Ship Your YouTube Integration In Minutes, Not Months

Stop wrestling with YouTube's Data API. Late handles OAuth, rate limits, video processing, and API changes — so you can focus on building your product.

No credit card required • 10 free posts/month

POST /v1/posts
{
  "platforms": ["youtube"],
  "accountId": "channel_abc123",
  "content": "New video: Building APIs in 2025 🚀",
  "mediaUrls": ["https://example.com/video.mp4"],
  "youtubeOptions": {
    "title": "Building APIs in 2025",
    "privacy": "public"
  },
  "scheduledFor": "2025-01-15T14:00:00Z"
}
YouTube

Why Late vs YouTube Data API?

Skip the YouTube Data API headaches

YouTube Data API v3

  • Complex OAuth with Google Cloud Console setup
  • Strict quota limits requiring careful management
  • Resumable uploads with complex chunking logic
  • Frequent API deprecations require constant updates
  • Build separate integrations per platform

Late API

  • Simple API key — start in 30 seconds
  • Automatic retries & queue management
  • Upload directly — we handle resumable uploads
  • Zero maintenance forever
  • One API for 10+ platforms

Save 4-6 weeks of development. Ship today, not next month.

▶️

YouTube Channel Required

You need a YouTube channel linked to your Google account. Connect through our OAuth flow and start uploading videos — both long-form content and Shorts.

💡 Shorts are auto-detected by YouTube based on video duration (under 60 seconds) and aspect ratio.

Content Types

Every YouTube Format Supported

🎬Long-form Videos
📱YouTube Shorts
🔴Live Announcements

How It Works

Three Steps to YouTube Automation

1

Connect Your Channel

Link your YouTube channel through our dashboard. One-click OAuth — we handle all the Google permissions.

2

Build Your Integration

Use our simple REST API to upload videos with titles, descriptions, and thumbnails. Same pattern works for all 10+ platforms.

3

We Handle the Rest

Late uploads at your scheduled time, handles resumable uploads, and notifies you via webhooks. You never touch YouTube's API directly.

Features

Why 10,000+ Developers Choose Late

Ship Faster

Go from zero to uploading in under 30 seconds. No Google Cloud Console setup — just get your API key and start building.

Official API, Zero Hassle

We use YouTube's official Data API v3 under the hood. You get full compliance and reliability without the integration pain.

We Handle the Hard Parts

Quota limits, token refresh, resumable uploads, error handling — all managed for you. Focus on your product, not infrastructure.

Shorts Auto-Detection

YouTube automatically detects Shorts based on video duration. We optimize metadata for maximum Shorts feed visibility.

Code Example

Get Started in Minutes

Schedule a YouTube Video
// Upload any video - YouTube automatically detects Shorts (≤ 3 min)
const response = await fetch('https://getlate.dev/api/v1/posts', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    platforms: [{
      platform: 'youtube',
      accountId: 'your-youtube-channel-id',
      platformSpecificData: {
        privacyStatus: 'public',
        title: 'API automation tutorial',
        description: 'This video was scheduled with Late.'
      }
    }],
    content: 'Publishing our latest tutorial to YouTube!',
    mediaItems: [{
      type: 'video',
      url: 'https://your-video-url.mp4'
    }],
    scheduledFor: '2024-01-15T12:00:00Z'
  })
});

const result = await response.json();
console.log('YouTube scheduled:', result.id);
View Complete API Documentation

YouTube API Error Reference

Comprehensive guide to YouTube API error codes. Find solutions and troubleshoot common integration issues.

View Error Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Shorts work?

Upload any video 60 seconds or less in portrait orientation. YouTube automatically places it in Shorts. Late flags eligible uploads for Shorts analytics.

Can I control privacy settings?

Yes. Choose public, private, or unlisted in platformSpecificData. Late respects your launch plan and can notify your team when it goes live.

Do you support thumbnails?

Provide a thumbnail URL and Late uploads it as part of the video. We also support fallback thumbnails if the custom image fails.

Can I schedule live streams?

Use YouTube's live event API to create broadcasts. Late can post reminders across other platforms to drive attendance.

Does this affect monetization?

All videos are uploaded through YouTube's official API. Monetization settings behave the same as manual uploads.

One API, 10+ Platforms

Same integration pattern for all platforms

Ready to Ship Your YouTube Integration?

Join 10,000+ developers who chose Late over building with YouTube's API directly. Same reliability, 10x less code.

No credit card required • 10 free posts per month • 99.97% uptime SLA