Creating Your Account
Creating your Heckle account is simple, but there's one important thing to know: you must use the Google account that's connected to your YouTube channel. This ensures only channel owners can access their comment insights.
Why this matters: Think of it like this: if someone could analyze any YouTube channel without proving they own it, that would be a privacy nightmare. Heckle protects creators by making sure only channel owners can access their comment insights.
Important: You must use the Google account that's connected to your YouTube channel - this isn't just a preference, it's required for verification.
Go to Heckle's Sign-Up Page
Visit the Heckle website and click the "Get Started" or "Sign Up" button. You'll see a clean, simple sign-up page that looks welcoming, not intimidating.
Understanding the Google Connection
You'll see a clear explanation of why Heckle needs to connect with Google:
- • Channel Verification: Proves you own the YouTube channel
- • Secure Access: Uses Google's official authentication system
- • YouTube Permissions: Allows Heckle to read your public video comments
Click "Connect with Google"
When you click the Google sign-in button, you'll be taken to Google's official login page (not a Heckle page). This is good - it means your login information goes directly to Google, not through any third party.
Sign In to Google
Use the same Google account that's connected to your YouTube channel. If you have multiple Google accounts:
- • ✓ Correct: The account you use to upload videos and manage your YouTube channel
- • ✗ Wrong: A different Google account, even if it's your main email
Grant YouTube Permissions
Google will ask if you want to allow Heckle to access your YouTube data. You'll see exactly what Heckle is requesting:
- • View your YouTube channel
- • Read public comments
- • Access basic profile info
Click "Allow" to continue. Remember: Heckle can only read data, never modify or delete anything.
Account Creation Confirmation
Once you've connected with Google, Heckle automatically creates your account. You'll see a confirmation screen welcoming you to Heckle, and the system will create your profile, link it to your YouTube channel, and prepare to start analyzing your videos.
Immediate Setup (Takes 1-2 minutes)
- • Your account is created instantly
- • Heckle verifies your YouTube channel connection
- • You're redirected to your dashboard
Background Processing (Takes up to 24 hours)
- • Heckle starts discovering your videos
- • The system begins analyzing your comment data
- • You'll get an email when your first insights are ready
Your First 24 Hours Timeline
"Wrong Google Account" Error
Problem: You signed in with a Google account that's not connected to your YouTube channel.
Solution:
- 1. Sign out of Heckle
- 2. Go to YouTube and check which Google account you're using
- 3. Return to Heckle and sign in with that same account
"No YouTube Channel Found" Error
Problem: Your Google account doesn't have a YouTube channel, or the channel isn't set up properly.
Solutions:
- • Make sure you have a YouTube channel (not just a Google account)
- • Verify your YouTube channel is active and has uploaded videos
- • Check that your channel isn't set to private
"Permission Denied" Error
Problem: You clicked "Deny" when Google asked for YouTube permissions.
Solution:
- 1. Go to your Google Account settings
- 2. Find "Third-party apps with account access"
- 3. Remove Heckle if it's listed
- 4. Try signing up again and click "Allow" this time
Multiple YouTube Channels
Problem: Your Google account manages multiple YouTube channels.
What Happens: Heckle will automatically detect all channels you have access to. You can choose which one to analyze first, and switch between them later.
What Heckle Can Access
- ✅Your public YouTube channel information
- ✅Comments on your videos (which are already public)
- ✅Basic profile info (name, email)
What Heckle Cannot Access
- ❌Your private Google data
- ❌Other Google services (Gmail, Drive, etc.)
- ❌The ability to post or edit on your channel
- ❌Private or unlisted video information
Revoking Access
You can disconnect Heckle from your Google account anytime:
- 1. Go to your Google Account settings
- 2. Navigate to "Security" → "Third-party apps"
- 3. Find Heckle and click "Remove access"
Note: This will stop Heckle from analyzing new comments, but won't delete your existing insights.
Next Steps
Now that you know how to create your account, here are some helpful next steps: