Claude Code

Use Claude Code to turn the video you are working on into a YouTube thumbnail. With the skill installed, Claude can upload your assets, create a thumbnail project, launch the generation and bring back the image.

Install the skill for Claude Code

In your Claude Code workspace, run:
bash
npx skills add https://github.com/mikecodeur/skills --skill youthumb-api
Choose Claude Code when prompted. To select it explicitly:
bash
npx skills add https://github.com/mikecodeur/skills --skill youthumb-api --agent claude-code
Start a new Claude Code session after installation so the skill is available. Ask Claude to use the youthumb-api skill for thumbnail work.

Connect your YouThumb account

In YouThumb, open Account → API Keys and create a key. Make it available as YOUTHUMB_API_KEY in the environment used to launch Claude Code:
bash
export YOUTHUMB_API_KEY="your-api-key"
Do not paste the key into a repository or a shared conversation. Installing the skill does not give Claude access to your account; the key does.

Check the connection

text
Use the youthumb-api skill and YOUTHUMB_API_KEY from the environment.
List my persons and the available presets. Do not create anything.
Confirm that the persons listed are yours before asking for a generation.

Generate a thumbnail for your video

Give Claude the video topic, who appears and the intent:
text
Use youthumb-api to create a thumbnail for my video "I quit my job to
build a SaaS". Use my person "Mike", the free preset and 1 variation.
Show me the project and the prompt before starting the generation.
Claude creates the project, shows it to you, then starts the generation once you agree. Starting a generation consumes credits. When the status is completed, Claude returns the image URL.
text
Upload ./assets/logo.png as an asset, then create a thumbnail where
@image1 (my channel logo) sits in the top-right corner.
Each uploaded image is referenced in the prompt as @image1, @image2 and so on, in order. Without that reference, the image does not appear in the thumbnail.

Troubleshooting

  • Skill not found: check the installation scope and start a new session where the skill was installed.
  • 401: check the key and whether it was revoked. The API is strictly rate limited, so a 401 right after many calls can also mean the agent should wait before trying again.
  • 402: your credits are insufficient for the generation.
  • 429: too many calls; ask the agent to wait 30 to 45 seconds instead of retrying in a loop.
See Agents and the Developer API.