In n8n, add a YouTube node (or a workflow that already includes it) and create new credentials. You’ll sign in with the Google account that manages the channel and approve the requested permissions. After that, choose a trigger (like new video or new comment) or an action (like search videos) and test the node. If you’re using a Flowpast workflow, you usually just swap in your credentials and hit Activate.

A lot, frankly.

Yes. To automate actions tied to a channel (uploads, comment moderation, channel data), you need a Google/YouTube account with access to that channel. Some workflows that only read public data can run with minimal permissions, but most business use cases work best when you authenticate as the channel owner or manager. If you’re an agency, ask for Manager access in YouTube Studio so you don’t need the client’s password.

Common wins include sending a Slack message when a video publishes, logging titles and URLs to Google Sheets, summarizing new comments with OpenAI, and emailing a weekly metrics snapshot. Limitations usually come from permissions and quotas: some endpoints require specific scopes, and heavy analytics pulls can hit API limits. Also, YouTube events aren’t always instant, so a workflow may poll every few minutes. If a workflow fails, it’s often an expired Google token—reconnect and you’re back.