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YouTube knowledge pluginExtract Yeti

Extract Yeti documentation

Set up, use and fix Extract Yeti.

Every setting, plus the changelog.

  • v1.3.0.0
  • WordPress 6.0+
  • PHP 7.4+
Back to Extract Yeti
See the changelog

On this page

  1. Install Extract Yeti
  2. Activate your license
  3. Connect your API keys
  4. Which keys you need
  5. Run your first channel extraction
  6. How processing works in the background
  7. Review the knowledge base
  8. Export formats
  9. Export options
  10. Settings reference
  11. Manage and re-run sources
  12. Troubleshooting
  13. Changelog

This page shows you how to install Extract Yeti, connect your API keys, and turn a YouTube channel into a knowledge base inside WordPress. It also explains each export format, every setting, and how to fix common problems.

Requirements: WordPress 6.0 or newer, PHP 7.4 or newer, At least one AI provider API key (Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude or OpenAI). A YouTube Data API key to list channel and playlist videos. The PHP OpenSSL extension and unique security keys in wp-config.php, so your API keys can be stored encrypted. WP-Cron must be running. Current version: 1.3.0.0.

Install Extract Yeti

  1. Download the Extract Yeti zip file from your account on ishouldbeyourwpguy.com.
  2. In WordPress, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin and click Upload Plugin.
  3. Choose the zip file and click Install Now.
  4. Click Activate Plugin.
  5. Find the new Extract Yeti item in the left admin menu. It opens the Dashboard.

Activate your license

Your license key turns on plugin updates and ticket support. Every feature works without a key. Until you add one, administrators see a reminder on the Plugins screen. You can dismiss it for the rest of your session.

  1. Go to Extract Yeti > License.
  2. Paste your key into the License Key field.
  3. Click Activate License.
  4. The page now shows License Active, along with your license type, activations and expiration date.
  5. Use Check License Status to refresh this info. Use Deactivate License to free up the key before you move it to another site.

Connect your API keys

Extract Yeti uses your own AI and YouTube accounts. You pay those providers directly for what you use. All keys go on one screen and are stored encrypted.

  1. Go to Extract Yeti and open the Settings tab.
  2. In the API Keys card, paste a key into any of these fields: Google (Gemini) API Key, Anthropic (Claude) API Key, OpenAI (GPT) API Key.
  3. Click Test next to each key to confirm it connects.
  4. Paste your key into YouTube Data API Key. This key is needed to list the videos in a channel or playlist.
  5. Click Save Settings. Saved keys show a Configured check mark.

Which keys you need

One AI key (any provider)
Needed to pull knowledge out of transcripts and merge it. If one provider fails or hits its limit, the plugin tries the next one that has a key.
Google (Gemini) API Key
Needed when a video has no YouTube captions. Gemini then transcribes the video. It is also used to check entries against their sources.
Anthropic (Claude) API Key
Needed for the Claude Skill export. The PDF export uses it to write the manual's text. Without it, the PDF falls back to a plain list of entries.
YouTube Data API Key
Needed to fetch videos from channels and playlists. Single videos and Shorts do not need it.

Run your first channel extraction

  1. Go to Extract Yeti and open the Sources tab.
  2. Paste a YouTube link into the YouTube URL field. You can use a channel, a playlist, a single video or a Short.
  3. Optional: type a Display Name for the source.
  4. Optional: check Auto-ingest new videos so the plugin looks for new uploads on its own. This box applies to channels and playlists only.
  5. Click Add Source. A single video or Short is queued right away, so you can skip to step 8.
  6. For a channel or playlist, click the source name to open it, then click Fetch New Videos.
  7. The new videos are added and queued for processing.
  8. Open the Queue tab to watch progress. The page refreshes itself every 30 seconds while jobs are running.
  9. When the videos finish, open the Knowledge Base tab to review the entries.
  10. Approve the entries you want to keep, then open the Exports tab to create your files.

How processing works in the background

Extraction runs in the background using WordPress scheduled tasks. You can close the page while it works.

Each video moves through three stages. First the plugin gets a transcript. Then it pulls knowledge entries out of it. When every video in a source is done, it merges the entries for that source.

For transcripts, the plugin tries the free YouTube captions first. If a video has no captions, it asks Gemini to transcribe the video instead.

The queue runs about once a minute and handles up to 5 jobs per run. How long a source takes depends on how many videos it has and on your providers.

WordPress scheduled tasks only run when your site gets visits. On a quiet site, the queue may move slowly.

If a job fails, it goes back in line and tries again, up to the Max Retries setting. After that it is marked Failed.

The plugin respects each provider's rate limits. When a provider is busy, the job waits or moves to another provider.

Sources with Auto-ingest turned on are checked for new videos every 6 hours.

Finished and failed jobs older than 30 days are cleared out once a day.

Review the knowledge base

Exports only include approved entries, so review comes before export.

Open the Knowledge Base tab to see every entry. Filter by channel, status, category, confidence or a search term.

Each entry is a Draft, Approved or Archived. Click Approve to keep an entry, or Archive to hide it.

To approve many at once, check Select all drafts or pick entries, then click Bulk Approve Selected.

After a source is merged, entries scoring above the Auto-Approve Threshold are approved for you.

Export formats

Go to the Exports tab, pick a Source and an Export Format, then click Generate Export. The file downloads to your computer right away. The Export History list shows your recent exports.

JSON (structured data)
A data file with every entry, its type, category, confidence score and status. It also lists contradictions found between videos. Use it to feed other tools.
CLAUDE.md (rules block)
A Markdown rules file grouped by category, with warnings called out. Drop it into a project so Claude follows the channel's advice.
Claude Skill (decision tree)
A Markdown skill file that Claude can load and use. Needs an Anthropic key.
PDF Training Manual
A PDF with a cover page, table of contents, one written section per category, a quick reference and a list of contradictions and open questions.

Export options

Source
The channel, playlist or video to export.
Category Filter
Export one category only, or All Categories. Combined Claude Skill exports always include every category.
Minimum Confidence
Leave out entries below this score. Default: 50%+.
Skill Mode
Combined (one file) or Per Category (multiple). Per Category builds a skill for each category and bundles them in one file. Only applies to Claude Skill exports.
Include sources (JSON only)
Adds the source video title, YouTube ID, timestamp and quote for each entry.
Include Yeti branding (PDF only)
Adds a Generated by Extract Yeti line to the PDF cover. On by default.

Settings reference

All settings are on the Settings tab. Click Save Settings when you are done.

Google (Gemini) / Anthropic (Claude) / OpenAI (GPT) API Key
Your AI provider keys. Use Test to check each one.
YouTube Data API Key
Used to list channel and playlist videos. Google's free tier is 10,000 units a day.
Confidence Threshold (display)
Minimum confidence to show entries by default. Default: 50.
Auto-Approve Threshold
Entries above this score are approved automatically after merging. Default: 70.
Max Retries
How many times a failed job is tried before it is marked Failed. Applies to new jobs. Default: 3.
Synthesis Batch Size
The most entries sent in each merge batch. Default: 5.
Prefer YouTube captions over Gemini transcription
Uses free YouTube captions when a video has them. On by default.
Show cost estimates in admin UI
Shows estimated AI costs in the admin screens. On by default.
Rate Limit Overrides
Set your own requests per minute (RPM) and tokens per minute (TPM) for each provider. Leave at 0 to use the defaults. Defaults: Google 15 RPM and 1,000,000 TPM, Anthropic 5 RPM and 40,000 TPM, OpenAI 10 RPM and 150,000 TPM.
Model Pricing Reference
A read-only table of the price per million tokens for each model the plugin uses.

Manage and re-run sources

Fetch / Fetch New Videos
Checks a channel or playlist for videos you have not added yet and queues them. A channel check looks at its 25 newest uploads. A playlist check looks at up to 50 videos.
Process All Pending
Queues every video in the source that has not been processed yet.
Process (per video)
Shows next to pending or failed videos. Click it to queue that video again.
Retry (Queue tab)
Shows next to failed or cancelled jobs. Click it to run the job again.
Cancel (Queue tab)
Stops a pending or running job.
Clear Finished (Queue tab)
Removes all completed, failed and cancelled jobs from the list.
Auto-Ingest
When on, the plugin checks the source for new videos every 6 hours and queues them.
Delete
Removes the source along with its videos and knowledge entries. This cannot be undone.

Troubleshooting

Nothing in the queue is moving. What is wrong?
Fetch New Videos found 0 videos.
My API key will not save.
A video failed with an error about a missing API key.
Jobs fail with All providers failed.
My export says no approved entries were found.
My entries are all still Draft.
The Claude Skill export fails.
The PDF reads like a plain list.
The License page says license activation is unavailable.
Do I lose features if my license expires?

Changelog

Version 1.3.0.0 October 20, 2026

  • Added a License page under the Extract Yeti menu to activate, check and deactivate your key.
  • Added a Dashboard item to the Extract Yeti menu.
  • Added a reminder on the Plugins screen when no license key is entered.
  • Changed: Updates now need an active license key. All features still work without one.

Version 1.2.2.0 September 13, 2026

  • Fixed automatic plugin updates so new versions show up in WordPress.

Version 1.2.1 June 15, 2026

  • Fixed a possible site error when update files were missing.

Version 1.2.0 June 13, 2026

  • Changed: All features now work without a license key.

Version 1.1.0 March 5, 2026

  • Added support for single videos, Shorts and playlists, not just channels.
  • Changed: The Channels tab is now called Sources.
  • Added a Type column for each source.
  • Added a live link type check in the Add Source form.

Version 1.0.0 March 5, 2026

  • Added the first release: turn a YouTube channel into a knowledge base with PDF, Claude Skill, CLAUDE.md and JSON exports.

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