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Connecting YouTube data sources
Each YouTube data source is associated with a single YouTube channel. Channels are administered by either a single personal Google Account or a Brand Account. A Brand Account can in turn be accessed by multiple personal Google Accounts. Connecting a YouTube data source depends on what type of account is administering the channel associated with the data source.
Channels administered by a single personal Google Account
Only the credentials of the single personal Google Account that administers the YouTube channel can be used to connect it as a data source in Funnel.
Channels administered by a Brand Account
Previously, Brand Account role permissions were used to manage personal Google Account access to YouTube channels. This has now been replaced by channel permissions. You may need to migrate from Brand Account user access to channel permissions.
Credentials of personal Google Accounts with the channel permissions roles of either Owner or Manager on the Brand Account administering the channel can be used to connect the channel as a data source in Funnel. Refer to the steps listed under Grant access to your channel using permissions subheading of the Add or remove access to your YouTube channel with channel permissions help article.
Credentials used to connect data sources in Funnel do not automatically update to reflect changing permission roles of their associated personal Google Accounts. New credentials must be created in Funnel using the same personal Google Account login information in order for them to acquire updated permission roles.
Data mismatches
Delays due to YouTube API data volatility
Due to data volatility, a latency of several days can be experienced between the attribution date of a metric value and it being retrievable from YouTube APIs. Data that has been recently attributed may not be immediately visible in Funnel.
Absent data for private videos
The YouTube Analytics API only reports metric values for videos with Public visibility. Private video metrics cannot be retrieved by Funnel. This limitation applies for the age and Gender, Device Type & Operating System, Time-based, Traffic Sources and User Geography reports.
Data anonymisation
The YouTube Analytics API does not report metric values that do not meet certain thresholds for certain time periods. The YouTube connector retrieves data using a daily time period, so metrics will not be available in Funnel on dates where their values did not meet the threshold, and aggregation on longer time periods may not match with the YouTube Studio UI. For more information, please consult the section regarding Data anonymisation in the YouTube Analytics API documentation.
This limitation applies for Age and Gender, Traffic Sources and User Geography reports.