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Connecting YouTube

YouTube's setup runs through Google Cloud Console rather than a YouTube-specific developer portal. The steps themselves are short, but one of them — adding yourself as a test user — is easy to skip past and is the single most common reason a correctly-configured connection still fails.

1. Create a Google Cloud project and enable the API​

  1. Go to the Google Cloud Console and create a new project (or select an existing one you're happy to use for this).
  2. Go to APIs & Services → Library, search for YouTube Data API v3, and enable it.
  1. Go to APIs & Services → OAuth consent screen.
  2. Choose User Type: External, unless you're on Google Workspace and specifically want Internal.
  3. Fill in the required app details (name, support email, etc.) and save.
  4. Go to the Audience (or Test users) section and add the Google account(s) you'll connect from Stitchable.
This step is required, not optional

While your app's publishing status is Testing (the default, and where it stays until you complete Google's formal review), the youtube.upload scope Stitchable requests only works for accounts explicitly listed as test users. This isn't a Stitchable limitation — it's how Google gates sensitive scopes short of a full CASA security assessment, which is a paid, formal review most indie developers won't pursue. Practically, this means: the Google account you connect with must be added as a test user, or the connection will fail even with completely correct credentials.

3. Create OAuth credentials​

  1. Go to APIs & Services → Credentials → Create Credentials → OAuth client ID.
  2. For Application type, choose Desktop app (not Web application — this matters, see the note below).
  3. Name it whatever you like and create it.
  4. Copy the Client ID and Client secret shown.
Why "Desktop app" and not "Web application"

Google's Desktop app OAuth client type automatically supports a loopback redirect (http://127.0.0.1:<any port>) without you pre-registering an exact port — which is exactly what Stitchable needs, since it binds a fresh local port each time you connect. This is Google's documented, recommended shape for native/desktop OAuth clients, not a workaround.

4. Connect it in Stitchable​

  1. Open the connect wizard from the Publishing page and choose YouTube.
  2. Paste the Client ID and Client secret from step 3, then click Save & continue.
  3. Click Sign in with YouTube. A browser window opens Google's real sign-in and consent screen.
  4. Sign in with the Google account you added as a test user in step 2.
  5. Because the app hasn't passed Google's verification, you'll likely see an "unverified app" warning — click Advanced → Go to [your app name] (unsafe) to proceed. This is expected for a Testing-status app and not a sign anything is misconfigured.
  6. Approve access. The wizard finishes automatically.

Until you complete Google's full verification (CASA), this connection realistically stays limited to you and anyone else you've explicitly added as a test user — up to 100 accounts. That's a Google policy boundary, not something Stitchable can widen on your behalf.