Why this is a permissions task, not a video task
Removing a collaborator is about who can act on the channel, not about content already published. Videos uploaded by a delegate are attributed to the channel itself; they do not become that person’s private posts. A delegate’s own viewing or search activity inside YouTube is separate from your channel’s permissions and is not exposed to you through this settings area. Treat the two as different questions: channel access on one side, public uploads attributed to the channel on the other.
YouTube channel permissions grant role-based access without sharing the owner’s Google Account password. Source
Decision table
| Situation | Sensible action | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Person left the team and needs no access | Remove their access in Settings, Permissions | Does not remove videos they uploaded to the channel |
| Person still needs limited duties | Change their role instead of removing them | Does not grant password sharing |
| You are unsure which channel you are editing | Verify channel identity before touching permissions | Does not audit their private activity |
| You want to find your own old public handles elsewhere | Review known handles with TraceSeek as a lead list | Does not change platform settings or verify identity |
Self-review checklist
- Confirm you are signed in to the intended channel, not a brand account you also manage.
- Open YouTube Studio, then Settings, then Permissions, and list every person and role.
- Mark who still needs access and why; keep necessary access in place.
- Remove access or adjust roles for obsolete delegates.
- Re-check the list after changes and record who remains.
An owner can review people in YouTube Studio Settings, Permissions and remove a person’s access or change their role. Source
The owner reviews and edits this list directly; the permission model is role-based rather than password-based. That means offboarding is a settings change, not a credential handover. It also means a removed person loses channel access without you needing to change a shared password.
Honest limits
This process covers channel permissions only. It does not inventory every account a person holds, does not reveal private viewing or search history, and does not prove who uploaded a given video beyond the channel attribution. If you are also mapping your own public footprint, see the guide to finding forgotten online accounts and our methodology. A username search returns public matches as leads, not proof of ownership.
Key facts
YouTube channel permissions grant role-based access without sharing the owner’s Google Account password.
An owner can review people in YouTube Studio Settings, Permissions and remove a person’s access or change their role.
TraceSeek covers 3,000+ platforms and states a scan time of 20-30 seconds with a free first scan.
Public username matches are leads, not proof of ownership.