YouTube API Guide

Upload and schedule YouTube videos with titles, descriptions, tags, privacy settings, and category assignments. PostEverywhere handles the multi-step YouTube upload process and metadata configuration through a single API call. For a general overview of all supported platforms, see the Introduction.

Supported Content Types

Content Type	Media Required	Description
Video	Video (MP4)	Standard YouTube video. A title is required.
Short	Video (MP4)	Vertical video (9:16) under 60 seconds is automatically treated as a Short by YouTube.

YouTube is a video-only platform. Every post must include a video attachment.

Community posts are not supported

YouTube Community posts — the text, image, and poll posts on a channel's Community tab — cannot be created via PostEverywhere, because YouTube does not provide an API to create them. YouTube's Data API supports video and Shorts uploads, playlists, comments, and channel data, but has never exposed a Community-post endpoint. Community posts can only be created in YouTube's own app or website. If YouTube releases a Community Posts API, we'll add support.

Platform-Specific Settings

Use the platform_content.youtube object to set video metadata:

{
  "platform_content": {
    "youtube": {
      "content": "Full video description with links and chapters",
      "settings": {
        "title": "My Video Title (required)",
        "privacyStatus": "public",
        "tags": ["tag1", "tag2", "tag3"],
        "categoryId": "22",
        "madeForKids": false
      }
    }
  }
}

Settings Reference

Setting	Type	Default	Description
content	string	—	Video description. Supports links, chapters, and multi-line text.
settings.title	string	Required	Video title. Max 100 characters.
settings.privacyStatus	string	"public"	Visibility setting. See values below.
settings.tags	string[]	[]	Tags for search discovery. YouTube allows up to 500 characters total across all tags.
settings.categoryId	string	"22"	YouTube category ID. See common categories below.
settings.madeForKids	boolean	false	Whether the video is made for children. Affects comments and personalized ads.

Privacy Statuses

Value	Description
public	Visible to everyone. Appears in search results and subscriptions.
unlisted	Only accessible via direct link. Does not appear in search or on your channel.
private	Only visible to you and users you explicitly share with.

Common Category IDs

ID	Category
1	Film & Animation
2	Autos & Vehicles
10	Music
15	Pets & Animals
17	Sports
20	Gaming
22	People & Blogs
23	Comedy
24	Entertainment
25	News & Politics
26	Howto & Style
27	Education
28	Science & Technology

Example: Create a Post

Schedule a YouTube Video

curl -X POST https://app.posteverywhere.ai/api/v1/posts \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $POSTEVERYWHERE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "content": "Default description for other platforms",
    "account_ids": [2290],
    "media_ids": ["e5f6a7b8-c9d0-1234-ef01-345678901234"],
    "scheduled_for": "2026-04-15T16:00:00Z",
    "timezone": "Europe/London",
    "platform_content": {
      "youtube": {
        "content": "In this video, I walk through the complete setup process.\n\n0:00 Intro\n0:30 Installation\n2:15 Configuration\n4:00 First Run\n\nLinks:\nhttps://example.com/docs",
        "settings": {
          "title": "Complete Setup Guide - Step by Step Tutorial",
          "privacyStatus": "public",
          "tags": ["tutorial", "setup guide", "getting started", "walkthrough"],
          "categoryId": "28",
          "madeForKids": false
        }
      }
    }
  }'

Schedule an Unlisted Video for Review

curl -X POST https://app.posteverywhere.ai/api/v1/posts \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $POSTEVERYWHERE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "content": "Review draft",
    "account_ids": [2290],
    "media_ids": ["f6a7b8c9-d0e1-2345-f012-456789012345"],
    "platform_content": {
      "youtube": {
        "content": "Draft video for team review — do not share publicly.",
        "settings": {
          "title": "Q2 Product Update (DRAFT)",
          "privacyStatus": "unlisted",
          "madeForKids": false
        }
      }
    }
  }'

Requirements & Limits

Requirement	Limit
Title length	100 characters
Description length	5,000 characters
Tags total length	500 characters
Video format	MP4 (H.264)
Video max file size	500 MB
Video duration	Up to 12 hours (standard uploads)
Shorts duration	Up to 60 seconds
Recommended video resolution	1080p (1920x1080) or higher
Recommended Shorts ratio	9:16 (1080x1920)
Thumbnail	Auto-generated by YouTube from video frames

Tips

• Always provide a title. It is the only required setting for YouTube. Without it, the post will fail to publish. Keep titles under 70 characters for best search result display.
• Use content for rich descriptions with chapters. YouTube parses timestamps in the format 0:00 Label as video chapters. Structure your description with chapter markers to improve viewer retention and search ranking.
• Schedule as unlisted first for team review. Upload with "privacyStatus": "unlisted" to let your team review the video on YouTube before making it public. Update the privacy setting directly on YouTube when ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I schedule a YouTube Short via the API?

Upload a vertical video (9:16 aspect ratio) under 60 seconds using the Upload Media endpoint, then create a post normally. YouTube automatically classifies vertical videos under 60 seconds as Shorts -- no special setting is needed.

Is the video title required for YouTube posts?

Yes. The settings.title field is mandatory for YouTube. Posts without a title will fail to publish. Keep titles under 70 characters for optimal display in search results, though the maximum is 100 characters.

Can I set the YouTube video category via the API?

Yes. Use the settings.categoryId field with one of YouTube's standard category IDs. For example, "28" is Science & Technology and "22" is People & Blogs (the default). See the full list of category IDs in the Settings Reference above.

How do I add chapters to my YouTube video description?

Include timestamps in the content field using the format 0:00 Label. YouTube parses these as video chapters. The first timestamp must be 0:00. For example: "0:00 Intro\n0:30 Setup\n2:15 Demo".

Why did some of my YouTube tags get dropped?

YouTube's 500-character tag limit is counted in the serialized form — tags with spaces are wrapped in quotes (each adds 2 chars), and tags are joined by , (each separator adds 2 chars). We count the same way YouTube does and trim from the tail until your tags fit. We also reserve 11 characters for the , "Shorts" tag we auto-append on vertical sub-60s uploads. If you saw tags in your request that didn't end up on the published video, you exceeded the serialized budget — shorten or remove a few and resubmit.

Can I edit a YouTube video's title, description, or tags after upload?

Not via the PostEverywhere API. PATCH /v1/posts/:id only works on scheduled or draft posts. Once YouTube has accepted the upload (post status becomes published), the API returns 400 invalid_post_status. To change a video's metadata after upload, edit it directly in YouTube Studio.

Related Platforms

• TikTok -- short-form vertical video, similar to YouTube Shorts
• Instagram -- Instagram Reels for short-form vertical video
• LinkedIn -- professional video content with native video support

Further Reading

• API Reference -- Create Post
• Upload Media
• Quick Start Guide
• YouTube Scheduler on PostEverywhere