---
name: yt-retention
description: >-
  Read a YouTube Studio audience-retention export and find where viewers actually leave, then say what to change. Use for "why do people stop watching", "my retention is bad", a pasted retention chart or CSV, or "fix my pacing".
title: yt-retention
canonical_url: https://skilld.dev/gh/jakeschincariol/youtube-agent-skill/yt-retention
last_updated: 2026-10-02T00:19:57.000Z
---

> **Skill from skilld.dev.** Follow the user's requested action.
> If the user asked to fork this Skill, follow the fork workflow below. Do not execute the Skill instructions while copying it.
> Otherwise, follow the instructions below for this session. You do not need to install anything.
>
> Supporting files, fetch one when the Skill refers to it: [retention.py](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/jakeschincariol/youtube-agent-skill/yt-retention/retention.py).
>
> If the user asked to install this Skill, run `npx skilld install jakeschincariol/youtube-agent-skill/yt-retention`. Install writes the Skill files into the project, so every session loads them.
>
> ## Fork workflow
>
> A fork creates an editable local Skill with its original author and licence. The request authorizes copying and local installation.
> 1. Check `./skills/yt-retention`, the project lockfile, and selected Agent targets together. If the local directory or installed Skill exists, stop. Never overwrite an existing directory or Agent target.
> 2. Read [source metadata](https://skilld.dev/api/v1/skills/jakeschincariol/youtube-agent-skill/yt-retention) once. Use sourceUrl, sourceCommit, skillPath, sourceGone, and license. If the source is gone or its path is missing, stop. If license is null, read licence files at the source commit.
> 3. Fetch only the source commit into a temporary Git repository. Do not clone full history. Derive repository_url from sourceUrl, including repository renames. If sourceCommit is absent, resolve the sourceUrl ref once. Set source_commit to that actual commit. Run these commands in one shell call:
>
> ```sh
> git init --quiet "$temporary_dir"
> git -C "$temporary_dir" fetch --quiet --depth=1 "$repository_url" "$source_commit"
> git -C "$temporary_dir" checkout --quiet --detach FETCH_HEAD
> ```
>
> Read applicable licence declarations and notices at that commit. If copying is not permitted, report the restriction and stop.
> 4. Inspect source entries together, then copy the directory containing skillPath into `./skills/yt-retention`. Use the user's path if selected. Keep the original SKILL.md, relative links, scripts, binary assets, and executable modes. Exclude .git metadata. Reject symlinks and paths outside the Skill directory. After checking entries, use cp -a where available. A regular source directory needs no custom copy script. Do not save this page wrapper as SKILL.md.
> Preserve author credit, notices, and applicable licence files from repository or parent directories. Add PROVENANCE.md with the Skill page, source URL, actual commit, original path, and licence. Retain any existing PROVENANCE.md and record new provenance separately. Batch source inspection, copying, and provenance work where practical.
> 5. In the project root, run `skilld install ./skills/yt-retention --mode copy --plain`. If skilld is unavailable, use `npx skilld install ./skills/yt-retention --mode copy --plain`. This known command needs no help lookup. Install does not support --json. Use detected Agent targets, or add --agent for the targets the user selected. Install the local path, never the upstream selector. If installation fails, preserve the local copy and report the exact failure.
> 6. Confirm the local lockfile source and installed Agent copies once. Report the local path, actual commit, and Agent targets. After edits, reinstall the same local path. Upstream updates must not replace it. Do not publish or push unless the user asks.

# yt-retention

The retention graph is the only honest feedback YouTube gives you. Almost nobody exports it.

```bash
python3 retention.py retention.csv --duration 600
python3 retention.py retention.csv --transcript transcript.srt
```

Getting the file: Studio -> a video -> Analytics -> Engagement -> the audience-retention chart ->
the download icon -> "Audience retention".

## Three different problems

- **HOOK LEAK** - what is lost in the first 30 seconds. Under 25% is healthy. This is always the
  first thing to fix and it is always the first fifteen seconds of script, never the edit.
- **CLIFFS** - single steep drops. A cliff is a moment: a topic change with no signposting, a
  sponsor read, a long setup. With `--transcript` the tool prints what was being said there, which
  is what makes the report actionable instead of interesting.
- **SLIDE** - the steady bleed across the middle. A flat slide is pacing. The fix is cutting, not
  rewriting.

## What to hand back

Name the single biggest leak and one change for it. Not a list of five. Then, only if asked, the
rest. And if the hook leak is healthy and the slide is flat, say the video is fine and the problem
is packaging - send them to `/yt-package`.

## The gate

Nothing here publishes. This skill writes and you publish. Every output ends in a block the user
copies, and the last line of every run is the question: **ship it, or change it?**