YouTube connection privacy

Last updated: 16 October 2026

Connect YouTube lets REL confirm that you control a YouTube channel. You sign into REL first, authorise through Google, and confirm the channel to link. Your REL sign-in, staff permissions and ranking do not change.

What access you grant

REL uses YouTube API Services and requests the read-only YouTube permission. It reads the authorised channel's ID and title to establish and periodically recheck the connection. REL does not request permission to upload, post or modify your channel, and does not collect your Google password.

What is stored and displayed

Your linked channel ID, title and verification time can appear on your public REL account profile. An encrypted refresh credential stays in private server-side storage so REL can check that Google access and channel control remain valid. Google access tokens are used temporarily on the server and are not returned to your browser.

Cloudflare runs the connection service and Supabase stores its records. Google processes the authorisation and YouTube requests under the Google Privacy Policy. Temporary, necessary cookies protect this connection flow and expire after ten minutes or are cleared when the flow completes.

Checks and retention

When you connect or reconnect, REL also reads your public subscriber count. The confirmation screen explains that this count and its update date can appear in Popularity if your account has an Owner-approved link to an editor in the overall rankings. YouTube rounds subscriber counts. Hidden or unavailable counts are excluded. Counts are not refreshed by scheduled channel-access checks; reconnect to update yours. A count stops appearing after 29 days, and the maintenance job deletes expired snapshots. Disconnecting removes it immediately.

REL schedules channel checks approximately daily. A connection that has not been checked successfully for two days stops appearing publicly. Revoked or no-longer-accessible channels are removed when detected. The maintenance job removes stored connections after 29 days without a successful check, and removes expired pending authorisations. A failed or interrupted check does not grant staff access or change your rankings.

Disconnect and revoke

Use Disconnect YouTube in My account to revoke Google's permission and remove the stored connection and credential. If Google cannot accept the revocation request, REL tells you to retry. You can also revoke REL's access through Google's security settings. External revocations are detected during the scheduled checks.

For privacy questions, deletion requests or complaints, email shaun@seeshaun.xyz. Include the relevant REL profile link; do not send passwords or sign-in codes.

Using this connection is subject to YouTube's Terms of Service.