With the increasing popularity of social media platforms, YouTube has become one of the most preferred video hosting sites. As a YouTube creator, you must have noticed a bell icon next to the subscribe button on the video page. This bell icon is an essential feature for any YouTube channel to notify their subscribers about new videos or live streams. But, how to add a bell icon in the YouTube video? In this blog, we will discuss the challenge of adding a bell icon in a YouTube video, things you need to prepare, 3 or 4 methods with steps, why you can’t add the bell icon, and five frequently asked questions.
Video Tutorial:
The Challenge of Adding a Bell Icon in a YouTube Video
YouTube provides a simple way to add a subscribe button to your videos, but there is no direct way to add a bell icon to your videos. You need to use a third-party tool or YouTube APIs to add the bell icon, which is quite tricky. Furthermore, the YouTube APIs process requires coding skills, which may become a challenge for some creators.
Things You Need to Prepare
To add a bell icon in a YouTube video, you need to prepare the following things:
1) YouTube API Key: You have to generate a YouTube API key to integrate the bell icon in your video. You can get it by creating a Google Cloud account and follow the further instruction.
2) Internet Connectivity: You should have a stable internet connection, as the process of adding a bell icon to your video involves using YouTube APIs.
3) Programming Skills: If you are following the manual process of adding a bell icon, then you should have knowledge of JavaScript and HTML, as these languages are crucial to implement the YouTube API.
Method 1: Using a Third-Party Tool
Various third-party tools are available over the internet, which provides integration of a bell icon in your YouTube video. Two of the most popular third-party tools are TubeBuddy and VidIQ. Follow the below steps to integrate a bell icon in your video using the TubeBuddy tool:
1) Download the TubeBuddy extension from the Chrome web store and log in to your account.
2) Create a new ‘Annotation’ from the video page and select the bell icon option.
3) Drag the bell icon to the desired location, adjust the size and colour of the bell icon as per your requirement.
4) Save the annotation and publish your video. From the next video playback, your subscribers will get notified with the bell icon.
Method 2: Using YouTube API
The YouTube API provides various methods to add a bell icon to your video, but it requires coding skills. Follow the below steps to add a bell icon using the YouTube API:
1) Create a Google Developer Account.
2) Generate an API key for YouTube Data API.
3) Create a new project and enable the YouTube API from the dashboard.
4) Open the Google API Console, select your project and click on ‘Credentials’.
5) Create new credentials and select the ‘API key’ option.
6) Go to your video page and edit the annotations.
7) Copy the sample code given in the document of YouTube API to add the bell icon to your video. Replace the attached credentials with the API key that you generated.
8) Save the annotations, and you are done.
Why can’t I add a bell icon to my YouTube video?
There could be various reasons for not adding the bell icon to your YouTube video. Some of the standard issues and their fixes are as follows:
1) Not having active and verified YouTube Channel: Make sure you have an active and verified YouTube channel before adding the bell icon to your video.
2) Lack of Technical Skills: Adding a bell icon to your video needs technical knowledge. Use third-party tools or hire a developer to help you with the process.
3) Incorrect API Key Usage: Make sure you have generated and inserted the correct YouTube API keys, as wrong input may result in a failure.
FAQs
Q.1 Can I add the bell icon to my old YouTube videos?
A.1 Yes, you can add a bell icon to your old YouTube videos anytime you want. Follow the same steps that we have mentioned in the methods above.
Q.2 Does YouTube charge me for using the YouTube API?
A.2 No, YouTube does not charge anything to use their API. You have to create an account in Google Cloud to access the API, and for that, they have mentioned their fees on the dashboard.
Q.3 Can I use the YouTube API without any coding skills?
A.3 No, you need to have basic knowledge of programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to implement the YouTube API.
Q.4 Can I use both the third-party tool and YouTube API to add a bell icon to my video?
A.4 It’s not recommended to use both the methods simultaneously, as it may cause a conflict. Use any one of the methods mentioned in this article.
Q.5 Can I move the bell icon to any place on my video?
A.5 Yes, you can move the bell icon to any desired place as the third-party tools and the YouTube API provide customization settings.
Conclusion
Adding a bell icon on your YouTube video helps your subscribers to get notifications about your new videos and live streams. Using third-party tools, as well as the YouTube API, you can easily integrate a bell icon in your video. However, third-party tools are more accessible for creators with no coding skills, while the YouTube API requires some programming knowledge. We hope this tutorial has helped you in understanding various methods of adding a bell icon to your YouTube video.