The YouTube Shorts module lets your AI agent upload short-form vertical videos (up to 60 seconds) directly to your YouTube channel. AgentGrow uses Google OAuth 2.0 to connect securely — you create a Google Cloud project, enter its credentials, and click a button. The platform handles token exchange, encrypted storage, and automatic refresh every 45 minutes so your connection never expires.
How It Works
YouTube requires OAuth 2.0 for video uploads — API keys alone are not sufficient. AgentGrow’s OAuth flow works in three steps:
- You create a Google Cloud project with the YouTube Data API enabled and paste the OAuth Client ID + Client Secret into AgentGrow
- You click "Connect YouTube" — you are redirected to Google to authorize your channel
- AgentGrow stores the tokens and refreshes them automatically before they expire (Google tokens expire every hour)
What You Will Need
| Field | What it is |
|---|---|
| Client ID | Your Google Cloud OAuth 2.0 client identifier (ends in .apps.googleusercontent.com) |
| Client Secret | Your OAuth 2.0 client secret key |
Prerequisites
- A Google account with a YouTube channel (create one at youtube.com if needed)
- Access to Google Cloud Console (free — no billing required for OAuth setup)
- An AgentGrow account on the Enterprise plan
Part 1 — Create a Google Cloud Project
Go to Google Cloud Console
Open console.cloud.google.com and sign in with the Google account that owns your YouTube channel.
Create a new project
Click the project dropdown at the top of the page, then New Project. Name it something like AgentGrow YouTube and click Create.
Make sure the new project is selected in the project dropdown before continuing.
Enable the YouTube Data API v3
Go to APIs & Services → Library, search for YouTube Data API v3, and click Enable.
Configure the OAuth consent screen
Go to APIs & Services → OAuth consent screen:
- User Type: Select External and click Create
- App name: Enter your business name (e.g.
My Business Agent) - User support email: Select your email
- Developer contact email: Enter your email
- Click Save and Continue
On the Scopes page, click Add or Remove Scopes and add these two scopes:
Click Update, then Save and Continue.
On the Test users page, click Add Users and add your own Google email address. Click Save and Continue.
youtube.upload and youtube.readonly scopes are classified as "sensitive" by Google. You have two options:
- Testing mode (recommended): Add yourself as a test user and skip verification entirely. You can add up to 100 test users. This is the fastest path — no review needed, works immediately.
- Submit for verification: Only needed if you want more than 100 users to connect. Google will ask for a justification and a demo video of the OAuth flow. Verification typically takes 2–6 weeks.
Google will also ask "How will the scopes be used?" on the consent screen configuration. You can paste this justification:
Create OAuth 2.0 credentials
Go to APIs & Services → Credentials and click Create Credentials → OAuth client ID:
- Application type: Select Web application
- Name: Enter
AgentGrow(or any name you prefer) - Authorized redirect URIs: Click Add URI and enter:
Click Create.
Copy Client ID and Client Secret
A dialog will show your credentials:
- Client ID — looks like
123456789-abc.apps.googleusercontent.com - Client Secret — a shorter alphanumeric string
Copy both values. You can also find them later under Credentials → OAuth 2.0 Client IDs.
Part 2 — Connect YouTube in AgentGrow
Open your Integrations page
Log in to your AgentGrow dashboard at agentgrow.io/user/integrations.
Configure YouTube Shorts
Find the YouTube Shorts module and click Configure. You will see a two-step form:
Step 1 — Google Cloud Credentials:
- Paste your Client ID
- Paste your Client Secret
Click Save & Continue.
Step 2 — Authorize:
- Click the red Connect YouTube button
- You will be redirected to Google where you sign in and approve the permissions
- Select the YouTube channel you want to use (if you have multiple)
- Google redirects you back to AgentGrow automatically
Verify the connection
After authorization, you will see a green Connected status with your channel name and thumbnail. The token expiry is displayed — AgentGrow refreshes it automatically every 45 minutes (Google tokens expire every hour).
What Your Agent Uploads
Your AI agent creates and uploads YouTube Shorts — vertical videos up to 60 seconds long. These are the same style of videos your agent already creates for Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels, now cross-posted to YouTube for additional reach.
- Format: 9:16 vertical MP4, under 60 seconds
- Cadence: One Short per day (24-hour minimum gap)
- Content: Auto-generated from your business topics with AI voiceover and animated slides
- Hashtags:
#Shortsis included automatically so YouTube classifies the video correctly
Troubleshooting
Google says "redirect_uri_mismatch"
Make sure you added this exact URL in your Google Cloud OAuth client’s Authorized redirect URIs:
The URL must match exactly — no trailing slash, no http:// (must be https://). After adding it, wait a few minutes for Google to propagate the change.
"Access blocked: This app's request is invalid" error
This usually means the YouTube Data API v3 is not enabled in your Google Cloud project. Go to APIs & Services → Library, search for "YouTube Data API v3", and ensure it shows as Enabled.
"This app isn't verified" warning
This is normal for apps in "Testing" mode. Click Continue (you may need to click "Advanced" first). Since you created the app and added yourself as a test user, this is safe.
Connection shows "Expired"
AgentGrow automatically refreshes YouTube tokens every 45 minutes. If you still see "Expired":
- Click Reconfigure on the YouTube Shorts module
- Click Connect YouTube to re-authorize
This generates a fresh token immediately.
Agent is not uploading Shorts
- Check that the YouTube Shorts module status shows Configured (green checkmark) on the Integrations page
- Verify the module is not paused (toggle should be green, not gray)
- Ensure the Video Reels module is also active (it generates the videos that get uploaded)
- Check your Dashboard activity feed for any error messages from the agent
How do I disconnect YouTube?
Open the YouTube Shorts module on the Integrations page, click Reconfigure, then click Disconnect. This removes the access token but keeps your app credentials so you can reconnect without re-entering them.
Can I switch to a different YouTube channel?
Yes. Disconnect the current connection, then click Connect YouTube again. When Google asks you to authorize, select a different channel.
YouTube API quota limits
The YouTube Data API has a default quota of 10,000 units per day. Each video upload costs 1,600 units, so you can upload up to 6 videos per day. AgentGrow’s daily cadence (1 Short/day) is well within this limit.