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Creators often have multiple channels — across platforms or even within the same platform. Not all of these channels are “theirs” in the same way. The channel_relationship field tells you how a channel relates to the creator it’s listed under. The field is only present on non-primary channels. If it’s absent, the channel is the creator’s own.

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Values

Most channels won’t have this field. When channel_relationship is absent, the channel is the creator’s own — their primary presence on that platform.

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Primary vs. Attached

A creator can have multiple channels with different names and still be the primary identity behind all of them. The distinction isn’t about branding — it’s about whether the channel is the creator or is something separate that’s associated with them. Primary (field absent): The creator is the identity behind the channel, even if the channel has its own name. Alexandra Cooper hosts the interview show Call Her Daddy — the channel is her, just branded as a show. Same with Caleb Pressley’s Sundae Conversation and Sonny Side’s Best Ever Food Review Show. These all appear as primary channels because the creator is the face, the host, and the sole operator. Attached: The channel has its own independent existence — it may have a different host, belong to the creator’s company rather than to the creator personally, or represent a standalone project. Austin Evans is a tech reviewer on YouTube. He also founded Overclock Media, a company that runs @Denki — a separate tech channel with its own host and branding. Austin’s personal accounts are his primary channels. Denki is "attached" because it’s associated with Austin at the company level, but isn’t his channel:
Austin Evans
Other examples: @TheStudio is "attached" on MKBHD’s profile (a production channel run by Marques Brownlee’s team, not his personal account), and @doinitmovie is "attached" on Lilly Singh’s profile (a movie’s Instagram, not Lilly’s own).

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Group

The channel is shared by multiple creators. No single creator owns it alone. Sam Golbach and Colby Brock are individual creators who also run a joint exploration channel, @samandcolby. The joint channel appears on both of their individual profiles as "group". It also exists as its own creator entity, where it’s primary:
Other examples: @WineAboutItPodcast is "group" on Valkyrae’s profile (co-hosted show), and @TheYardPodcast is "group" on Slimecicle’s profile (group show, one member). Relationships can span platforms. A creator’s primary channel might be on YouTube while an attached or group channel is on TikTok or Instagram.

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Filtering to Primary Channels

To get only a creator’s “main” channels, filter out any channel where channel_relationship is present:
Each channel has its own subscriber_count, display_name, and engagement_metrics regardless of relationship type. The display_name reflects the channel itself (e.g., “Denki”), not the parent creator’s name.