Set up a YouTube channel for Shorts
ZippityOne publishes your videos to YouTube as Shorts. To connect, you need a Google account that has a YouTube channel — and that's the catch: a Google account on its own can watch and subscribe, but it has no channel until you create one. Any channel works (personal or a business Brand Account). Here's how to get one ready, in about ten minutes.
What you'll need
- A Google account (free) — the account you'll sign in with
- A YouTube channel on that account — a Google account has no channel until you create one (step 2 covers it)
- A vertical video to post — Shorts are vertical and up to 3 minutes long
- Nothing paid: you don't need a Brand Account, a business verification, or the YouTube Partner Program to connect and post
Step by step
- 1
Check whether you already have a channel
Sign in to youtube.com, then select your profile picture in the top-right corner. If the menu shows “Your channel”, you already have one — skip to step 3. If it shows “Create a channel” instead, you don't have a channel yet, so carry on to step 2.
- 2
Create your channel
There are two ways to do this, and both work with ZippityOne — pick whichever suits you:
The quick way (a personal channel): select your profile picture, choose “Create a channel”, confirm the name and photo, and finish. This channel carries your Google account's name and only you can manage it.
Under a business name (a Brand Account): if you'd rather the channel show your business name — and be manageable by more than one person, with no separate password — create a channel with a business or other name instead. YouTube connects it to a Brand Account. This is optional; a personal channel posts Shorts just the same.
YouTube's exact click-by-click for both options is in its official article, Create a YouTube channel.
- 3
Have a vertical video ready
Shorts are vertical videos, up to 3 minutes long. You don't need to upload anything now — just know that the videos you send through ZippityOne should be vertical so they land in the Shorts feed.
- 4
Connect it to ZippityOne
That's the setup done. On ZippityOne's Connect Socials page, connect YouTube Shorts. Google shows its own screens: first pick the Google account, then a permission screen naming the connection and the YouTube access it needs — review it and approve.
If that Google account manages more than one channel, Google asks which channel to use — choose the one you want to post to. You can remove the connection any time at myaccount.google.com/permissions.
Common snags
A Google account is not a YouTube channel
This trips up almost everyone. You can sign in to Google and YouTube all day and still have no channel — a Google account lets you watch, like, and subscribe, but you need a channel before you can upload or connect a posting app. If ZippityOne can't find anything to connect, it's almost always this. Go back to step 2 and create one.
You don't need a Brand or business account
A Brand Account is an option, not a requirement. It's handy if you want a business name on the channel or several people managing it — but a plain personal channel connects and posts Shorts exactly the same way. Individuals are welcome; pick whichever you prefer.
You can only use one channel at a time
If your Google account has more than one channel (say a personal one and a Brand Account), YouTube treats one as active at a time. When you connect, make sure you pick the channel you actually want to post to on Google's screen. Connected the wrong one? Disconnect in ZippityOne and connect again, choosing the right channel.
Asked to reconnect? Clear the old permission first
If a reconnect fails and asks you to try again, it's usually because Google is re-using an old approval. Go to myaccount.google.com/permissions, remove ZippityOne's access, then connect again from ZippityOne. Google will issue a fresh approval and the connection sticks.