What Are Sources?
Sources are the connection between your YouTube content and your Shopify store. When you add a source, YouTube Gallery syncs all videos from that channel or playlist, making them available for your galleries.
Each source: - Syncs videos automatically based on your sync schedule - Tracks new uploads and adds them to your library - Maintains video metadata (titles, thumbnails, dates)
Channels vs Playlists
Channel Sources
A channel source includes all public videos uploaded to a YouTube channel.
Best for: - Displaying your entire video library - Automatically including every new upload - Showcasing all your brand’s content
How it works: - Syncs all videos from the channel’s uploads - New videos appear automatically after sync - Videos are ordered by publish date
Playlist Sources
A playlist source includes only the videos in a specific YouTube playlist.
Best for: - Curated collections (e.g., “Product Tutorials”, “Customer Reviews”) - Featuring specific videos without showing everything - Organizing videos by topic or purpose - Including videos from other channels in your playlist
How it works: - Syncs only videos in the playlist - New videos appear when added to the playlist - Videos can be from any channel (not just yours) - Playlist order is preserved
When to Use Each
Use a Channel When…
You want all your videos displayed automatically
Your channel is focused on a single topic relevant to your store
You don’t want to manually curate which videos appear
You upload frequently and want new content to appear without intervention
Use a Playlist When…
You want to feature specific videos only
You’re creating themed collections (tutorials, testimonials, etc.)
You want to include videos from other creators
You need different video sets for different pages
You want to control the exact order of videos
Tip: You can use both! Add your main channel as one source for an “All Videos” gallery, and add specific playlists for curated galleries on product pages.
Managing Sources
Viewing Your Sources
Go to Sources in the app navigation
See all connected channels and playlists
View video counts and last sync time for each
Source Sync Behavior
Sources sync based on your account settings:
Auto-sync: Videos update automatically based on your sync frequency (hourly, every 6 hours, every 12 hours, or daily)
Manual sync: Click the Sync button on any source to fetch new videos immediately
Sync disabled: You can pause syncing entirely in Settings
Note: Sync frequency options depend on your plan. Free plans sync daily, while paid plans offer more frequent options.
Removing a Source
Go to Sources
Click on the source you want to remove
Click Delete Source
What happens when you delete a source: The synced videos remain in your library and any galleries using them continue to work. However, those videos will no longer receive updates or sync new content.
Source Limits
The number of sources you can add depends on your plan:
Plan | Channel/Playlist Limit |
Free | 1 source |
Growth | 2 sources |
Professional | 5 sources |
Unlimited | Unlimited |
To add more sources, upgrade your plan from the Settings page.