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YouTube

YouTube MCP Connector for AI Agents

Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Muse and other AI agents to YouTube over MCP: read channel details, videos, and playlists for your authorized channel.

Connect the channel you manage, and your AI can check its identity, read video details and playlists, and suggest titles and descriptions without saving changes. It runs on YouTube’s official Data API with only the access you chose.

Connect YouTube See how to connect

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What happens when you ask

Every call takes the same route

Claude

“Which YouTube channel are you connected to, and what are its newest videos?”

  1. apex_search_toolsYour AI finds the YouTube operations your connection allowsDiscovery
  2. youtube_channels_listReads the channel you enabled during Google sign-inRead
  3. youtube_search_listLists recent videos from that channel onlyRead

Then your AI answers with the channel name, its ID and the newest videos, and both calls are on your activity record with the client that made them.

Read-only access to your enabled channel.

Google grants read-only channel access. ApexGenius keeps the selected channel and enabled tools as separate checks.

Read channel information

Uses your enabled channel

  • Channel identity and details
  • Video titles, descriptions, and statistics
  • Owned playlists and their videos

Google consent: read-only YouTube access.

Read performance separately

Use YouTube Analytics

  • Views and watch time
  • Audience and traffic metrics
  • Existing daily reports

Google consent: read-only channel and Analytics access.

The full reference lists every reviewed operation with its access level: 13 operations, 13 of them reads, counted from the catalog when this page is built. Open the YouTube tool reference

What people ask Codex.

Ask Codex about your channel, videos, and playlists. ApexGenius connects each question to your YouTube tools.

How the route works
Codex
CodexApexGenius MCP route
Show the name and details of my connected YouTube channel.
ApexGenius
Working with ApexGenius1 tool search · 1 read
RequestCheck the channel
Account scopeAuthorized connections checked
apex_search_toolsYouTube channel identity · Find YouTube channel readsComplete
YouTubeapex_call_read_toolyoutube_channels_list · Read the connected channelComplete
Codex

Illustrative example: here is your connected channel, with its name, description and channel ID. Use this to confirm which channel your AI can work with.

Read-only route
Codex
  • Show the name and details of my connected YouTube channel.Read
  • Show the playlists for my connected YouTube channel.Read
  • Read the title, description and status of a video I choose from my channel. Suggest changes without saving them.Read
  • Find videos on my channel about a topic I choose. Show their titles and descriptions.Read

How to connect YouTube.

The connection belongs to your ApexGenius sign-in, and the channel you pick is the only one your AI can reach. Use the Google account that can access the channel; if Google offers a Brand Account, choose the intended one before you continue.

Watch the connection

21-second loop · Silent, with captions

Read the steps Follow along at your own pace

1. Open YouTube

In Connections, search for YouTube and open its module.

2. Choose access

Select Read channel and videos, then Connect.

3. Allow access on Google

Choose the Google account for your channel. Review View your YouTube account, then choose Allow.

4. Test the connection

Back in ApexGenius, select Test connection. Check the channel name and saved access.

5. Enable your channel

Open Tools. In Allowed resources, turn on your intended channel.

6. Add Codex

Follow the Codex setup guide below, then ask about your channel.

Recorded with the ApexGeniusAI channel. Open the video

Before you start

  • A Google account with access to the YouTube channel you intend to connect. Check the channel in YouTube first, especially if you use a Brand Account.
  • An ApexGenius account with this module available. If setup is pending or the module is missing, contact support.

1. Connect YouTube to ApexGenius

  1. Open YouTube in Connections. Find the YouTube group and open YouTube. Each module has its own channel and access selection.
    The real Connections page showing YouTube and YouTube Analytics & Reporting as separate modules in the YouTube group.
    Find the YouTube group and open YouTube. Analytics & Reporting has its own setup.Open full-size image (opens in a new tab)
    The real YouTube module with its Connect button and Read channel and videos access selection.
    Earlier setup view. Review the current read-only access, then use Connect for initial setup.Open full-size image (opens in a new tab)
  2. Review read-only access. Read channel details, videos, and playlists. Uploads, edits, captions, comments, subscriptions, and livestream tools are not included. Use Connect only when setting up this module.
    The real Channel access panel with Read channel and videos selected.
    Earlier setup view, captured September 7. The current panel shows read-only access without an access selector.Open full-size image (opens in a new tab)
  3. Select your Google account and YouTube channel. On Google’s own page, select the account with access to your intended channel. If Google offers a channel or Brand Account choice, select the intended channel. Review the requested permissions before continuing. Already granted permissions may make these screens look different. Return to ApexGenius when Google finishes.
    The real Google consent screen requesting View your YouTube account, with Cancel and Allow.
    Review the requested YouTube permission, then choose Allow.Open full-size image (opens in a new tab)
  4. Enable the connected channel. Confirm the saved channel name. Open Tools, find Allowed resources, and choose Refresh if needed. Enable the intended channel. Enabling it allows ApexGenius to use existing access; it does not grant new YouTube permissions. If the channel is wrong, stop and connect the intended channel.
    The ApexGeniusAI YouTube channel enabled in Allowed resources, showing one of one enabled.
    Check the channel name and turn on its access.Open full-size image (opens in a new tab)
  5. Check the connection status. Use Test connection or Check again when offered. Read the returned status and confirm the saved channel. A healthy connection does not yet prove that a tool read will work.
    The real connection test returning ApexGeniusAI is healthy, with authorization saved and a validation time.
    Select Test connection and check the returned channel and status.Open full-size image (opens in a new tab)
  6. Run your first read with an AI agent. Open AI agents and add or select your AI client. Allow this connection with Read only for the first test. Use the question below, then compare the returned channel and data with YouTube Studio. Empty recent analytics can mean data is not available yet.
    AI agents · First readGuide frame
    Connection
    YouTube
    Access for first test
    Read only

    Copy the first question below into your connected AI client. Check the returned channel and result.

    Illustrated setup guidance. Follow the controls shown in your own account. Drawn by ApexGenius, not a screenshot, so your screen may differ by version.
Connect YouTube →

2. Choose your AI and finish setup

Each guide includes the AI setup and a first question for YouTube.

ChatGPT setup →Claude setup →Codex setup →

Controls on this connection: the channel, the tools, the record.

The same controls every ApexGenius connection has, applied to this one.

The channel

The connection page always names the channel your AI is working in. Check the channel name and connect the intended channel before enabling its access.

The tools

Each AI client gets its own allowed list. YouTube exposes only safe reads; uploads and other write operations are withheld.

The record

Every call is logged with the client that made it, the operation, and whether it succeeded. Disconnect stops ApexGenius access to this channel the moment you press it.

Questions people ask before connecting.

Will connecting let my AI publish videos?
No. This connection exposes read-only tools and cannot upload, publish, edit, or delete videos.
Which channel will my AI use?
The one you selected on Google’s screen and enabled in ApexGenius. Its name is on the connection page. If you manage several channels, connect the one you want and check the name before you enable it.
Do I need my own Google Cloud project or API key?
No. You sign in with the Google account that can access the channel, and ApexGenius holds the authorization. You never paste a password or a verification code into ApexGenius.
Can it read transcripts of other people’s videos?
No. Captions and video or audio analysis are not included. This connector reads information about videos on your enabled channel.
Where do performance numbers live?
In YouTube Analytics, a separate connection in the YouTube group with its own access and daily Reporting. This connection covers channel details, video information, and playlists.
What happens when I disconnect?
ApexGenius stops using this channel immediately. Removing the ApexGenius app from your Google Account also affects any other Google connections you made with it, so check those first.
ClaudeChatGPTCodexYouTube

Connect YouTube. Start with a read.

Sign in, pick the channel, ask your AI which channel it is connected to. Check the returned channel and data before using the answer.

Connect YouTube

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