# youtube-research

This skill collects public YouTube channel facts, video metrics and comment samples, plus downloadable video records on request. Handy for content and audience research.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1100 installs · ★ 27
- Author: PostPlusAI
- License: LicenseRef-Unknown · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/PostPlusAI/postplus-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/20-research/youtube-research/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-22
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/youtube-research

## What it does

Four PostPlus routes do the work: `youtube-channel-summary` for channel facts, `youtube-videos` for public video records, `youtube-comments` for audience language, and `youtube-video-download` only when a downloadable record is actually needed. Runs go through `postplus research run <route> --wait --output <result.json>`.

Video metrics are snapshots, so keep the source URLs and dates with your results. Subscriber identities stay out of reach: comment authors are not the subscriber base, and the skill tells you not to present them that way. `duration` arrives as an `HH:MM:SS` string, not seconds, and captions live in `subtitles[]` with timestamps and language. No subtitles means none were obtained; the description is not a transcript.

Check price and balance first, because a run spends PostPlus credits and the skill stops on insufficient credits instead of topping up. Readiness check: `postplus doctor --skill youtube-research`. It also stops when the request drags in non-YouTube platforms or PostPlus cannot resolve the channel handle.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add PostPlusAI/postplus-skills --skill youtube-research -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/youtube-research/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/youtube-research/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add PostPlusAI/postplus-skills --skill youtube-research -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/youtube-research/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add PostPlusAI/postplus-skills --skill youtube-research -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/youtube-research/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install PostPlusAI/postplus-skills youtube-research
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/youtube-research/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add PostPlusAI/postplus-skills --skill youtube-research -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/PostPlusAI/postplus-skills --path skills/20-research/youtube-research
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/youtube-research/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add PostPlusAI/postplus-skills --skill youtube-research -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/PostPlusAI/postplus-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/20-research/youtube-research/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- summarise a public YouTube channel
- pull view, like and comment counts for videos
- sample comments to see how an audience talks
- grab public video records for content review
- download a video when the record itself is needed

## Example prompts
- summarise the @example channel and save it to ./result.json
- pull a small comment sample from this video and tell me what people discuss
- collect metrics for the channel's recent videos and flag any missing fields

## Similar
- [extracting-youtube-comments-for-research](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/extracting-youtube-comments-for-research.md) — skill · 794 installs
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## Other versions with the same name
- [youtube-research · bradautomates](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/bradautomates-youtube-research.md) — 373 installs

From the same set: [postplusai/postplus-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/postplusai/postplus-skills.md) — 6 cards

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