Audit the metadata search actually reads: paste a video and its target keyword, and get a pass / warn / fail report over the title, description, chapters, tags, captions, thumbnail, and channel fields, with the fix for every red row.
Data from YouTube
Recent audits
How it works
The checker reads the video's full public record and its channel's settings through YouTube's official Data API, plus one probe for a custom thumbnail. It then runs a fixed set of checks over the text fields and flags. The title is checked for length, truncation, keyword placement, and shouting. The description is checked for length, a keyword in the opening lines, links, a valid chapter list, the 15-hashtag rule, and a call to action. The tags field is checked for presence, the 500-character budget, the keyword, and duplicates. The settings that matter are captions, custom thumbnail, category, language, and embeddability. The channel's own keywords and description are checked too.
The score is passed checks over scoreable checks. It is unweighted on purpose and computed from text fields only, never from view or like counts, so it stays comparable. Every warn and fail carries its reason and the fix. The report groups by section so you can work top to bottom. Reports keep a shareable link for 7 days.
The natural loop: pick the phrase with the Keyword Generator, fix the rows with the Title and Description generators, then check your position with the Rank Checker.
What the statuses mean
- Pass
- The check is satisfied as it stands.
- Warn
- A real improvement is available, but nothing is broken.
- Fail
- A rule violation or a missing essential: over the 100-character title limit, more than 15 hashtags, or no keyword in the title.
- Info
- A plain fact with no judgement, such as video length or the made-for-kids flag.
- Score
- Passed checks over scoreable checks. Info rows do not count.
Frequently asked questions
What does the YouTube SEO checker check?
The metadata YouTube search reads, as a pass, warn, or fail list. The title: length, display truncation, and keyword placement. The description: length, keyword in the opening lines, links, chapters, hashtag count, and a call to action. The tags field: its 500-character budget and duplicates. The settings: captions, custom thumbnail, category, language, and embeddability. And whether the channel's own keywords and description are filled in. Each failing check says what to change.
How is the score calculated?
It is a plain checklist: passed checks divided by scoreable checks. Nothing is weighted or modelled, and view or like counts play no part. That keeps the score clear and useful. Fixing a red row raises it by exactly one, and two videos can be compared check by check rather than by a black-box number.
Does YouTube SEO still matter when the algorithm drives views?
Yes, for the traffic that builds over time. Search and suggested videos keep sending viewers to a well-labelled video years after upload. Metadata is also how YouTube understands what a video is about, so it knows what to suggest it next to. The feed rewards click-through and watch time. Search rewards clarity. This checker covers the clarity half, which you fully control after upload.
What should my target keyword be?
The phrase a viewer would type to find this exact video, worded the way people search: "how to make sourdough bread", not "sourdough tutorial video". Pick it before writing the title. The YouTube Keyword Generator suggests phrases with real volumes, and the YouTube Keyword Tool harvests YouTube's own autocomplete for a seed.
Why does it flag a video with no chapters?
As a warning, not a failure. Chapters are optional, but a valid chapter list (a 0:00 entry plus at least two more timestamps) gives the player named sections, adds search surface, and makes the video more useful. The chapters formatter turns a rough outline into a valid list in seconds.
Can it check the video's ranking too?
Not on this page. Ranking is a different measurement. Run the same keyword through the YouTube Rank Checker to see where the video sits on YouTube's results page. Then use this report to improve the metadata that ranking responds to. Together they form an audit-then-verify loop.
Does it work on other people's videos?
Yes. Every check reads public metadata, so auditing a competitor's top-ranking video is fair game and very revealing. Their title shape, chapter use, and tag choices show what the winner in your niche looks like. Private videos cannot be read.
Is the YouTube SEO checker free?
Yes, free with no signup. Each audit draws one lookup from the shared daily allowance shown by the quota chip. Reports keep a shareable link for 7 days. Fix what it finds with the Title, Description, and Tag generators.