> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://sl-6d1f19fe-mintlify-ff95e355.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# YouTube (managed connection)

> Connect your YouTube channel to Streamloop through Google sign-in and let Streamloop create and manage the live broadcast — title, privacy, thumbnail, and schedule.

There are two ways to stream to YouTube with Streamloop. This page covers the **managed
connection**, where you link your channel once and Streamloop runs the whole broadcast for you.
If you'd rather paste a stream key from YouTube yourself, see
[YouTube via RTMP stream key](/platform/youtube-rtmp).

## Why use the managed connection

With a managed connection, Streamloop talks to YouTube through the official YouTube API, so it can:

* **Create and run the broadcast** for you — no copying stream keys.
* Let you set the **title, description, privacy, thumbnail, and schedule** from inside Streamloop.
* Keep the YouTube broadcast in sync if you reschedule or stop the loop.

## Connect your channel

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the destination picker">
    In your loop's **General** tab, find the destination section and click **Connect a destination**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose YouTube (Connect channel)">
    In the provider grid, pick **YouTube · Connect channel** (marked **recommended**). This starts
    Google sign-in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign in and grant access">
    Complete the Google popup. On the consent screen, **leave every box checked** — including the
    YouTube permission.

    <Warning>
      Google shows the YouTube permission as an optional checkbox. If you untick it, sign-in still
      succeeds but Streamloop gets no access to your channel and the connection silently fails.
      Keep all boxes checked.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm it's connected">
    Your channel appears with a **Connected** badge. Pick it as the loop's destination and you're
    ready to set up the broadcast.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Set up the broadcast

Once a YouTube channel is connected, the loop's **YouTube** tab unlocks. From there you control
how the broadcast appears on your channel:

* **Title, description, category, language, and tags.**
* **Visibility** — Public, Unlisted, or Private.
* **Thumbnail** — automatic (the first frame of your video) or a custom image.
* **Recording and DVR**, plus a **latency** mode (normal, low, or ultra-low).
* **Publish upcoming broadcast on YouTube when scheduled** — when on, scheduling the loop also
  creates the upcoming broadcast on your channel and keeps it in sync.

See [YouTube broadcast controls](/features#youtube-broadcast-controls) for the full list.

## Reconnect when access expires

If Google's authorization expires, the destination shows **YouTube needs reauthorization**. Click
**Reconnect** and complete sign-in again to keep streaming. Your stream keys and authorization are
[encrypted at rest](/reliability-guarantees#your-credentials-are-encrypted).

## Managed connection vs stream key

|                             | Managed connection       | [Stream key](/platform/youtube-rtmp) |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------ |
| Setup                       | Sign in with Google once | Paste a key from YouTube             |
| Broadcast created by        | Streamloop               | You, in YouTube Studio               |
| Title / privacy / thumbnail | Set in Streamloop        | Set in YouTube Studio                |
| Schedule synced to YouTube  | Yes                      | No                                   |

<Note>
  Ready to go live? Connect your channel on [streamloop.app](https://streamloop.app), or follow the
  [quickstart](/quickstart).
</Note>