youtube-publishing-and-metadata
A format-execution skill — write the YouTube publish metadata (title, description+chapters, tags) and
set category/privacy/madeForKids. The agent writes the metadata + config; the video FILE + script are
inputs; WoopSocial publishes via the YouTube fields; the thumbnail + A/B testing are native Studio.
The POV: YouTube is a search engine; metadata is the launchpad
YouTube is the
2nd-largest search engine (~27% of traffic from search, ~70% from recommendations — both
metadata-fed), and metadata is what it reads
before user behavior kicks in: the
launchpad that lets
a good video
compound for years. But be honest —
retention keeps it ranking; metadata gets you
discovered, it doesn't guarantee a rank. The
title does two jobs at once (rank via the keyword + earn
the click), the
description's above-the-fold lines carry the most weight,
tags are a minor signal now
(get the first one right), and
is a legal flag, not a reach lever.
Read these first
- brand-profile — niche/voice + how the audience searches.
- goals-and-kpis — the goal (search reach / subscribers / watch time).
- the script/video (often from youtube-long-form/youtube-shorts).
The framework: INDEX
(Depth:
references/the-index-framework.md
.)
- I — Intent-match the title: primary keyword in the first ~40 chars, ~50–60 total; rank + click;
power word; clarity over cleverness.
- N — Nail the description above-the-fold: line 1 value → keyword in lines 2–3 → 300–500 words natural;
keyword-named chapters; 3–7 links + affiliate disclosure. (Description = .)
- D — Direct the tags: first tag = exact primary keyword; then secondary + niche; relevant-only.
- E — Elect category + privacy: accurate ; (public/unlisted/private) per goal.
- X — eXamine the kids-flag + validate: set truthfully (COPPA/FTC — it disables
comments/personalized ads/etc.); never mislabel; validate before publish.
The reality (verify-quarterly)
YouTube = search engine / metadata = launchpad (but retention ranks); title (keyword first ~40 chars, 50–60,
two jobs, power words, A/B native); description (above-the-fold, 300–500 natural, chapters, links +
disclosure); tags (minor now, first = primary keyword, relevant-only); category + privacy;
madeForKids
(COPPA/FTC legal flag, truthful); the WoopSocial gaps (no thumbnail field/no A/B → native Studio):
references/youtube-metadata-2026-reality.md
. Title/description templates, tag order, the full publish-config
block + worked examples:
references/metadata-and-publish.md
.
Honest scope (never violate)
- The agent writes the metadata + config. The video FILE + script are inputs (/
+ filming/editing) — WoopSocial doesn't film/edit/generate video. The THUMBNAIL is
native Studio (no API field; it's a major CTR lever — brief it via ), and so is A/B
title testing.
- WoopSocial publishes via the YouTube fields (////;
description = ; raw-bytes upload). No update → delete+recreate before publish; metadata
edits in Studio after.
- truthful (COPPA/FTC; mislabeling is illegal, not a lever). Affiliate/AI disclosure
where relevant; no keyword-stuffing; never promise a ranking; never fabricate metrics (native
analytics only). (Scope, distinctions + connections:
references/scope-and-connections.md
Distinct from its siblings (route correctly)
youtube-publishing-and-metadata (this) = the publish METADATA + config (title/description/tags/category/
privacy/madeForKids) · youtube-long-form/youtube-shorts = the SCRIPT/content · thumbnail-design =
the thumbnail (uploaded natively — no API field) · caption-writer/hook-writer = generic copy.
Where this connects
Reads first: brand-profile, goals-and-kpis, the script/video (youtube-long-form/
youtube-shorts). Content inputs (external to WoopSocial): those script skills, the video cluster
(veo/runway/kling) + editing, thumbnail-design (native upload), hook-writer/
caption-writer. Publish: scheduling-and-queue → WoopSocial (YouTube fields),
platform-specs-and-validation (validate + field rules), content-calendar. Reuse/measure:
content-recycling (→ Shorts/clips), analytics-and-reporting (search/watch-time/CTR),
experimentation (title/thumbnail A/B — run natively in Studio). Video/thumbnail/A/B stay external/native.
Definition of done
A keyword-led title (primary keyword in the first ~40 chars, ~50–60 total, rank + click, clarity); an
above-the-fold description (value line → keyword → 300–500 words natural, keyword-named chapters, 3–7 links +
disclosure) in
; tags led by the exact primary keyword, relevant-only; an accurate category
and a goal-fit privacy;
set truthfully per COPPA; the full WoopSocial YouTube config validated
before publish; the video file produced externally and the thumbnail + A/B testing left to native Studio;
edits via delete+recreate (or Studio post-publish), nothing fabricated and no promised ranking; correctly
distinguished from youtube-long-form/youtube-shorts and thumbnail-design.