Getting Started

YT Recon is a Google Sheets add-on that lets you discover trending videos, analyze YouTube channels, find emerging creators, and track performance — all organized directly in your spreadsheets.

Installation

1. Install from the Google Workspace Marketplace
2. Search for “YT Recon” or use the direct listing link

3. Click Install and grant the requested permissions

4. Permissions you’ll be granting:

5. Google Sheets — create and edit research spreadsheets
6. Google Drive — organize files into project folders
7. YouTube (read-only) — search videos and channels
8. Script triggers — enable automated tracking (Pro)

9. External requests — connect to AI APIs (Pro)

10. Open any Google Sheet — you’ll see a new YT Recon menu in the menu bar.

Tip: You can also open the add-on from the sidebar panel (Extensions → YT Recon), which shows a card-based homepage with quick actions.

Setup Wizard

On first launch, the Setup Wizard walks you through three one-time steps. You can re-run it anytime from Menu → Settings → Setup Wizard.

Step 1: Setup Folders

Click Setup Folders to create a “YouTube Research Tool” folder in your Google Drive with this structure:

YouTube Research Tool/
├── Projects/
├── Archives/
└── Reports/

All your research sheets, exports, and AI reports will be organized here automatically.

Step 2: Authorize YouTube

Click Authorize YouTube to grant OAuth permission for YouTube data access. This uses Google’s secure OAuth flow — no API key is required for basic use.

You’ll see a Google consent screen asking for YouTube read-only access. Accept to continue.

Step 3: Create Your First Project

Click Create Project to open the Projects dialog. Give your project a name (e.g., “Tech Niche Research”) and optional description. All future research sheets will be associated with your active project.

Status check: Click Check Status at any time to verify each step is complete. The wizard shows green checkmarks for completed steps.

Quick Start

Once setup is complete, you’re ready to run your first search in under a minute.

1. Open the sidebar: Menu → YT Recon → Dashboard, or click the add-on icon in the sidebar panel.

2. Click the “Videos” tab in the sidebar.

3. Enter a keyword (e.g., nba highlights) in the “Keyword or Phrase” field.

4. Set optional filters:

5. Date range — limit to recent uploads
6. Minimum views — filter out low-performing videos

7. Country — focus on a specific region

8. Click the red “Search Videos” button.

9. Review your results — a new sheet appears with columns including View Count, Subscriber Count, Title, Video Link, Published Date, Likes, Comments, Duration, and more. Results are auto-sorted by view count (highest first) with a frozen header row and filters enabled.

10. Save to project — your sheet is automatically associated with your active project.

That’s it — you’ve completed your first video research. Explore the other tabs (Discover, Dormant, New Creators) to dive deeper.

Navigation

You have two ways to access features:

Sidebar (recommended for research)

The sidebar has 9 tabs across the top:

Menu Bar

YT Recon menu provides access to everything, including features not in the sidebar — like Daily Video Tracking, Automation, Managing Projects, and AI Settings. The full menu structure:

• Dashboard — opens the sidebar
• My Projects — project management
• Usage & Limits — API quota and tier info
• Research Tools — Video Discovery, Channel Discovery, New Creator Research, Channel Analytics, Creator Growth Tracking
• Tracking & Automation (Pro) — Daily Video Tracking, Manage Sessions, Automation Dashboard/Settings
• AI Tools (Pro) — Performance Prediction, Content Gap Analysis, Metadata Optimization, AI Settings
• Settings — API Keys, Re-Authorize YouTube, Setup Wizard, Sheet Management, Organize Folders