Viewing YouTube Channel Stats and Shorts Analytics
Overview
Once your YouTube channel is connected, Social Cascade shows it on your Overview page and includes your videos in Analytics alongside Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. This article explains where to find YouTube numbers and what they mean.
Before You Start
- Connect your YouTube channel first. See Connecting Your YouTube Channel to Social Cascade.
- Stats are collected on a schedule, not live. A newly connected channel or a new Short can take a while to show numbers.
Your Channel on the Overview Page
- Click Overview in the left sidebar.
- Under Social Profiles, find your YouTube card. It shows Posts (videos on the channel that Social Cascade knows about) and Followers.
- YouTube doesn't share a follower count for this card, so Followers shows "—".
To see your subscribers:
- On Overview, your YouTube subscribers are included in Followers & Subscribers.
- In Analytics, the YouTube Subscribers card shows your channel's subscriber count.
Your Videos in Analytics
Click Analytics in the left sidebar. Your YouTube videos appear in Content Performance and count toward the cards at the top. For YouTube:
- Reach is the video's view count.
- Engagements are likes and comments. YouTube doesn't report shares or saves here.
- Sustained Attention Rate (SAR) is YouTube's average percentage of the video watched.
Videos you upload directly in YouTube Studio are imported too. They appear in Content Performance with a Self-published badge.
Like other platforms, numbers take time to settle. A new Short showing zero views right after publishing is normal.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The YouTube card is missing on Overview | The channel isn't connected, or was disconnected. | Check the connection under Social Profiles → Manage, then refresh Overview. |
| Followers shows "—" on the YouTube card | YouTube doesn't share a follower count for this card. | See Followers & Subscribers on Overview, or YouTube Subscribers in Analytics. |
| The subscriber count looks off | YouTube updates channel totals on its own schedule, and we collect them periodically. | Compare with YouTube Studio, which is the source of truth. |
| A recent Short shows zero views | Views take time to register on YouTube and reach Social Cascade. | Check again in a few hours. |
FAQ
Q: Can I see watch time or audience retention?
A: Each video's Sustained Attention Rate is YouTube's average percentage watched, which is a retention measure. Social Cascade doesn't show YouTube watch time. For full audience analytics, use YouTube Studio → Analytics.
Q: Do videos I upload directly to YouTube show up?
A: Yes. Social Cascade imports your recent YouTube videos, including ones you uploaded in YouTube Studio, and marks them Self-published in Analytics.
Q: Why is my YouTube engagement rate lower than on Instagram?
A: On YouTube, reach is a view count, so one person watching twice counts twice. On Instagram, reach counts unique accounts. See Understanding Reach.