SETUP.md

Setup Guide

Quick setup guide for getting the YouTube Monitor Bot running.

1. Install Python Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Configure API Keys

1. Copy the example environment file:

   cp .env.example .env

2. Edit .env and add your API keys:

   Get Gemini API Key:

   • Visit https://makersuite.google.com/app/apikey
   • Create a new API key
   • Paste into GEMINI_API_KEY

   Create Telegram Bot:

   • Message @BotFather on Telegram
   • Send /newbot and follow the prompts
   • Copy the bot token to TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN

   Get Your Telegram Chat ID:

   • Message @userinfobot on Telegram
   • Copy your ID to TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID

3. Configure Your Channels

Edit config/channels.txt and add YouTube channels (one per line):

@GregIsenberg
https://www.youtube.com/@MyFirstMillionPod
@lexfridman

4. Customize Your Interests (Optional)

Edit config/my_interests.txt to personalize AI summaries based on what you care about.

5. Test the Setup

Run a manual check:

./monitor.sh check

Test Telegram notifications:

./monitor.sh test

6. Set Up Automation

Option A: Cron (Linux/Mac)

Add to crontab for hourly checks:

crontab -e

Add this line:

0 * * * * cd /path/to/youtube-monitor-bot && ./monitor.sh check >> data/logs/monitor.log 2>&1

Option B: Manual Scheduling

Run checks whenever you want:

./monitor.sh check

7. Start Telegram Bot (Optional)

For interactive channel management via Telegram:

# Foreground
./monitor.sh bot

# Background (Linux/Mac)
nohup ./monitor.sh bot >> data/logs/bot-commands.log 2>&1 &

Troubleshooting

Import errors:

pip install --upgrade -r requirements.txt

Telegram not working:

./monitor.sh test

Check system health:

./monitor.sh health

View logs:

tail -f data/logs/monitor.log

Next Steps

Once everything is working:

• The bot will check channels every hour (if cron is set up)
• New videos will trigger AI summaries
• You'll receive Telegram notifications with relevance scores
• Use /list, /add, /remove commands in Telegram to manage channels

Enjoy staying on top of YouTube content!