YTChatHub/memory-bank/projectbrief.md

Project Brief

Vision

Build a desktop-operated, open-source YouTube Live chat client that delivers a fast, reliable stream of messages and allows a streamer to spotlight a selected chat message on an OBS-ready overlay.

Core Requirements

• Mirror chat from a single YouTube Live stream with low latency and high stability.
• Provide an operator dashboard to browse, search, and filter live chat messages.
• Enable one-click selection of a message and broadcast it to an overlay page consumable in OBS.
• Keep setup approachable: clone repo, configure environment variables/OAuth, and run locally.
• Prioritize performance and resilience over advanced user management or multi-stream support.

Constraints

• Runs on the streamer’s personal computer; no external hosting assumed.
• No end-user authentication beyond stored YouTube OAuth credentials.
• Must tolerate YouTube API rate limits and intermittent network issues without crashing.

Success Criteria

• Operator dashboard stays responsive during long streams (>4 hours) without memory leaks.
• Overlay updates within ~1 second of operator selection.
• Project documentation enables others to reproduce setup from scratch.