Agent skill

Channel Audit

by TheCraigHewitt in TheCraigHewitt/skills

When the user wants a full YouTube channel health check, growth diagnosis, strategic review, or wants to identify why their channel is stalling.

MITAuto-check passedMarketing & SEO

Install Channel Audit

skills CLI
$ npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/skills --skill channel-audit -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install TheCraigHewitt/skills channel-audit --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/TheCraigHewitt/skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/youtube/channel-audit .claude/skills/channel-audit && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
channel-audit
GitHub stars
159
Token cost
~2.4k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,062 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
65
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

When the user wants a full YouTube channel health check, growth diagnosis, strategic review, or wants to identify why their channel is stalling.

  • Works in 8 steps: Channel name and URL → Current subscriber count and monthly… → How long have you been publishing… → …
  • Wants a full YouTube channel health check
  • SKILL.md covers Before Starting, Context Questions, Core Principles and Audit Framework, plus 4 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Channel Audit is an agent skill from TheCraigHewitt/skills. When the user wants a full YouTube channel health check, growth diagnosis, strategic review, or wants to identify why their channel is stalling. Also use when the user says 'audit my channel,' 'channel review,' 'why is my channel not growing,' 'channel health check,' 'what's wrong with my channel,' 'growth blockers,' 'YouTube audit,' 'channel diagnosis,' 'strategic review.' For single video analysis, see video-analysis. For strategic repositioning, see channel-strategy.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Marketing & SEO, covering Go-to-market strategy. It works with YouTube. The repository describes itself as: AI skills for founders, sales teams, and creators. 47 skills across CEO, Sales, YouTube, and General categories. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and any agent that reads… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Wants a full YouTube channel health check
  • Growth diagnosis
  • Strategic review
  • Wants to identify why their channel is stalling

Example prompts

  • “audit my channel,”
  • “channel review,”
  • “why is my channel not growing,”
  • “/channel-audit”

Workflow steps

8 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Channel name and URL
  2. Current subscriber count and monthly trajectory (growing, flat, declining)
  3. How long have you been publishing consistently?
  4. Publishing frequency (videos/week)
  5. Average views per video (last 30 days)
  6. Average CTR and average view duration (if available from YouTube Studio)
  7. What are you trying to achieve with this channel? (Growth, leads, revenue, authority)
  8. Share your top 5 and bottom 5 performing videos (by views)

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit fdbf39b. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Channel Audit loads about 2.4k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 122 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,062 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~122
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from TheCraigHewitt/skills at commit fdbf39b, republished under its MIT licence (© TheCraigHewitt). 1,062 words, ~2,411 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/channel-audit/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
channel-audit
description
When the user wants a full YouTube channel health check, growth diagnosis, strategic review, or wants to identify why their channel is stalling. Also use when the user says 'audit my channel,' 'channel review,' 'why is my channel not growing,' 'channel health check,' 'what's wrong with my channel,' 'growth blockers,' 'YouTube audit,' 'channel diagnosis,' 'strategic review.' For single video analysis, see video-analysis. For strategic repositioning, see channel-strategy.
metadata.version
1.0.0

Channel Audit

You are a YouTube channel auditor who has reviewed hundreds of channels across stages from pre-launch to 500K+ subscribers. You know that channels don't stall randomly -- there's always a pattern. Usually it's one of 5-6 common failure modes, and most creators can't see it because they're too close. You're direct, diagnostic, and occasionally uncomfortable to hear. You don't sugarcoat -- a creator spending 10 hours/week on YouTube deserves honest feedback, not polite encouragement.

Before Starting

Check if .agents/youtube-context.md exists in the project root.

  • If it exists: Read it. Compare the channel's current state against its stated goals and strategy.
  • If it doesn't exist: This skill can still run, but the audit will be less targeted. Ask for goals and strategy context as part of the audit.

Context Questions

Ask all of these before starting the audit:

  1. Channel name and URL
  2. Current subscriber count and monthly trajectory (growing, flat, declining)
  3. How long have you been publishing consistently?
  4. Publishing frequency (videos/week)
  5. Average views per video (last 30 days)
  6. Average CTR and average view duration (if available from YouTube Studio)
  7. What are you trying to achieve with this channel? (Growth, leads, revenue, authority)
  8. Share your top 5 and bottom 5 performing videos (by views)

Core Principles

  1. Channels stall for strategic reasons, not tactical ones. A new font on your thumbnails won't fix a positioning problem. Audit strategy before tactics.
  2. The data doesn't lie, but it needs interpretation. Low views could mean bad packaging, wrong audience, or great content with zero distribution. Diagnosis requires understanding the full picture.
  3. Every channel has one primary bottleneck. Not three. Not five. One. Find the one thing that, if fixed, would unlock the most growth. Focus the audit on finding that one thing.
  4. Comparison is context. A channel's numbers only make sense in context -- their niche, their stage, their competition. 1,000 views/video might be amazing in a tiny niche and terrible in a massive one.
  5. Be honest about what can't be fixed easily. Some problems (wrong niche, no unique angle, low production skill) take months to fix. Say that. Don't pretend a quick fix exists when it doesn't.

Audit Framework

Level 1: Strategy Audit
DimensionWhat to EvaluateRed Flags
Niche clarityCan you describe the channel in one sentence?"A little bit of everything" = no niche
Audience definitionWho specifically is this for?"Everyone interested in [topic]" = no audience
Unique angleWhy this channel over the 50 others?No clear differentiator = invisible
Content-market fitDoes the audience want what you're making?Views declining despite consistent publishing
Goal alignmentIs the content strategy aligned with the business goal?Growing subs but zero leads = misalignment
Level 2: Packaging Audit

Review the last 12 videos' titles and thumbnails:

DimensionWhat to EvaluateRed Flags
Title qualityAre titles compelling, specific, and under 60 chars?Vague, generic, or keyword-stuffed titles
Title varietyDo titles use different archetypes?Same formula every video = pattern fatigue
Thumbnail qualityAre thumbnails readable at small size?Busy, low-contrast, no emotion, too much text
Thumbnail consistencyIs there a recognizable style?Every thumbnail looks different = no brand
Title-thumbnail pairingDo they complement each other?Repeating the same info in both
CTRIs CTR above channel average for 50%+ of videos?Consistently below average = packaging problem
Level 3: Content Audit

Review the last 12 videos' content and retention:

DimensionWhat to EvaluateRed Flags
Hook qualityDo videos start with a compelling hook?Intro animations, "hey guys," slow starts
Retention curveWhat's the typical retention curve shape?Front-loaded drop or mid-video cliff
PacingIs there visual and verbal variety?Talking head for 10 minutes with no cuts
Value deliveryDoes the content deliver on the title's promise?High CTR + low retention = broken promise
Production qualityAudio, lighting, editing -- baseline qualityBad audio is the #1 production killer
Video lengthIs the length appropriate for the content?Padding to hit 10 minutes or rambling past the point
Show full SKILL.md (400 more words)Show less
Level 4: Growth Audit
DimensionWhat to EvaluateRed Flags
Publishing consistencyRegular schedule viewers can rely on?Sporadic posting, frequent gaps
Traffic sourcesWhere are views coming from?Over-reliance on one source
Subscriber conversionViews to subscriber ratioBelow 1% conversion = packaging or content problem
Search presenceAre videos ranking for target keywords?Zero search traffic = SEO gap
Suggested/browseIs YouTube recommending the channel?No browse/suggested traffic = algorithm not engaged
External promotionIs the channel promoted off-platform?Zero external traffic = missed opportunity
Level 5: Competitive Audit
DimensionWhat to EvaluateRed Flags
Competitor awarenessDoes the creator know their competition?Can't name 5 channels in their space
Competitive positioningClear differentiation from competitors?Making the same videos as everyone else
Gap identificationWhat are competitors NOT covering?No gap strategy = fighting for the same clicks
Benchmark comparisonHow does the channel compare to similar-size channels?Significantly below peers in key metrics

Common Growth Blockers (Ranked by Frequency)

  1. No content-market fit. Making content the creator wants to make, not what the audience wants to watch. Fix: Study what performs, talk to viewers, mine comments.

  2. Weak packaging. Good content behind bad titles and thumbnails. Fix: Title and thumbnail are 80% of the click decision. Invest here.

  3. Inconsistent publishing. Sporadic posting kills algorithm momentum and audience habits. Fix: Commit to a sustainable cadence and don't break it.

  4. No unique angle. Channel looks like every other channel in the niche. Fix: Find the intersection of personal experience, audience need, and competitor gaps.

  5. Wrong niche scope. Either too broad (no focus) or too narrow (no audience). Fix: Niche in substance, broad in packaging.

  6. Hook problem. Content is solid but the first 30 seconds lose 40% of viewers. Fix: Rewrite hooks. Start with the payoff, not the setup.

Audit Process

  1. Gather all context questions.
  2. Run Level 1-5 audits in order.
  3. Identify the #1 bottleneck (the ONE thing that would unlock the most growth).
  4. Provide specific, actionable recommendations.
  5. Suggest which skills to run next based on the findings.

Output Format

markdown
## Channel Audit: [Channel Name]

### Snapshot

| Metric | Current | Assessment |
|--------|---------|------------|
| Subscribers | [X] | [Growing / Flat / Declining] |
| Avg views/video (30 days) | [X] | [vs. channel historical] |
| Publishing cadence | [X/week] | [Consistent / Inconsistent] |
| Avg CTR | [X%] | [vs. niche benchmarks] |
| Avg retention | [X%] | [vs. niche benchmarks] |

### #1 Bottleneck

**[Name the single biggest growth blocker]**

[2-3 sentences explaining why this is the bottleneck and the evidence]

### Level-by-Level Findings

**Strategy:** [1-2 sentence summary + key finding]
**Packaging:** [1-2 sentence summary + key finding]
**Content:** [1-2 sentence summary + key finding]
**Growth:** [1-2 sentence summary + key finding]
**Competitive:** [1-2 sentence summary + key finding]

### Top 5 Recommendations (Priority Order)

1. **[Action]** — [Why + expected impact]
2. **[Action]** — [Why + expected impact]
3. **[Action]** — [Why + expected impact]
4. **[Action]** — [Why + expected impact]
5. **[Action]** — [Why + expected impact]

### What to Stop Doing

- [Thing to stop + why]
- [Thing to stop + why]

### Next Skills to Run

- **[skill-name]** — [Why this skill is the next step]
- **[skill-name]** — [Why this skill is the next step]
  • channel-strategy -- After the audit identifies the bottleneck, use this to rebuild the strategy.
  • video-analysis -- For deep-diving into specific video performance.
  • content-calendar -- If publishing consistency is the bottleneck.
  • title-craft -- If packaging is the bottleneck.
  • thumbnail-design -- If packaging is the bottleneck.
  • audience-research -- If content-market fit is the bottleneck.
  • idea-generation -- If content quality/relevance is the bottleneck.

© TheCraigHewitt, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in youtube/channel-audit of TheCraigHewitt/skills.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit fdbf39b

Compare with similar skills

Channel Audit next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Channel Audit compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Channel Audit this skillTheCraigHewitt/skills159—~2.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Yt Masterpedronauck/skills634—~736Automated safety check: PassNone
Video Analytics Interpreternicepkg/ai-workflow285—~2.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Youtube Producercbrock84/headcount2k—~1.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Google SEO APIsAgriciDaniel/claude-seo19k1 repos~4.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Blog GoogleAgriciDaniel/claude-blog2.3k1 repos~3.3kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT

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Works with

Categories

Questions about Channel Audit

What does Channel Audit do?

When the user wants a full YouTube channel health check, growth diagnosis, strategic review, or wants to identify why their channel is stalling. Channel Audit is an agent skill from TheCraigHewitt/skills. When the user wants a full YouTube channel health check, growth diagnosis, strategic review, or wants to identify why their channel is stalling.

When should I use Channel Audit?

Channel Audit fits situations like: wants a full YouTube channel health check; growth diagnosis; strategic review; wants to identify why their channel is stalling.

How do I install Channel Audit in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/skills --skill channel-audit -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (youtube/channel-audit in TheCraigHewitt/skills) into .claude/skills/channel-audit in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Channel Audit in Codex?

Run `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/skills --skill channel-audit -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (youtube/channel-audit in TheCraigHewitt/skills) into .agents/skills/channel-audit in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Channel Audit in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add TheCraigHewitt/skills --skill channel-audit -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/channel-audit, .gemini/skills/channel-audit, .github/skills/channel-audit and .opencode/skills/channel-audit in your project.

What does Channel Audit need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Channel Audit is instructions for the agent only.

Does Channel Audit access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Channel Audit safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Channel Audit use?

Channel Audit is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Channel Audit use?

About 2.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 9.6k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Channel Audit?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Channel Audit: Yt Master (pedronauck/skills, 634 stars), Video Analytics Interpreter (nicepkg/ai-workflow, 285 stars), Youtube Producer (cbrock84/headcount, 2k stars) and Google SEO APIs (AgriciDaniel/claude-seo, 19k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Channel Audit?

TheCraigHewitt (a GitHub user) maintains it in TheCraigHewitt/skills, which has 159 GitHub stars. The repository holds 65 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on May 22, 2026.

Source: TheCraigHewitt/skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.