Importing your data

Bring your YouTube subscriptions into Channel Surfer so the guide is built from channels you actually watch.

The quick version

Channel Surfer builds your guide from your YouTube subscriptions. Because YouTube doesn't hand that list to other sites directly, you grab it yourself with our import tool — it only reads your subscription list and nothing else.

Step by step

1. On your dashboard, select Import from YouTube to bring in your subscriptions.
2. Follow the prompt to add the Channel Surfer import tool to your browser.
3. Go to your YouTube subscriptions page while signed in to YouTube.
4. Run the import tool — it collects the channels you're subscribed to.
5. Come back to Channel Surfer and confirm the channels you want in your guide.

Tips

• Make sure you're signed in to the YouTube account whose subscriptions you want.
• If a channel is missing, you can always add it by hand later.
• Re-run the import any time your subscriptions change.

Bulk import channels and playlists (Supporters)

On your dashboard, paste up to 100 YouTube channel or playlist URLs into the URL box, one per line, then select Add channels. One URL works too. Press Enter to add another line. You can mix channels and playlists:

https://www.youtube.com/@mkbhd
https://www.youtube.com/@veritasium
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=YOUR_PLAYLIST_ID

Each URL becomes its own channel in your guide. We fetch the names and videos for you. Blank lines and repeated links are ignored. Lists over 100 URLs are rejected before any channels are imported.

Keep the page open while the import runs. Channels you already have are skipped. If a link fails, the channels that worked stay saved and only unfinished URLs remain in the box. Fix any issues shown, then select Add channels again. Switching dashboard sections pauses the import; return Home to continue.

With one URL, use All videos and Exclude Shorts to choose what to import. These toggles disappear for multiple URLs, which use latest videos with Shorts excluded. You can change either setting afterward. Private playlists need the Channel Surfer Sync bookmarklet while you are signed in to YouTube.

Still stuck?

If the import isn't working, contact us with the details and we'll help you get set up.