modbender YouTube Analytics Toolkit
Setup
Install dependencies:
cd scripts && npm install
Configure credentials by creating a .env file in the project root:
YOUTUBE_API_KEY=AIzaSy...your-api-key
YOUTUBE_DEFAULT_MAX_RESULTS=50
Prerequisites: A Google Cloud project with the YouTube Data API v3 enabled. Get your API key from the Google Cloud Console.
Quick Start
| User says | Function to call |
|---|---|
| "Analyze this YouTube channel" | analyzeChannel(channelId) |
| "Compare these two channels" | compareChannels([id1, id2]) |
| "How is this video performing?" | analyzeVideo(videoId) |
| "Search YouTube for [topic]" | searchAndAnalyze(query) |
| "Get stats for this channel" | getChannelStats(channelId) |
| "Get this video's view count" | getVideoStats(videoId) |
| "Find channels about [topic]" | searchChannels(query) |
| "Show recent uploads from this channel" | getChannelVideos(channelId) |
Execute functions by importing from scripts/src/index.ts:
import { analyzeChannel, searchAndAnalyze } from './scripts/src/index.js';
const analysis = await analyzeChannel('UCxxxxxxxx');
Or run directly with tsx:
npx tsx scripts/src/index.ts
Workflow Pattern
Every analysis follows three phases:
1. Analyze
Run API functions. Each call hits the YouTube Data API and returns structured data.
2. Auto-Save
All results automatically save as JSON files to results/{category}/. File naming patterns:
- Named results:
{sanitized_name}.json - Auto-generated:
YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS__{operation}.json
3. Summarize
After analysis, read the saved JSON files and create a markdown summary in results/summaries/ with data tables, comparisons, and insights.
High-Level Functions
| Function | Purpose | What it gathers |
|---|---|---|
analyzeChannel(channelId) |
Full channel analysis | Channel info, recent videos, avg views per video |
compareChannels(channelIds) |
Compare multiple channels | Side-by-side subscribers, views, video counts |
analyzeVideo(videoId) |
Video performance analysis | Views, likes, comments, like rate, comment rate |
searchAndAnalyze(query, maxResults?) |
Search + stats | Search results with full video statistics |
Individual API Functions
For granular control, import specific functions from the API modules. See references/api-reference.md for the complete list of 13 API functions with parameters, types, and examples.
Channel Functions
| Function | Purpose |
|---|---|
getChannel(channelId) |
Get full channel details |
getChannelStats(channelId) |
Get simplified stats (subscribers, views, videoCount) |
getMultipleChannels(channelIds) |
Batch fetch multiple channels |
Video Functions
| Function | Purpose |
|---|---|
getVideo(videoId) |
Get full video details |
getVideoStats(videoId) |
Get simplified stats (views, likes, comments) |
getMultipleVideos(videoIds) |
Batch fetch multiple videos |
getChannelVideos(channelId) |
Get recent uploads from a channel |
Search Functions
| Function | Purpose |
|---|---|
searchVideos(query, options?) |
Search for videos |
searchChannels(query, options?) |
Search for channels |
Results Storage
Results auto-save to results/ with this structure:
results/
├── channels/ # Channel data and comparisons
├── videos/ # Video data and analyses
├── search/ # Search results
└── summaries/ # Human-readable markdown summaries
Managing Results
import { listResults, loadResult, getLatestResult } from './scripts/src/index.js';
// List recent results
const files = listResults('channels', 10);
// Load a specific result
const data = loadResult(files[0]);
// Get most recent result for an operation
const latest = getLatestResult('channels', 'channel_analysis');
Tips
- Use channel IDs — Channel IDs start with
UC(e.g.,UCxxxxxxxx). You can find them in the channel URL or page source. - Request summaries — After pulling data, ask for a markdown summary with tables and insights.
- Compare channels — Use
compareChannels()to benchmark competitors side by side. - Batch requests — Use
getMultipleChannels()orgetMultipleVideos()for efficient batch lookups. - Search + analyze —
searchAndAnalyze()combines search with full video stats in one call.