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YouTube is a beast. It handles both traditional videos and Shorts (vertical video).

Quirks & Gotchas

”Made for Kids” (COPPA)

This is not just a quirk, it’s a legal requirement.
  • You must flag content as madeForKids: true if it targets children.
  • Failure to do so can result in penalties. We expose this field in the data.YOUTUBE object. Use it.

Shorts Detection

There is no special “upload as Short” button. YouTube decides for you based on the file:
  • Duration: Under 60 seconds.
  • Aspect Ratio: Vertical (9:16) or Square (1:1).
If your video meets these criteria, it becomes a Short. If it doesn’t, it’s a regular video. Simple.

Analytics

YouTube analytics are all Lifetime values. There is no rolling window.

Profile (Channel) Analytics

Period: Lifetime.
MetricDescriptionNote
ImpressionsTotal channel views
ViewsTotal channel views
CommentsTotal commentsAcross all videos
FollowersSubscribers
LikesReturns 0Not available at channel level
FollowingReturns 0Not applicable

Post (Video) Analytics

Period: Lifetime.
MetricDescriptionNote
ImpressionsVideo views
ViewsVideo views
LikesLikes
DislikesDislikesAvailable via API even if hidden on UI
CommentsComments
SavesFavorites
SharesReturns 0Not provided by API