
6. Only then enable YouTube OAuth and auto-publishing.

This prevents a random test video with a bad thumbnail, wrong voice, or unfinished script from appearing on your channel.

Publishing schedule

After connecting YouTube, you can configure a schedule. This is useful if you want videos to go live on specific days and times.

Example:

Monday: 12:00 | 18:00
Wednesday: 12:00
Friday: 18:00

Scheduling is especially useful if you manage several channels and do not want to publish every video manually.

Key security

Do not send keys, OAuth files, or tokens to external chats. Do not show them in screenshots. If you make a screenshot for support or documentation, blur secret values.

If you do not understand an error, message the AI assistant inside FOXI:

Check the YouTube settings in my project and explain why Scout or publishing does not work.

You do not need to send the full key to the AI assistant. It is enough to describe the error or show a safe part of the message.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Why it is a problem	What to do
Creating many keys in one Google Cloud project	Quota will not increase	Create a separate project for each key
Not enabling YouTube Data API v3	Key exists, but data cannot be read	Enable the API in the correct project
Enabling auto-publishing immediately	A test video may appear on the channel	Check video manually first
Pasting OAuth instead of API key	Scout will not work as expected	Separate API key and OAuth
Showing a key on a screenshot	Someone else can steal the secret	Blur keys and tokens

What to ask the AI assistant

Useful requests:

• “Do I need a YouTube API key if I write topics manually?”
• “Why does Scout say the limit is exhausted?”
• “Check if I understand the difference between API key and OAuth correctly.”
• “When is it safe to enable auto-publishing?”
• “How should I configure the schedule for a US channel?”
• “Why does YouTube upload not start on my plan?”

Where to go next

If you only need topic research, configure YouTube API key and go to Scout. If you want auto-publishing, first generate a high-quality test video, then configure the YouTube publishing section.