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Requirements

What you need to set up and run Gorilla

Technical Requirements

Operating System

To run Gorilla while in public beta, you'll need:

  • • A connection to the Internet to download the app and communicate with other services
  • • Mac or Windows computers are required while in public beta. Windows apps will emit a warning until we implement the signing process.

Required Accounts

To deploy and run Gorilla, you'll need:

  • 1.
    Google Cloud Account (free)

    Required to create a YouTube Data API key for fetching video information

  • 2.
    GitHub Account (free)

    For storing your generated, customized Gorilla code and connecting to hosting platforms

  • 3.
    Hosting Platform Account (free tiers available)

    Choose one: Netlify, Cloudflare, Vercel, or GitHub Pages for deploying your instance

💡 Pro tip: In practice, you can likely use your Gmail account for all of these services—Google Cloud and most hosting platforms accept Google sign-in.

YouTube API Requirements

Gorilla uses the YouTube Data API v3 to fetch video information from the channels you've selected. Here's what you need to know:

API Quota Limits

YouTube provides 10,000 quota units per day on the free tier. For typical Gorilla usage:

  • Fetching videos from one channel: ~100 quota units
  • Initial setup with 15 channels: ~1,500 quota units
  • Daily refresh of 15 channels: ~1,500 quota units

Bottom Line: The free tier is more than sufficient for most families (up to ~60 channels). We're looking to optimize this - but really, we're unsure if we have to. That's already a lot of watching sessions.

Cost Considerations

The YouTube API is free within the quota limits. If your app exceeds 10,000 units/day, costs rise (~$3-5 per million extra units). However, typical Gorilla usage stays well within free limits.

API Key Security

Your YouTube API key should be kept secure. It's basically a username and password value that allows Gorilla (or anyone) to act on your behalf. So best to keep it secret, keep it safe. Best practices:

  • Store as an environment variable (not in your code). We do this automatically for you.
  • Restrict the key to YouTube Data API v3 only. You can do this during setup.
  • Never commit your API key to a public GitHub repository or share it with someone.
  • You can always revoke the key and replace it if you are concerned. And if the key is scoped only to the YouTube API, they worst case is someone watches Baby Shark on your algorithm.

Hosting Requirements

Gorilla generates a static website, so hosting requirements are minimal. You'll need:

  • • Static file hosting: Any platform that can serve HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files
  • • HTTPS support: Required for security (all modern platforms provide this)

Recommended hosting platforms (all have free tiers):

Netlify

Easy setup, drag and drop, easy user experience

Cloudflare Pages

Fast global network, drag and drop, good default URL name, slightly more jargon

Browser Requirements

For viewing Gorilla (once deployed), your children's devices need:

  • Modern web browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge (updated to a recent version)
  • JavaScript enabled: Required for the timer and video playback
  • localStorage support: For timer state persistence
  • Internet connection: To stream videos from YouTube

Gorilla works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. No app installation required—it's just a website!

✓ Ready to Proceed?

If you meet these requirements, you're ready to start setting up Gorilla!

Create YouTube API Key → Review Limitations →