Free API Key Tutorial for YouTube video Comments

Here is a step by step tutorial with pictures on how to get a free API key off of YouTube Data API v3, to be able to download YouTube comments from videos freely ~~...~~

❗Getting YouTube Comments

Visit the above link to download or learn more on how YouTube video comments can help you in various scenarios ~~...~~

Tutorial (1-16)

~~1/2~~ do not use mobile devices: smartphone, tablet, ipad

~~2/2~~ do only use desktop devices: windows, mac-os, linux

Step 1:

* login to your Google account (~~@gmail.com~~)

* visit the following link first:

~~https://console.cloud.google.com/~~

(you will be automatically redirected to a new page^[01] when you visit the website)

* select your Country

* accept their Terms of Service ☑

* skip their Email updates (or accept)

* click on AGREE AND CONTINUE

Step 2:

* click on the Select a project box

Step 3:

* click on NEW PROJECT

Step 4:

* pick a unique name for your project in the Project name^[02] field

* leave the Location field as is, at No organization

* click CREATE

Step 5:

* click the Select a project box again

* click on your new project name

Step 6:

* now, your new project name is showing up where it used to say Select a project^[02]

* click the hamburger button ☰ (three lines on top of each other)

Step 7:

* hover over APIs & Services^[03] for more options

* click on Enabled APIs & services

Step 8:

* click on Library

Step 9:

* find the YouTube Data API v3

* click on YouTube Data API v3

Step 10:

* click on ENABLE

* after that a redirect happens

Step 11:

* the redirect took you to a specific page

* on that page you can see the enabled service

* click on Credentials

Step 12:

* click on CREATE CREDENTIALS for more options

Step 13:

* click on API key

Step 14:

* Creating API key message is shown

* await for another message

* do not click anywhere yet

Step 15:

* API key created message is shown

* your new API key is ready (grab it now)

* click CLOSE

Step 16:

* success (after the previous step)

* you can grab your API key at any time by clicking on SHOW KEY

* that's it

What is API Key ?

An API key, which you get from YouTube or rather from YouTube Data API v3 of Google Cloud Console, is a free key that allows you to retrieve all the needed public information from YouTube and more, such as: comments, likes, views, and other cool stuff ~~...~~

An API key looks something like ~~...~~

As you can see an API key is just a unique string of text, that includes: letters, digits, and maybe some other characters too ~~...~~

Quotas & API Keys

Your free API key works with a daily quota of 10K units, to guarantee that the services of Google/YouTube are used properly and do~~n't~~ create any hurdles for others, one API call (including bad requests) costs at least one unit ~~...~~

So, in order to retrieve ~~let's say~~ 2501 top-level comments only by using this free tool (100 threads per page/call), you will spend 26 units from your daily quota~~...~~ And that leaves you with 9974 more units to spend on demand, until your daily quota resets back to 10K units the next day again

Secured API Keys

Please remember that your API key must stay secret, at all times, do~~n't~~ share it with anyone~~...~~ Except for this free tool which, if you choose so, only stores your API keys in your browser as first-party cookies, but never in a database server-side

API Term Defined

API = Application Programming Interface ~~...~~

The sole term API endpoint or simply the word API, in a nutshell essentially means that users/humans interact with programs/apps via API endpoints by means of: semi-coding, full-coding, or other tech ~~...~~

So therefore, an API endpoint is just a man in the middle program/app that connects users/humans with other programs/apps via itself, by making users/humans adhere to certain rules ~~...~~

For example in our case, a rule such as an API key, to control the process of extraction of YouTube comments from videos, so that process is~~n't~~ abused, and so on ~~...~~

References:

~~[01]~~: This is the page you are redirected to on your first visit:
~~https://console.cloud.google.com/welcome/new?pli=1~~
Later on whenever you visit:
~~https://console.cloud.google.com/~~
You will be redirected only to:
~~https://console.cloud.google.com/welcome?project=yt-project-20240620~~
That happens every time, but first you need to set up a project and select it (in your case ~~yt-project-20240620~~ will be replaced by your personal project name) ~~...~~
So follow this tutorial for best results
~~[02]~~: I chose for myself ~~yt-project-20240620~~ as my project name for my API key to get all the YouTube comments from various videos
~~[03]~~: If at any time you need access to Credentials, Library, or Enabled APIs & services from APIs & Services, then visit:
~~https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/dashboard~~
It will automatically take you to:
~~https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/dashboard?project=yt-project-20240620~~
Notice, in your case ~~yt-project-20240620~~ will be replaced by your personal project name that you have created if you followed this tutorial