Import YouTube Analytics Data to Google Sheets

This guide will show how to pull private YouTube video data (data you need to be logged in to view) directly into Google Sheets, using the API Connector add-on for Sheets.

In general, YouTube's Public Data API is better developed and easier to work with than their Analytics API, so if you only need simple data like views, comments, and likes, I suggest checking this article instead. But if you want private video metrics for your own channel, like average watch time, views by date, and demographic breakdowns, read on for a step-by-step guide to the YouTube Analytics API.

Contents

• Before You Begin
• Part 1: Connect to the YouTube Analytics API
• Part 2: Pull YouTube Analytics API Data into Sheets
• Part 3: Create a Custom API Request
  • Channel Report
  • Content-Owner (Revenue) Report
• Part 4: Handle Pagination
• Part 5: YouTube Compliance
• Part 6: API Documentation

Before You Begin

Click here to install the API Connector add-on from the Google Marketplace.

Part 1: Connect to the YouTube Analytics API

The easiest way to get started with the YouTube Analytics API is through API Connector’s built-in integration.

1. Select YouTube Analytics from the drop-down list of applications
2. Under Authorization, click Connect to YouTube
   
3. You will see a couple of screens asking you to log in and approve the connection. Click Allow.
   
4. You'll then be returned to your Google Sheet, and can verify that your YouTube connection is active.

Part 2: Pull YouTube Analytics Data into Sheets

Now that we’re connected, let’s pull some data into Sheets.

1. Under Endpoint, choose whether you'd like to fetch data about your channel overall or stats for the individual videos in your channel. We'll start by getting video data.
   
   
2. Fill in any required parameters. For the videos endpoint we need to populate the start Date, endDate, maxResults, metrics, AND sort parameters.
3. Optionally set the filters parameter to select specific data points for the response.
4. Select a destination sheet, name your request, and click Run.
   
   

Part 3: Create a Custom API Request

Alternatively, you can run your own custom requests instead of using API Connector’s pre-built integration, using any of the API URLs shown in the API documentation.

To create a custom request, add your complete URL into the Request URL field, and choose YouTube from the OAuth menu. Here's an example request setup:

Example #1 - Channel Report

1. Open up Google Sheets and click Extensions > API Connector > Open > Create request.
2. In the request form enter the following:
   • Application: Custom
   • Method: GET
   • Request URL: https://youtubeanalytics.googleapis.com/v2/reports?dimensions=video&sort=-views&metrics=estimatedMinutesWatched,views,likes,subscribersGained&ids=channel==MINE&startDate=2022-01-01&endDate=2022-12-31&maxResults=200
   • OAuth: YouTube
3. When you select YouTube from the OAuth menu, you'll see a blue Connect button if you haven't already authorized the connection. Click through to enable the connection.
4. Create a new tab and click Set current to use that tab as your data destination.
5. Name your request and click Run. A moment later you’ll see statistics about your channel's videos populate your sheet.
   

Example #2 - Revenue Report

If you have a monetized channel and access to a Content Manager account, you can fetch additional revenue-related metrics for your YouTube account.

1. Verify that you have a YouTube Content Owner account. A YouTube Content Owner is not the same as a YouTube channel. Typically, you only have a YouTube Content Owner account if you manage many different channels.
2. Get your Content Owner ID.
3. Get your YouTube Channel ID.
4. Open up Google Sheets and click Extensions > API Connector > Open > Create request.
5. In the request form enter the following, filling in your own content owner and channel IDs:
   • Application: Custom
   • Method: GET
   • Request URL: https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/analytics/v2/reports?ids=contentOwner==your_content_owner_id&start-date=2023-01-01&end-date=2023-10-31&metrics=views,estimatedAdRevenue,grossRevenue&filters=channel==your_channel_id
   • OAuth: YouTube
6. When you select YouTube from the OAuth menu, you'll see a blue Connect button if you haven't already authorized the connection. Click through to enable the connection.
7. Create a new tab and click Set current to use that tab as your data destination.
8. Name your request and click Run. A moment later you’ll see statistics including revenue-related data populate your sheet.

Part 4: Handle Pagination

Let's get it out of the way immediately, this section doesn't contain a real way to handle pagination. You can set the maxResults parameter to 200, but this API doesn't support paginating through results to retrieve more than 200 records at a time. If you have more than 200 videos, you can try using the filters parameter to break your data up such that it can be retrieved in groups of less than 200 at a time, and then run those request URLs separately.

Part 5: YouTube Compliance

To comply with the terms of YouTube's API, requests are subject to the following conditions:

1. All saved requests to YouTube will refresh every 30 days, even if you have not set up a scheduled refresh.
2. All YouTube requests will show only the metric name rather than the full path in the header row.

Relevant Terms:

“API Clients may store all other types of Authorized Data not identified in section (III.E.4.b) for as long as is necessary for the purposes of the specific consent granted by an active user and for no longer than 30 calendar days. After 30 calendar days, the API Client must either delete or refresh the stored data”. (link)

"Your API Clients must not (i) replace API Data with similar, independently calculated data, or (ii) access or use API Data to create new or derived data or metrics." (link)

Part 6: API Documentation & Resources

Many sample queries are provided in YouTube's list of sample requests. In addition, they provide an API Explorer tool that simplifies the process of testing and constructing queries.

Related documentation:

• The YouTube Analytics API (the subject of this article) allows you to query private statistics about your channel, like video watch times and demographic breakdowns. Documentation: https://developers.google.com/youtube/analytics/data_model
• The YouTube Public Data API allows you to retrieve lists of content based on search parameters. It also provides some basic statistics like views, likes, comment counts, and subscriber counts, for all public videos. Documentation: https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/docs
• The YouTube Reporting API is focused on reporting, and provides bulk reports of YouTube analytics data for your own channel, including detailed metrics and ad performance reports. Unlike the Analytics API, it doesn't provide filtering and sorting parameters, as these reports are designed to be downloaded and stored in a data warehouse, where you can then query the data yourself. (This table provides a summary of the differences between YouTube's Reporting and Analytics APIs). Documentation: https://developers.google.com/youtube/reporting/v1/reports