Run your YouTube with a free Claude skill: complete step-by-step setup
Research ideas, write scripts, edit your videos and schedule them straight to YouTube from your computer.
| Job | Tool | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ideas, scripts, titles, plans | youtube-agent-skill | Free (MIT licence) |
| Cutting and captions | video-use | Free repo; needs an ElevenLabs API key for transcripts |
| Upload + schedule | YouTube Data API + the script in this guide | No API fee; 100 uploads a day by default |
You need: Claude Code (your Claude plan may cost money), Python 3 and the Google account that owns your channel.
Step 1: Install the YouTube skill
Paste this into Claude Code:
Or install it yourself in your terminal:
Step 2: Teach it your voice
Every skill reads a voice file. Spend ten minutes on this, because you have to say these scripts out loud.
Step 3: Know the 11 commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/yt-viral | Finds what is working in your niche, ranked against each channel's usual views |
/yt-plan | Builds a week around the hours you actually have |
/yt-script | Turns one idea into scored hooks and a full spoken script |
/yt-package | Checks your title and thumbnail text together |
/yt-edit | Turns a transcript into an edit list: dead air, filler, retakes |
/yt-shorts | Finds Shorts inside a long video |
/yt-seo | Writes the description, useful tags and target searches |
/yt-chapters | Builds chapters from a transcript |
/yt-comment | Sorts comments, drafts replies and suggests one to pin |
/yt-retention | Reads your retention export and shows where people left |
/yt-audit | Reviews your channel and gives one fix |
Step 4: Research and write
Use viral research for ideas, not copies. Make your own take in your own words. Then record your video.
Step 5: Edit with video-use
Paste this into Claude Code. It will ask for your ElevenLabs API key.
Then open Claude Code in your footage folder:
Watch the final video yourself. AI can cut the wrong word.
Step 6: Connect the YouTube Data API
You only do this once. It lets your computer upload to your own channel.
- Open console.cloud.google.com with the Google account that owns your channel and create a new project.
- Go to APIs & Services → Library, search for YouTube Data API v3 and click Enable.
- Open Google Auth Platform. Add an app name and your email, and choose External as the audience.
- Under Audience → Test users, add your own Gmail address.
- Under Clients, create a client with type Desktop app. Download the JSON file and rename it
client_secret.json. - Download yt_schedule.py and put it in the same folder.
- Install the Google libraries, then sign in:
A browser opens. Sign in and allow access. Google may say the app isn't verified. It's your own app, so choose Advanced → Go to [your app]. You should then see your channel name in the terminal.
client_secret.json and token.json private. Anyone with them can post to your channel. Never upload them to GitHub or share them in a chat.Step 7: Schedule your video
Test it with --dry-run, then run it again without that flag:
The video uploads as private and goes public by itself at that time (India time by default; use --tz to change it). Check it in YouTube Studio → Content.
Or let Claude run it for you after each edit:
If something goes wrong
| You see | Fix |
|---|---|
access_denied at sign-in | Add your Gmail under Audience → Test users |
invalid_grant or it stops working after about a week | Delete token.json and run --check again. Test-mode sign-ins expire in about 7 days, so set your app to In production under Audience to stop this |
invalidPublishAt | Use a time in the future |
quotaExceeded | You hit the daily limit. Try again the next day |
Good to know
- Links: the script doesn't add or pin comments. Add your link and pin it in YouTube Studio after the video is live.
- AI content: if your video uses realistic AI voices or visuals, follow YouTube's disclosure rules in Studio.
- Results: tools save time, but they don't guarantee views or subscribers.
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