Do I need a key to monitor YouTube?

Yes. YouTube has no keyless search, so a free YouTube Data API v3 key is required; without it YouTube is skipped during a sync.

What is the YouTube quota?

The key is free but limited to 10,000 quota units per day, and each keyword search costs 100 units. It's the most quota-limited source, so watch fewer keywords on YouTube or the daily quota runs out.

Why was my YouTube key rejected?

The YouTube Data API v3 isn't enabled on the key's project, or the key is restricted to a different API. Enable it and check the key's API restrictions.

Is my API key stored securely?

Your key is encrypted at rest and only decrypted server-side at the moment it's used. The plaintext never reaches your browser and is never logged. Settings shows only a masked hint.

YouTube Data API key

YouTube has no keyless search, so BackTalk needs your own YouTube Data API v3 key to monitor it. It's a free Google Cloud key: you're not billed, but there's a daily quota to plan around.

What it unlocks

Monitoring of YouTube for your keywords.

This key is required for YouTube. Without it, YouTube is skipped during a sync.

Get your API key

Open the Google Cloud Console → Credentials and select or create a project.
In APIs & Services → Library, search for YouTube Data API v3 and click Enable.
Back on Credentials, choose Create credentials → API key.
Copy the key. It starts with AIza…. (Optionally restrict it to the YouTube Data API v3 for safety.)

This is a YouTube Data API key, not a Gemini key. They look alike (AIza…), but this one must have the YouTube Data API v3 enabled on its project; otherwise scoring works but YouTube sync fails.

Add it in BackTalk

Go to Settings and find the YouTube Data API card under Data sources.
Paste your AIza… key.
Save. BackTalk validates the key and stores it encrypted.

Quota to plan around

The key is free but quota-limited by Google:

10,000 quota units per day, and each keyword search costs 100 units.
That's YouTube's tightest budget of any source, so expect to watch fewer keywords here than on other platforms, or the daily quota runs out.

There's no dollar cost; if you exceed the quota, YouTube sync pauses until it resets (midnight Pacific).

Troubleshooting

"The provider rejected that API key." The YouTube Data API v3 isn't enabled on the key's project, or the key is restricted to a different API. Enable it and re-check restrictions.
quotaExceeded errors. You've spent the day's 10,000 units. Reduce the number of YouTube keywords or wait for the daily reset.
No results despite a valid key. Confirm you have keywords and that the key's project has the API enabled (not just created).

Your key stays private. It's encrypted at rest and only decrypted server-side at sync time. It is never returned to your browser and never logged. Settings shows only a masked hint.

Rotating your key: create a new API key in the Google Cloud Console, paste it into Settings to replace the old one, then delete the previous key.