Automate YouTube Shorts Uploads With Python Scripts (Free)

Uploading YouTube Shorts manually eats up time. Automate your workflow with Python and the YouTube API to schedule uploads, add metadata, and track performance programmatically.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• Google Account with YouTube Channel
• Installed libraries:

  pip install google-auth google-auth-oauthlib google-auth-httplib2 google-api-python-client

Step 1: Enable YouTube API v3

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create a new project > Enable YouTube Data API v3
3. Under Credentials, create an OAuth 2.0 Client ID
4. Download credentials.json file

Step 2: Authenticate Your Script

Create auth.py to handle OAuth:

from google_auth_oauthlib.flow import InstalledAppFlow
import pickle

scopes = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.upload"]
flow = InstalledAppFlow.from_client_secrets_file("credentials.json", scopes)
credentials = flow.run_console()
pickle.dump(credentials, open("token.pkl", "wb"))
    

Step 3: Create Upload Script

Build upload_shorts.py:

from googleapiclient.http import MediaFileUpload
from googleapiclient.discovery import build
import pickle

# Load credentials
credentials = pickle.load(open("token.pkl", "rb"))
youtube = build("youtube", "v3", credentials=credentials)

# Upload function
def upload_short(video_path, title, description, tags):
    request = youtube.videos().insert(
        part="snippet,status",
        body={
            "snippet": {
                "title": title,
                "description": description,
                "tags": tags,
                "categoryId": "22",  # Shorts category
                "defaultLanguage": "en"
            },
            "status": {
                "privacyStatus": "public",  # Or "private"/"unlisted"
                "selfDeclaredMadeForKids": False
            }
        },
        media_body=MediaFileUpload(video_path)
    )
    response = request.execute()
    return response

# Example usage
upload_short(
    video_path="short1.mp4",
    title="My Automated Short #1",
    description="Created with Python automation",
    tags=["Shorts", "Python", "Automation"]
)
    

Step 4: Schedule Uploads

Use cron jobs (Linux/macOS) or Task Scheduler (Windows):

# Linux cron example (runs daily at 8 AM)
0 8 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /path/to/upload_shorts.py
    

Advanced Features

Batch Processing

import os

video_folder = "/path/to/shorts"
for video in os.listdir(video_folder):
    if video.endswith(".mp4"):
        upload_short(
            video_path=os.path.join(video_folder, video),
            title=f"Short: {video}",
            description="Automated upload",
            tags=["Automation"]
        )
    

Error Handling

try:
    response = request.execute()
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Upload failed: {e}")
    # Add retry logic or notifications here
    

API Quota Management

• Monitor usage at API Dashboard
• Apply for higher quota for bulk uploads

Limitations

• 10,000 API units/day free quota (≈50 uploads)
• No direct Shorts-specific API parameters – use standard video upload with vertical format

Upgrade Options

• Use yt-dlp for video preprocessing
• Integrate with Google Sheets for metadata management

FAQ

Can I monetize automated Shorts?

Yes, but ensure compliance with YouTube’s Terms of Service.

How to add captions programmatically?

Use the captions.insert API endpoint with SRT/WEBVTT files.

Does this work with YouTube Analytics?

Yes – extend the script with the youtubeAnalytics.reports.query endpoint.

Need help customizing the script for your channel? Ask in the comments!