How to Create a YouTube API Key

Some features (such as galleries, livestreams, (SEO) schema tags, and more) require you to create a YouTube Data API key from Google. Follow the steps (with matching images) below to create one:

  1. Go to https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library

  2. Scroll down to the "YouTube Data API v3" box and click it.

    Screen Shot 1 click YouTube API v3 box

  3. On the next page, we'll assume that you don't already have a Google Cloud Project to associate the API key with. So, click the "Enable" button.

    Screen Shot 2 Enable button

    If you don't see an "Enable" button, then it means you already have the YouTube API enabled for your Google account. Instead, you will see a "Manage" button. Click that button and then go to "Credentials" to copy your pre-existing API key.

  4. Assuming you didn't already have the API enabled and you clicked "Enable", you should see a new screen allowing you to create a project. Click "Create Project".

    Screen Shot 3 click create project

  5. Now, you should be able to give the project a name. We suggest "EmbedPlus YouTube Plugin" so that you can remember why you created it in the future. Click "Create" after naming the project.

    Screen Shot 4 name project

  6. You'll now see that your new project is active and selected for YouTube API enabling.

    Screen Shot 5 project selected enable API

  7. Next, you must create the credentials for your new key, so click "Create Credentials"

    Screen Shot 6 create credentials

  8. On the next page, you'll set the YouTube Data API credentials for "Web server" based calls and "Public data". Then, click the "What credentials do I need?" button.

    Screen Shot 7 credentials settings

  9. Next, you'll see your API key, but before using it, you should add some restrictions to it, so click the "Restrict Key" link.

    Screen Shot 8 click restrict key

  10. One restriction you might want to turn on is to restrict it so that requests using your key are only from the IP address of your web server. If you do so, we recommend looking up your IP address using Google: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/1696588

    If you chose the HTTP referrers (web sites) option, however, make sure you include your domain AND *.googleapis.com/*

    Screen Shot 9 restrict by IP

  11. Another restriction is to make sure the key is only used to make YouTube Data v3 API calls.

    Screen Shot 10 YouTube API restrict

  12. Click Save when finished there.

    Screen Shot 11 save restrictions

  13. If you see this screen after saving, click cancel since you're done setting credentials

    Screen Shot 11pt5 Click Cancel

  14. Now, you can begin to use your new API. Just click the copy icon so you can move on to paste the key in the YouTube plugin's appropriate space.

    Screen Shot 12 copy api key

  15. Finally, paste the key into the plugin's API text field and then click "Save".

    Screen Shot 13 paste api key in plugin

Step by step video: