YouTube Analytics

Pull channel-level statistics, search for videos by topic, and analyze content performance trends on YouTube.

When to Use

• When the user asks about a YouTube channel's performance ("how is my channel doing", "show me stats for [channel]")
• When researching a topic where video content is a primary source (tutorials, reviews, news commentary)
• When a goal involves content strategy and competitive analysis on YouTube
• During heartbeats when an active goal tracks channel growth or content performance

Step-by-Step Methodology

1. Identify the target: Determine which channel or topic the user is interested in. For their own channel, use the configured channel ID. For competitor or topic research, use search_youtube_videos to find relevant channels.
2. Pull channel stats: Use get_youtube_channel_stats to retrieve subscriber count, total views, video count, and recent upload frequency. These are the headline metrics.
3. Analyze recent uploads: Look at the last 10-20 videos for performance patterns:
   • View velocity: How quickly do new videos accumulate views in the first 48 hours?
   • Engagement ratio: Likes and comments relative to views. Higher ratios suggest stronger audience connection.
   • Title and topic patterns: Which topics or formats perform above the channel average?
4. Benchmark against history: If previous analytics memories exist (from earlier runs of this skill), compare current stats to historical baselines. Note growth rate, engagement trends, and any inflection points.
5. Search for topic trends: Use search_youtube_videos with relevant keywords to see what content is performing well in the broader niche. Identify gaps or opportunities.
6. Compile the report: Structure the output as:
   • Channel overview: Headline stats (subscribers, views, videos)
   • Recent performance: Last 5-10 video performance summary
   • Trends: Growth trajectory, engagement shifts, standout content
   • Opportunities: Topics or formats worth exploring based on search data
7. Store for tracking: Use remember to persist the analytics snapshot as a semantic memory, enabling trend comparison on future runs.

Quality Guidelines

• Present numbers in context. "50,000 views" means different things for a 1K-subscriber channel versus a 1M-subscriber channel. Always include relative metrics.
• Do not over-interpret short-term fluctuations. A single viral video or a slow week is not a trend. Look for patterns across 10+ data points.
• When comparing channels, ensure the comparison is fair (similar niche, similar age, similar upload frequency).
• Respect YouTube API quota limits. Cache channel stats and avoid redundant calls within the same session.
• If the API key is missing or quota is exhausted, report the limitation clearly rather than failing silently.
• In heartbeat context, only run analytics when an active goal requires YouTube monitoring. This is not a routine check.