You don’t need to learn every vidIQ feature before you start. Pick one video and one thing you want help with, such as choosing a topic, writing a clearer title, or improving your thumbnail.
This guide walks you through the vidIQ website on a computer. The mobile app and browser extension look different, so follow along at app.vidiq.com if you want to use these steps.
1. Sign in and check your channel
Open vidIQ and sign in. If you already have an account, use your usual sign-in method.
If you’re prompted to link your YouTube channel, follow the connection steps and select the Google account that manages it. Check that you’ve selected the channel you want to work on.
If your channel is already connected, you can move on. You don’t need to set it up again.
Need help with setup? Follow our account setup guide. If the wrong channel appears, use our channel connection guide.
2. Find the tools you’ll use first
The sidebar is the menu down the left side of your screen. Start with these options, or use the links below to open them directly:
New Chat / AI Coach: Ask a question, get feedback, or work on your video's title, description, or opening.
Home / Feed: See suggestions and insights for your channel. You don’t need to act on every card.
Optimize: Select a video to edit its title, thumbnail, and description.
Research: Explore keywords and videos for topic research. Keywords are the words or phrases people search for on YouTube.
Some layouts use slightly different names, such as Chat instead of New Chat. For a wider tour, see Navigating Your New Dashboard.
3. Complete one task for one video
Choose the starting point that fits what you’re doing today. You can skip the others.
I need an idea for my next video
Open Research → Keywords.
Type a topic your audience cares about and press Enter. For example, a cooking channel might search for “easy packed lunches.”
Look through the related terms and questions. Choose one that you can answer in a useful video.
Search volume is an estimate of how often people search for a term. A strong keyword score can help you compare ideas, but it doesn’t guarantee views. Choose a topic that fits your audience, not just the one with the highest score.
I already have a topic or a recorded video
You can skip idea research. To get help with the wording, open AI Coach, type a focused request, and send it. For example:
My video is about [topic] for [audience]. It covers [main points]. Suggest three clear titles that accurately describe the video. Explain the difference between them. Keep this to text suggestions.
Read the options and choose the one that best matches your video. If a suggestion introduces a claim that your video does not support, remove it or request a revision.
For an existing YouTube video, open Optimize, select the video, and start with its title. Review the available feedback before moving on to the thumbnail or description. Check any save or publish action carefully: Optimize can apply changes to your YouTube video. See the Optimize guide for a full walkthrough, including how to work with draft videos.
I want help with my opening or thumbnail
A hook is the opening that gives someone a reason to keep watching. If you haven’t recorded yet, ask AI Coach for an opening based on what your video will deliver. If you’ve already recorded, paste the opening transcript and explain what footage you have:
This video is already recorded. Here is the opening: [paste transcript]. Suggest a tighter opening using these existing lines. If it needs new recording, tell me clearly.
You or your editor will still need to make those changes in your video editor. A suggested hook doesn’t change the recorded footage.
For thumbnails, start with a written idea before generating an image. Tell AI Coach the video topic, title, and what the image should show. If you want to generate a thumbnail featuring you or a guest, attach a clear reference photo you have permission to use. Review the result for accurate faces, text, and details. Our Thumbnails guide explains the dedicated tool.
4. Decide which suggestions to use
You don’t need to accept every recommendation or chase a perfect score. Before using one:
Check the fit. Does it match your audience and what’s actually in the video?
Ask what supports it. Try: “What data or examples support this suggestion? What are you assuming?” An AI explanation is still something to check, not proof on its own.
Verify important facts. Compare channel statistics with YouTube Studio, using the same dates. For YouTube policy questions, check YouTube’s official guidance.
Try one manageable change. Keep a note of what you changed and when. Review the results later rather than repeatedly changing several things at once.
AI can make mistakes, and scores and suggestions don’t guarantee views, watch hours, subscribers, or income. If a chat becomes repetitive or contradicts itself, start a new chat with a short summary of your video and goal. See Getting the Best Results from the vidIQ AI Coach.
5. Make a routine that fits your channel
You don’t have to use every tool daily or change your upload schedule to use vidIQ.
Before publishing: Review your title, thumbnail, and opening. Choose the improvements you can realistically make.
At a regular review, such as once a month: Look at how recent videos performed in YouTube Studio. Check whether people clicked and how long they watched. Look for patterns across similar videos, rather than treating one result as proof.
For your next video: Pick one lesson to try.
If you record in batches, use this process for the videos already planned. If you work with an editor, they can help prepare titles, thumbnails, and opening edits while you approve the direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I try vidIQ without paying?
Yes. You can start with the Free plan, which has limits on some features. Start with a small, real task, such as researching a single topic or generating three title options.
AI credits power supported AI actions. Every AI Coach message uses credits, and generating, regenerating, or editing media may use additional credits. Costs vary by tool and mode, so please review the Features & Credits by Plan article before starting a credit-intensive task.
Where can I find tutorials?
Learn in vidIQ: Lessons you can work through at your own pace. Access to some lessons depends on your plan.
The vidIQ YouTube channel: Video tutorials and advice for creators.
Mastering vidIQ Tools: Written guides for individual features.
Choose a tutorial for the task you’re working on and pause as you follow along. Older videos may show an earlier layout.
Do I need the browser extension?
You can follow this guide on the vidIQ website without it. The browser extension adds vidIQ tools inside YouTube and YouTube Studio. You can explore it later.
Can I come back to my work?
You can revisit AI Coach conversations through the history in its side panel and rename chats to make them easier to find. Use a video topic as the name. Keep a copy of your chosen title, description, and script in your own notes or production document, and download any generated files you want to keep.
What if my screen looks different or I get stuck?
Features can vary by plan, device, and layout. Try the direct tool links in this guide. If you still can’t find what you need, open Help in your vidIQ account menu to contact Creator Support. Tell us what you’re trying to do, whether you’re using the website, mobile app, or extension, and what you see on screen. A screenshot can help; hide any private information before sending it.
For billing, login, plan access, or technical problems, please contact Creator Support rather than the AI Coach.