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Writer's pictureVP AnanthaKrishnan

How to Use AI to Generate Viral YouTube Video and Thumbnail Ideas (100% Automated)

Updated: 4 days ago

Poster of   AI to Generate Viral YouTube Video and Thumbnail Ideas

In the fast-paced world of YouTube content creation, creators are constantly seeking ways to make their videos stand out and drive engagement metrics. Crafting the perfect YouTube thumbnail design and optimizing video titles for algorithms is crucial, but knowing what works can feel like guesswork. Enter AI-driven content automation a powerful solution that can analyze successful content and provide data-driven insights to help you replicate that success. In this guide, we'll break down how to set up a fully automated YouTube analytics system that analyzes any YouTube channel, extracts key attributes of viral content optimization, and suggests new video ideas, automated thumbnail designs, and AI-generated video titles for future videos.


Why Use AI-Powered YouTube Analytics and Automation?


The competition on YouTube is fierce, with over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute. AI content optimization and automated video analysis give you an edge by doing the heavy lifting—analyzing viral YouTube trends, identifying successful content patterns, and offering data-driven content recommendations to help your content stand out. With no-code automation tools like Make.com, Airtable, Appify, and AI language models like Claude and ChatGPT, you can build an automated content analysis system to make strategic content decisions based on YouTube performance metrics.


Tools You’ll Need

  1. Make.com – For automating workflows and integrating different data sources. You can get 10,000 free operations using Growwstacks’ affiliate link.

  2. Airtable – A flexible database platform for organizing and storing video data.

  3. Appify – For scraping video metadata and thumbnails directly from YouTube.

  4. Zero Code Kit – Allows Python scripts to run in Make without coding.

  5. Claude and ChatGPT – AI language models that summarize and analyze video content.



Step 1: Set Up Airtable to Capture Video Data

To organize video data, Airtable will act as your database.

  1. Create a New Base: In Airtable, start a new base called “YouTube Analysis.” Add fields such as:

    1. URL: For video links.

    2. Date Posted: When each video was uploaded.

    3. Views: View count.

    4. Transcript: Summary of the video content.

    5. Thumbnail Description: Analysis of the thumbnail elements.

    6. Channel Name: For cross-channel comparison.

  2. Create a Data Tab: This will store all of the data Appify scrapes from the channel.

    Visual Graphic of Setting Up Airtable to Capture Video Data

Step 2: Use Appify.com to Scrape YouTube Data

Appify is a powerful no-code scraper that allows you to extract data from any YouTube channel.

  1. Choose the YouTube Scraper: Appify offers various scrapers, but for this project, use the “Fast YouTube Channel Scraper.”

  2. Set Parameters: Choose the number of videos you want to analyze. For example, set it to scrape the latest 10-20 videos.

  3. Run the Scraper: Enter the channel URL you want to analyze, and Appify will fetch the data, including video titles, views, descriptions, and thumbnail images.


Step 3: Integrate Appify with Make.com

Make.com will be the central platform where all tools connect to automate the data flow.

  1. Create a New Scenario: Name it “YouTube Analysis Automation.”

  2. Add Airtable and Appify Modules: Use Airtable’s “Watch Records” function to trigger the automation whenever a new URL is added. Then add Appify’s “Run Actor” function, which triggers the YouTube scraper to gather the data.

  3. Connect Airtable to Appify: Map Airtable’s URL field to Appify, so it scrapes the specified channel link from Airtable and pulls data into the Make.com scenario.


Visual Graphic of Integrating Appify with Make.com

Step 4: Analyze Video Data with 0CodeKit and Claude.in

Once the video data is collected, the next step is to analyze the content and thumbnails.

  1. Set Up Zero Code Kit: Zero Code Kit will use Python scripts to process video transcripts.

    • Use a Python script that retrieves video transcripts based on the video URL.

    • This step will provide a summary of each video’s content, which can then be used for analysis.

  2. Analyze Video Content with Claude: Claude by Anthropic can process large text data like transcripts to provide detailed summaries.

    • Prompt: Create a prompt for Claude that directs it to summarize the main ideas from each video transcript in 2-3 sentences.


  3. Describe Thumbnail with ChatGPT Vision: Using ChatGPT’s image analysis, you can extract details from the thumbnail.


    • Prompt: “Describe the thumbnail image in terms of color, text placement, and human elements. Highlight any features that might contribute to its effectiveness on mobile screens.”

Visual Graphic of Analyze Video Data with Zero Code Kit and Claude

Step 5: Use Make.com to Aggregate and Analyze Data

Now that we have the data, we can analyze it to generate recommendations for new video content and thumbnail ideas.


  1. Aggregate Data: Use Make.com’s “Text Aggregator” to compile the data from different sources (transcript summary, thumbnail analysis, view count, etc.) into a single output.

  2. Run Analysis with Claude: Claude will evaluate the aggregated data to find trends, such as which topics or thumbnail styles attract the most views.

  3. Output Analysis: In the output, Claude will provide insights, such as:

    • Trending Video Lengths: Analyze whether shorter or longer videos perform better.

    • Successful Thumbnail Patterns: Note which elements (e.g., large text, close-up faces) correlate with higher views.

      Visual Representation of Using Make.com to Aggregate and Analyze Data

Step 6: Generate New Video and Thumbnail Ideas

Finally, use the analyzed data to generate actionable recommendations for future content.

  1. Video Title Suggestions: Based on the analysis, Claude will generate 2-3 video titles that align with successful themes. For example, “The Math Behind Viral Phenomena” or “How Small Changes in Design Can Boost Engagement.”

  2. Thumbnail Concepts: Get 3-5 thumbnail concepts, including elements like contrasting colors, split screens, or text overlays, tailored to match trends identified in the data.

  3. Recommended Video Length: For each suggestion, Claude will provide a suggested length range, helping you create videos that align with viewer preferences.

    Visual Graphic of Generating New Video and Thumbnail Ideas

Benefits of Automated YouTube Content Analysis and Growth

Implementing intelligent content automation offers key advantages:

  • Data-Driven Content Strategy: Create high-performing YouTube content based on automated trend analysis and historical performance metrics.

  • Automated Workflow Optimization: AI-powered systems handle data collection and performance tracking, enabling creative focus.

  • Strategic Channel Development: Use AI-generated insights to boost engagement and accelerate channel growth through targeted content optimization.


Getting Started


To get started with this setup, you’ll need Make.com, Airtable, and Appify. You can use Growwstacks’ affiliate link to sign up for Make.com, which will provide you with 10,000 free operations to start building this system.


If setting up this automation seems daunting, don’t hesitate to reach out to Growwstacks Automation Solutions at  www.growwstacks.com. We specialize in building customized automation solutions to meet your business needs and help you stay ahead in the digital age.


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