Integrating YouTube and CommonSpot

This release supports automated integration of YouTube multimedia content in CommonSpot. To serve YouTube content through CommonSpot, create projects that represent distinct YouTube channels in CommonSpot by completing the following steps:

Log in to the Google/YouTube developers console with a dedicated gmail account.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are logged in to any other gmail accounts or google services in this browser or other instances, or other tabs in the same browser, log out of all those accounts while setting up this account.

Create a new project associated with the YouTube Data API for each categorized group of videos you will serve, and generate a Client ID, Client Secret, and an API/Developer Key for each.

Configure access in CommonSpot using the generated Client ID, Client Secret, and an API/Developer Key.

You can find good general instructions for registering a YouTube app under "https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/getting-started (Search for "YouTube authentication" or "YouTube developer" if this page has moved.)

The following instructions use:

https://console.developers.google.com/home/

as the starting point. Log in to this dashboard using your Google login credentials.

Note: These instructions document the Google interface at release time. For the latest version of these instructions, see "Integrating YouTube and CommonSpot" in the CommonSpot knowledgebase (requires login):

http://www.paperthin.com/support/knowledgebase/

On the Google site:

If this is your first time using the Google Developer's Console, review the Google recommendations for developer-specific accounts and create or use an account appropriate for permanent association with this application. Accept the Terms of Service and register. Review Google documentation for "Credentials, access, security, and identity," "Setting up OAuth 2.0," and "Setting up API keys."

From the Developer's Console - Manage Projects view, enter a meaningful name and click Create project.

The project list refreshes with your new project. Click the project name link, then click Enable and manage APIs.

Google displays a list of APIs. Under YouTube APIs, pick YouTube Data API.

Review instructions. CommonSpot requires both OAuth and an API key. Enable your project, click Create Credentials, and choose API key.

Google displays the following. Pick Browser key.

Complete the API key fields as shown below. Accept or change the default key name and enter the the domain or IP address of the CommonSpot server(s) through which YouTube content will be served. For testing, localhost:{your port} will work. Note: Your local ColdFusion instance name will not work. The HTTP referrers (web sites) entered have to be publicly available.

Mouseover to view larger

Click the Create button. The dashboard displays the Google-generated API key. This is the API key CommonSpot requests for managing the YouTube channel. in Site Admin - Multimedia Services - External Services - Add Multimedia Channel.

Click the Credentials left-hand menu item and repeat step 4 above, choosing OAuth. Accept the default consent screen or customize.

Mouseover to view larger

This is the screen that displays when CommonSpot redirects to YouTube.

Accept or change the default key name, and complete the OAuth fields as shown below, adding as many URLs as your site needs. In the Authorized Redirect URLs field, enter {www.yourwebsite.com}/commonspot/controls/object/multimedia/auth-callback.cfm for each site or subsite you will use. If it is fairly certain that the site will also be using an SSL certificate then adding an https entry is recommended.

Mouseover to view larger

Click Create client ID. Google generates a client ID and a client secret, as shown below

In a new tab, go to “https://www.youtube.com/account” and log in using the same credentials used for the gmail account created in step 1.

Click the Advanced link next to Name in Account settings and note the YouTube User ID.

If you do not have a channel already, create a YouTube channel by clicking the Create Channel link next to your YouTube name.

You can now create YouTube channels managed by CommonSpot.

In CommonSpot:

Open Site Admin - Multimedia Services - External Services and select the YouTube service. Click the channel link and copy the following values generated by the Google registration process to the Add/Edit Multimedia Channel dialog:

User Name: Your YouTube user name, if you have one.
User ID: The user ID from https://www.youtube.com/account
Product Name: The project name assigned in step 2 above.
Developer Key: Enter the Developer/API key from step 6 above.
Client ID: Enter the Oauth value from step 9 above.
Client Secret: Enter the value from step 9 above.
Redirect URL Values: Enter the value from step 8 above.

Save the CommonSpot channel dialog. To complete registration, click the registration flag

for the channel in the Multimedia Channels dialog. The following message displays:

Access Status:

You need to log in to the YouTube user account associated with this channel for granting access to CommonSpot. If you do not have the YouTube user account credentials, please select Cancel to abort.

If you continue and fail to log in to your YouTube account, this channel and the objects (multimedia files and playlists) associated with this channel will be unavailable to use through CommonSpot.

Click OK.

A new window with your Google accounts displays with a redirect to login if you are not already logged in. After login both the account Gmail address and the YouTube Account with the Channel Name display. Selecting the one with your channel name redirects to a page requesting permission to allow CommonSpot to Manage your YouTube account.

{your product name} is requesting permission to:

Manage your YouTube account

Perform these operations when I'm not using the application

Click Allow Access to update the channel you just created with the Google returned Auth Token and close this dialog.

Refresh the Multimedia Channels dialog in CommonSpot.

A green flag confirms successful registration with YouTube. If properly set up, the following message displays when you click this flag:

Access Status:

Commonspot has been granted API access to this YouTube account.

Related Links

You can download PDF versions of the Content Contributor's, Administrator's, and Elements Reference documents from the support section of paperthin.com (requires login).

The following guides are available from the support site and are in the /docs/directory of your CommonSpot Server:

You can also download these other guides from the support section of paperthin.com (with login):

For technical support:

http://www.paperthin.com/support/