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jdwit merged 1 commit into from
Jun 13, 2026
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docs: complete the quota cost overview (playlists, search) #32

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10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions README.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -66,6 +66,16 @@ operations (listing videos, comments, channel info) cost 1 unit, while write ope
updating video metadata or moderating comments cost 50 units each. Bulk updates can consume quota
quickly. When exceeded, the API returns a 403 error; quota resets at midnight Pacific Time.

| Action | Examples | Approx. cost |
|--------|----------|--------------|
| Read | list videos, comments, playlists; analytics queries | 1 unit |
| Write | update a video, moderate a comment, add or reorder playlist items, schedule a broadcast | 50 units |
| Search | `search.list`, used by `playlists add --from-search` | 100 units |
| Upload | `videos.insert` | ~1600 units |

A full per-operation breakdown lives in the
[API quota docs](https://jdwit.github.io/ytstudio-cli/api-quota/).

You can request a quota increase via **IAM & Admin** → **Quotas** in the
[Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/). See the
[official quota documentation](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/getting-started#quota) for
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38 changes: 22 additions & 16 deletions docs/api-quota.md
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Expand Up @@ -2,9 +2,10 @@

The YouTube Data API enforces a daily quota of **10 000 units per project**
by default. Most read operations (`videos.list`, `comments.list`, channel
info) cost 1 unit, while write operations like `videos.update`,
`liveBroadcasts.insert`/`update`, and `comments.setModerationStatus` cost
about 50 units each.
info) cost 1 unit, while write operations like `videos.update`, playlist
edits, `liveBroadcasts.insert`/`update`, and `comments.setModerationStatus`
cost about 50 units each. `search.list` (behind `playlists add --from-search`)
is the notable exception at 100 units per call.

When you exceed the quota, the API returns HTTP 403 with a
`quotaExceeded` reason. ytstudio surfaces a clear error and exits.
Expand All @@ -16,19 +17,24 @@ not eat into the table below.

## Data API cost cheatsheet

| Operation | Approx. quota cost |
|-------------------------------------|--------------------|
| `videos.list` | 1 unit |
| `commentThreads.list` | 1 unit |
| `channels.list` | 1 unit |
| `liveBroadcasts.list` | 1 unit |
| `videos.update` | 50 units |
| `comments.setModerationStatus` | 50 units |
| `liveBroadcasts.insert` | 50 units |
| `liveBroadcasts.update` | 50 units |
| `liveBroadcasts.transition` | 50 units |
| `videos.insert` (upload) | ~1600 units |
| `thumbnails.set` | 50 units |
| Operation | Approx. quota cost |
|----------------------------------------------|--------------------|
| `videos.list` | 1 unit |
| `commentThreads.list` | 1 unit |
| `channels.list` | 1 unit |
| `liveBroadcasts.list` | 1 unit |
| `playlists.list` | 1 unit |
| `playlistItems.list` | 1 unit |
| `search.list` | 100 units |
| `videos.update` | 50 units |
| `comments.setModerationStatus` | 50 units |
| `playlists.insert` / `update` / `delete` | 50 units |
| `playlistItems.insert` / `update` / `delete` | 50 units |
| `liveBroadcasts.insert` | 50 units |
| `liveBroadcasts.update` | 50 units |
| `liveBroadcasts.transition` | 50 units |
| `thumbnails.set` | 50 units |
| `videos.insert` (upload) | ~1600 units |

At ~1600 units per upload, the default 10 000-unit daily budget covers about
six new videos per day. Use `ytstudio videos upload --max N` to cap a run
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