Postproxy × YouTube

Publish videos and Shorts to YouTube with a unified API. Handle uploads, thumbnails, and privacy settings without wrestling with YouTube's Data API.

One API call replaces OAuth complexity, resumable uploads, and quota management.

Video Uploads

Upload videos up to 256 GB with support for multiple formats

Shorts Detection

YouTube automatically detects Shorts based on duration and aspect ratio

Custom Thumbnails

Set custom thumbnail images with the cover_url parameter

Privacy Controls

Control video visibility with public, unlisted, or private settings

POST /v1/posts
Terminal window
curl -X POST "https://api.postproxy.dev/api/posts" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{
       "post": {
         "body": "Check out our latest tutorial on building API integrations!"
       },
       "profiles": ["youtube"],
       "media": ["https://example.com/video.mp4"],
       "platforms": {
         "youtube": {
           "title": "How to Build an API Integration",
           "privacy_status": "public",
           "cover_url": "https://example.com/custom-thumbnail.jpg"
         }
       }
     }'

YouTube Parameters

Formats

Format Description
post Channel video (default)

Parameters

Parameter Type Required Description
title string No Video title
privacy_status string No Video visibility setting (public, unlisted, private)
cover_url string No URL of custom thumbnail image

Media Constraints

Media Type Max Size Formats Max Count Duration
Video 256 GB mp4, mov, avi, wmv, flv, 3gp 1 1s+

Notes

  • Text content: Optional (description)
  • Media required: Yes (video only)
  • Mix video and image: No
  • Note: The post body becomes the video description

View full documentation for all platform-specific features for YouTube

View documentation

Why Postproxy for YouTube?

Skip YouTube Data API complexity

No need to handle OAuth flows, resumable uploads, or quota management. Postproxy handles YouTube's Data API v3 complexity for you.

Handle rate limits automatically

YouTube quota limits are managed automatically with intelligent retry logic and queue management.

Support all formats

Publish long-form videos and Shorts through one unified API.

Supported formats:
Channel videosYouTube Shorts

Reliable delivery

Automatic retries and clear status reporting ensure your videos reach YouTube successfully.

How YouTube Publishing Works with Postproxy

YouTube's publishing model

YouTube's Data API v3 uses a resumable upload protocol for video publishing. You initiate an upload session with video metadata (title, description, privacy, category), receive an upload URI, then stream the video file in chunks. After the upload completes, YouTube processes the video asynchronously — transcoding, thumbnail generation, and content checks can take minutes to hours depending on video length. Postproxy handles the full resumable upload lifecycle and polls for processing completion so you get a single synchronous response.

Videos vs. Shorts

YouTube Shorts are technically regular video uploads with specific constraints: vertical aspect ratio (9:16), under 60 seconds, and the title or description should include #Shorts. The API doesn't have a separate Shorts endpoint — the distinction is made by YouTube's systems based on the video properties. Postproxy lets you set format to short and handles the metadata requirements automatically, including aspect ratio validation before upload.

Common gotchas Postproxy handles for you

YouTube's API has a daily upload quota measured in "units" that are consumed differently by different operations — a single video upload can consume 1,600 units out of a default 10,000 daily quota. The resumable upload protocol requires handling network interruptions gracefully (resuming from the last successful byte), and upload URIs expire after a short window. Video processing failures after upload are only detectable through status polling. Postproxy manages quota awareness, handles upload resumption on network errors, and monitors processing status to completion.

Thumbnails, categories, and metadata

YouTube supports custom thumbnails (requires channel verification), video categories (a fixed set of IDs like 22 for "People & Blogs"), tags, and privacy settings (public, unlisted, or private). Setting a custom thumbnail requires a separate API call after the video is published. Postproxy accepts all metadata fields in the same publish request and handles the thumbnail upload as a follow-up step, so you don't need to manage the sequencing yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about YouTube integration

How do I set the privacy status for my video?

Use the `privacy_status` parameter in the platforms object. You can set it to "public" (visible to everyone), "unlisted" (only accessible via link), or "private" (only visible to you).

Can I add a custom thumbnail to my YouTube video?

Yes! Use the `cover_url` parameter to provide a URL of a custom thumbnail image. The image should be in a format supported by YouTube (jpg, png) and meet YouTube's thumbnail requirements.

What video formats are supported?

YouTube supports mp4, mov, avi, wmv, flv, and 3gp formats. Videos can be up to 256 GB in size and must be at least 1 second long.

What happens to the post body text?

The post body becomes the video description on YouTube. This is where you can add detailed information, links, timestamps, and other metadata for your video.

Can I schedule YouTube videos?

Yes! Postproxy supports scheduling for all platforms including YouTube. Use the `scheduledFor` parameter in your post request to schedule videos for future publication.

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