n8n has a built-in YouTube node that works with your own YouTube account through the YouTube Data API: channels, playlists and videos, including uploads. What it doesn’t do is read data from other people’s videos at scale, such as transcripts, comments or search results, and that is what most YouTube community nodes add. This guide covers the built-in node and its Google credential (from n8n’s documentation) and the most used YouTube community packages (from our own npm data).
Quick comparison
| Built-in YouTube node | YouTube community nodes | |
|---|---|---|
| Does | Manage your channel, playlists and videos, upload and rate videos | Mostly read data: transcripts, comments, search results, channel videos; some download or cross-post |
| Connects to | YouTube Data API with your Google account | Usually a third-party service, such as an Apify Actor (see each README) |
| Comes with n8n | Yes | No, installed as a community package |
| n8n Cloud | Available | Only packages that n8n has verified |
What the built-in YouTube node can do
- Channel: retrieve a channel, retrieve all channels, update a channel, upload a channel banner
- Playlist: create, delete, get, retrieve all and update playlists
- Playlist Item: add an item, delete an item, get an item, retrieve all items
- Video: delete, get, retrieve all, rate, update and upload videos
- Video Category: retrieve all video categories
Set up the Google credential
The YouTube node uses a Google OAuth2 credential. n8n’s compatibility table lists OAuth2 as supported for YouTube and Service Account as not supported. Self-hosted n8n needs a custom OAuth2 app in Google Cloud:
- Create a project in the Google Cloud Console and make sure it is selected in the top navigation.
- Enable the API: under APIs & Services > Library, search for the YouTube Data API and select Enable.
- Configure the OAuth consent screen: under APIs & Services > OAuth consent screen, select Get started, enter an app name and support email, choose Internal (your Google Workspace only) or External (any Google account), add a contact email and accept the policy. Under Branding > Authorized domains, add
n8n.cloudon n8n Cloud or your own n8n domain when self-hosting. - Create the OAuth client: under APIs & Services > Credentials, select + Create credentials > OAuth client ID, choose Web application, and paste n8n’s OAuth Redirect URL into Authorized redirect URIs. For n8n on your own machine, a localhost redirect such as
http://localhost:5678/rest/oauth2-credential/callbackworks. - Finish in n8n: copy the Client ID and Client Secret into the credential, select Sign in with Google and save.
Common Google sign-in errors
- redirect_uri_mismatch: the redirect URI doesn’t exactly match the one registered in Google. Copy n8n’s OAuth Redirect URL again and paste it exactly, including
httporhttpsand the port. - Access denied or “app not verified”: an External app starts in Testing mode, where only test users can sign in. Add your account under OAuth consent screen > Test users.
- invalid_client: the Client ID or Client Secret doesn’t match. Copy both again from Google Cloud, watching for stray spaces.
- The credential stops working after a week: for apps in Testing status with External users, consent and tokens expire after seven days. Reconnect the credential in n8n.
YouTube community nodes
Our YouTube hub lists 27 packages that pass our quality rule, with 1,786 npm downloads a week between them. The most downloaded, with the description each author gives on npm (weekly npm downloads as of 27 October 2026):
| Package | Weekly downloads | Author’s description |
|---|---|---|
| n8n-nodes-repliz | 970 | Repliz API: accounts, comments, chats, content, schedules |
| n8n-nodes-nashir | 455 | nashir.ai: publish to YouTube and other networks |
| n8n-nodes-youtube-dl | 42 | Download videos, audio, transcripts and subtitles via yt-dlp |
| n8n-nodes-scrapeunblocker-youtube-channel | 39 | A channel’s videos with views, likes, comments and dates (Apify Actor) |
| n8n-nodes-t3data-youtube-comments | 39 | Comments and replies for videos, playlists and channels (Apify Actor) |
| n8n-nodes-t3data-youtube-transcripts | 37 | Transcripts with timestamps, SRT and RAG chunks (Apify Actor) |
| n8n-nodes-scrapeunblocker-youtube-comments | 19 | Video comments with likes and replies (Apify Actor) |
| n8n-nodes-scrapeunblocker-youtube-search | 19 | YouTube search results (Apify Actor) |
Most of these run an Apify Actor or another outside service, which has its own account and pricing. Two packages go through multi-network posting services (Repliz, nashir). Read each README for setup and check its node page here for the latest release and, where it has one, its GitHub repository for open issues.
How to choose
- Upload videos, manage playlists or update your channel: the built-in YouTube node.
- Transcripts, comments or search results for any video: a data community node, such as the transcripts or comments packages.
- Post the same content to YouTube and other networks: a multi-network package such as nashir or Repliz.
To install a package on a self-hosted instance, an owner or admin enters its npm name in Settings > Community Nodes; full steps are in How to Install n8n Community Nodes. On n8n Cloud only verified community nodes can be installed, see Verified vs Unverified n8n Community Nodes. Similar guides: Instagram and LinkedIn.
FAQ
Can n8n upload videos to YouTube?
Yes. The built-in YouTube node has an Upload a video operation, along with update, delete, rate and get.
Can the YouTube node use a Google service account?
No. n8n’s Google credential table lists OAuth2 as supported for YouTube and Service Account as not supported.
Why does my YouTube credential stop working after seven days?
If your Google app is in Testing status with External users, Google expires consent and tokens after seven days. Reconnect the credential in n8n to resolve it.
How do I get YouTube transcripts in n8n?
Not with the built-in node. Community packages such as n8n-nodes-t3data-youtube-transcripts and n8n-nodes-youtube-dl describe transcript support.
