# How to find deleted YouTube videos Canonical: https://postmesh.app/blog/how-to-find-deleted-youtube-videos By PostMesh team. Published 2026-10-31; updated 2026-10-31. If you deleted your own YouTube video, YouTube says it's permanently deleted and can't be restored, so look for a copy you kept instead. For someone else's public video, search for its watch page URL in the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, which may have saved the page, though it doesn't promise the video itself will play. Deleted YouTube videos fall into a few very different cases. A video you deleted yourself is gone from YouTube for good. A video YouTube removed for breaking a rule can sometimes come back through an appeal. A video that's private or on a hidden channel was never deleted at all. And a video someone else deleted might survive as a snapshot in a web archive. This guide covers each case from YouTube's and the Internet Archive's own help pages, so you know what's possible before you spend time searching. ## The short answer Work out whose video it is and what happened to it. That decides whether there's anything to recover, and where to look. **Whose video is it, and what happened?** - I deleted my own video → YouTube can't restore it. Look for your original file, a Studio download or a Takeout export. - YouTube removed my video → Appeal within 1 year of the removal. If the appeal succeeds, YouTube reinstates the video. - Someone else's video is gone → Search for its watch page URL in the Wayback Machine. - My whole channel is gone → Re-enable it if hidden, appeal if terminated. A deleted channel can't be restored. *The case you're in decides what's possible.* | What happened | Can you get it back on YouTube? | What to try | | --- | --- | --- | | You deleted your own video | No | Your original file, a Studio download or a Takeout export | | You made it private | Yes, it was never deleted | Change its visibility in YouTube Studio | | YouTube removed it for a guideline violation | Sometimes | Appeal within 1 year of the removal | | Removed for copyright | Sometimes | A counter notification, if the removal was a mistake | | Your channel is hidden | Yes | Re-enable the channel | | Your channel was terminated | Only if the appeal succeeds | Appeal within 1 year | | Someone else deleted their video | No, only the uploader could re-upload it | The Wayback Machine | ## Is the video really deleted? Before you search archives, rule out the cases where the video still exists. Several messages and situations look like deletion but aren't. ### This video is unavailable can be a playback error YouTube's [video errors page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3037019) lists This video is unavailable among its common playback errors, alongside messages like An error has occurred. Before assuming a video is gone, try the fixes YouTube suggests: sign in, restart your connection, update the app or browser, clear your browser's cache and cookies, turn off ad blockers or open an incognito window with extensions off, and restart your device. If the video plays after that, it was never deleted. ### It may be private or unlisted YouTube's [privacy settings page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/157177) says private videos can only be seen by the uploader and the people they choose, and they don't appear on the channel or in search. Unlisted videos can be watched by anyone with the link, but they don't appear on the channel's Videos tab or in search either. So a video that vanished from a channel may just have been made private or unlisted. If it's your video, you can change it back. ### It may be blocked where you are YouTube's [video removals page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6395024) lists Blocked in some countries or regions among the statuses a video can get when a copyright owner claims it through Content ID. A video blocked in your country can still be live elsewhere, so it isn't necessarily deleted, even if you can't play it. ### The channel may be hidden YouTube's [delete or hide page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/55759) says hiding a channel makes its name, videos, likes, subscriptions and subscribers private. The videos still exist, and the owner can bring them back by re-enabling the channel. **Private, unlisted or hidden** - Still on YouTube - Not shown on the channel or in search - The owner can make it public again **Removed by YouTube** - Taken down for a policy or copyright issue - The uploader sees Video removed in Studio - Can come back if an appeal succeeds **Deleted by the uploader** - Permanently deleted - No longer searchable on YouTube - YouTube describes no way to restore it *Only the last column is truly gone from YouTube.* ## Can I recover a YouTube video I deleted? No. YouTube's [replace or delete page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/55770) says that when you delete a video, it's permanently deleted, and it advises keeping a backup if you might want to watch it later. Before deleting, YouTube makes you tick a box acknowledging that deletion is permanent and then select Delete forever. ### Doesn't YouTube keep a copy? YouTube's [Terms of Service](https://www.youtube.com/t/terms) say YouTube may keep server copies of removed videos, but may not display, distribute or perform them. YouTube's help pages describe no way, through support or otherwise, to get a deleted video back from those copies. Treat the deletion as final on YouTube's side. ### What happens to the video's data YouTube says a deleted video is no longer searchable on YouTube. Its watch time still counts in your channel's aggregate reports, but it's no longer linked to that video. Clips other people made from it are removed too, because YouTube removes clips when the original video is deleted. ### If someone on your team deleted it YouTube's [channel permissions page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9481328) says the Editor role can edit and publish content but can't delete published content, while the Owner has full control. If a video disappeared and you didn't delete it, check who had higher access, and whether one of those accounts was compromised. The video still can't be restored, but you can stop it happening again by giving people the lowest role they need. > If a hacker deleted your videos, YouTube's hacked channel page doesn't say whether they can be restored. Recover your account first, then contact Creator Support if you're eligible. [How to recover a YouTube account](/blog/how-to-recover-a-youtube-account) covers the steps. ## Where else might a copy of my video still exist? YouTube can't give the video back, but it may never have been the only copy. Check these places, roughly from most to least likely: **Places to look for your own copy** - [ ] The camera, phone or drive you recorded on - [ ] Your editing software's project and export folders - [ ] Cloud storage or backups of that computer - [ ] A video you downloaded from YouTube Studio earlier - [ ] A Google Takeout export made before you deleted it - [ ] Copies you sent to collaborators or posted on other networks *Any copy you made before deleting is the only way back.* ### An earlier YouTube Studio download If you ever downloaded the video from YouTube Studio, check your downloads folder. YouTube's [download page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/56100) says Studio downloads are MP4 files at 720p or 360p, so that copy may be lower quality than your original, but it's better than nothing. For videos that are still up, you can make that copy now: in YouTube Studio, select Content, open the video's menu and select Download. YouTube says downloads aren't available once a video has been removed, has a copyright or Community Guidelines strike, or uses a preapproved audio track, so don't wait for a problem before backing up. ### A Google Takeout export A Takeout export only helps if you made it before deleting the video. Google's [Takeout page](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190) says deleted items still being processed aren't included, and archive links expire after about 7 days. If you exported your YouTube data in the past and saved the files, look there. ### How to make a Takeout export of your videos 1. **Open Takeout**: Sign in to your Google Account and go to takeout.google.com. 2. **Choose what to export**: Products you use are preselected. Clear the ones you don't want, keep YouTube, then select Next step. 3. **Pick delivery**: Choose an emailed download link, or have the archive added to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Box. 4. **Pick the format**: Choose zip or tgz and a maximum archive size. Google suggests 50 GB to reduce how often large exports are split. 5. **Download it**: When the email arrives, download the archive within about 7 days and move the files somewhere permanent. ### Copies on other networks If you posted the same video to other networks, those uploads are still copies, even if they were cropped or shortened. [How to cross-post to multiple platforms](/blog/how-to-cross-post-to-multiple-platforms) and [how to post a YouTube video on Instagram](/blog/how-to-post-a-youtube-video-on-instagram) explain the formats you'd likely have saved. ### Ask the people you made it with Editors, co-hosts, clients and anyone you sent a review copy to may still have an export or the raw footage. A message to each of them costs little and is often the fastest way to get a full-quality file back. ### YouTube Premium downloads won't help Offline downloads in the YouTube app aren't files you can keep. YouTube's [offline viewing page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/11977233) says that when a video is no longer available for offline playback, it's removed from your device at the next sync. ## What if YouTube removed my video instead? A removal is YouTube taking a video down, not you deleting it. YouTube's [video removals page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6395024) says a Video removed message next to your upload means it was found to break a policy, such as the Community Guidelines, the Terms of Service, the trademark policy, or a copyright takedown. Your Studio dashboard and Content page show the details. ### Appealing a Community Guidelines removal YouTube's [appeals page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/185111) gives you up to 1 year after a removal to appeal it, and 6 months to appeal a strike or warning. If the appeal succeeds, YouTube reinstates the content and removes the strike. If the appeal fails, the video stays down, but there's no extra penalty for appealing. 1. Open YouTube Studio and go to Content 2. Select the restricted video and tap the restriction 3. Tap Review issues, then the claim 4. Enter your reason and submit 5. Wait for the email with the result *Steps from YouTube Help's appeals page for the YouTube Studio app.* In the main YouTube app, YouTube describes another route: tap You, then Review content, and under Here's what we found, tap Take action, then Appeal. To appeal a strike instead, go to the Dashboard in YouTube Studio, select the Channel violations card, then select APPEAL. Playlists and thumbnails are appealed through the form in the email YouTube sends when it removes them. ### If the appeal only partly succeeds YouTube's appeals page describes a middle outcome: the video comes back with an age restriction instead of staying down. In that case, custom thumbnails are removed, so check the video and upload a thumbnail that fits the guidelines. If you appealed a warning rather than a strike and won, YouTube treats your next offense as a warning instead of a strike. ### Don't delete a removed video YouTube says deleting a video won't resolve its strike. If you delete it, the strike stays and you can't appeal again. You can appeal each strike only once, so make the one appeal count. Active Community Guidelines strikes also matter for monetization: [when does YouTube start paying you](/blog/when-does-youtube-start-paying-you) explains why the Partner Program requires a channel to have none. ## What if my video was removed for copyright? If a copyright owner had your video taken down and you believe it was a mistake, YouTube's [counter notification page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2807684) explains how to ask for it back. Only the original uploader, or someone authorized to act for them, should file. It's a legal process: YouTube shares your counter notification with the claimant, and false information can lead to account termination or other legal consequences. YouTube Studio: Content › Filter: Copyright › See details › Submit a counter notification *Look for videos with Removed in the Visibility column.* You'll enter your full legal name and physical address, explain why the removal was a mistake, and sign with your name. If the claimant doesn't respond within 10 US business days with evidence of legal action, YouTube says your content is reinstated, unless you've deleted it. One more reason not to delete a removed video. ### Checking on it, or cancelling it You can check the status under Content, then the Copyright filter, then See details, then Content used. One counter notification can cover several videos from the same copyright strike. If you change your mind before the claimant responds, YouTube says you can cancel by replying to its confirmation email or emailing copyright@youtube.com. ### If you don't think it was a mistake YouTube lists other options: wait 90 days for the copyright strike to expire, as long as you've completed Copyright School, or ask the claimant to retract their removal request. Neither brings the video back on its own, but a retraction can. ## What if my whole channel is gone? ### If you hid it YouTube's [re-enable page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2972692) says to sign in and fill out the channel creation form, which restores the hidden channel. Don't choose the option for a business or other name, which makes a new channel instead. You'll likely need to make videos and playlists viewable again, and view counts can take up to a week to update. ### If YouTube terminated it YouTube's [terminations page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802168) gives you up to 1 year to appeal, with two appeals in that year. While it's terminated, you can't download your YouTube content, though you can still download your Google data. If the appeal succeeds, you're returned to your dashboard. ### If a hacker deleted or changed it YouTube's [hacked channel page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/76187) says support only covers hacking incidents from the past 9 months, so act quickly. Recover the Google Account first. If the hacker got the channel terminated, look for an email with appeal details after you're back in. Hackers also sometimes hide videos rather than delete them, so check each video's privacy setting before assuming the worst. ### If you deleted it Closing a channel permanently deletes its videos, comments, messages, playlists and history, and YouTube describes no way to restore it. YouTube also notes that deleting the primary owner's Google Account deletes the channel with it, so a deleted account can mean a deleted channel. Google says you may be able to recover a recently deleted Google Account through account recovery, so if that's what happened, try right away. ## How do I find a deleted YouTube video someone else uploaded? Only the uploader could put it back on YouTube. What you can do is look for a saved copy of its watch page in the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, which keeps snapshots of public web pages. The Internet Archive's [Wayback Machine help](https://help.archive.org/help/using-the-wayback-machine/) explains how to search it. 1. Find the video's watch page URL 2. Open web.archive.org 3. Paste the URL and select Browse History 4. Pick a date with a blue dot 5. Open the capture and see what was saved *Steps from the Internet Archive's Using the Wayback Machine help page.* ### Reading the calendar The Wayback Machine shows a calendar of dates when the page was captured. The colors show what the crawler got back: blue means a good capture, green a redirect, orange a client error such as a missing page, and red a server error. The help page says you'll usually want the blue dots. To list every capture of a URL at once, put an asterisk in place of the date, like web.archive.org/*/ followed by the address. ### If nothing turns up The Wayback Machine looks up the address you give it, so a typo or an extra tracking parameter can hide a capture that exists. Paste the link exactly as it was shared, and if you have it in more than one form, such as a shortened link and a full one, try each. The help page also says its search can't look for words inside pages yet, so searching by the video's title won't find it. ### If you only know the channel Try the channel's page address instead of the video's. A capture of the channel's videos page from before the deletion may list the video's title and link, which you can then look up on its own. Pages that depend on JavaScript don't always archive fully, so this works better on some captures than others. ### What you're likely to find A capture is a copy of the page as the crawler saw it. The Internet Archive's help says pages that need JavaScript to contact the original server lose that function when archived, and its help pages don't say video files are captured. Expect that you may find the title, description or channel name, which is often enough to identify the video or find a reupload, without counting on the video itself playing. ### Why there might be no capture at all - Nobody saved it. The Wayback Machine's crawler finds pages by following links, and a page with nothing linking to it may never have been visited. - The site blocked crawling with robots.txt, or the owner asked to be excluded. - The page needed a password or a form to reach. The Archive doesn't save those. - It was too recent. The help page says there's a 3 to 10 hour lag between a crawl and the capture appearing. Once you have the title from a capture, search YouTube for it. The uploader may have posted a new version, or a remix or clip of it may link back to the original. If you're citing the archived page in your work, include the date of the capture you used. ## How do I find the link to a video I can't remember? The Wayback Machine needs the exact URL, so the hard part is often finding it. Start with your own YouTube history if you watched the video while signed in. My Activity: myactivity.google.com › YouTube History › Manage history › Search *From YouTube Help's watch history page, computer version.* YouTube's [watch history page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/95725) says you can search your history from Manage history. It doesn't say how deleted videos appear there, and videos you watched while history was off won't show up at all, so treat this as worth a try rather than a sure thing. ### Other places the link might be - Messages, emails or posts where you or someone else shared it. - Websites, forums or articles that embedded or linked the video. - Your own notes, bookmarks or browser history on the device you watched it on. ### Search for a reupload If you know the title or the channel, search YouTube for it. The uploader may have posted a new version, or the video may survive in a clip or a remix that links back to it. Keep in mind that other people's reuploads may be taken down for copyright, as the next section explains. ## Can I find out why a video was deleted? For your own videos, usually yes. For someone else's, usually not. ### Your own video If YouTube removed it, the video removals page says a Video removed message appears next to it, and your Studio dashboard and Content page give more detail. For Content ID claims, selecting the text next to the video opens a Copyright Details page. A channel termination comes with an email explaining the reason. If the video isn't in your Content list and there's no notice or email about a removal, ask anyone who has access to the channel, and check your account for signs of a hack. ### Someone else's video YouTube doesn't publish the reason a particular video disappeared, and from the outside a deletion, a private video and a removal can look the same. The uploader is the only reliable source. If they're still active on YouTube or elsewhere, asking them directly is the most likely way to find out, and the most likely way to get a copy. ## Can I save a YouTube page before it disappears? Yes, for the page. The Wayback Machine help says its Save Page Now feature on web.archive.org saves a specific page one time. It doesn't save whole sites and doesn't add the URL to future crawls, so it's a snapshot of that moment. Combined with the help page's warning about pages that rely on JavaScript, that means it's best for recording a video's title, description and channel, not for keeping the video. For your own videos, the only reliable way to keep them is to keep the files. ### Write down the details while you can If you depend on a video that's still up, for research, a class or a project, record its title, channel, upload date and full URL now. That's everything you need to find an archived copy later, and to cite it. The [YouTube citation generator](/tools/youtube-citation-generator) turns those details into an APA, MLA or Chicago citation. ## Is it legal to download or reupload a deleted video? YouTube's Terms of Service say you can't download content except where the service expressly allows it or YouTube gives prior written permission. Re-uploading someone else's video can also lead to a copyright takedown and a strike on your channel, per YouTube's video removals page. Giving credit or adding a disclaimer doesn't change that: YouTube's [fair use page](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9783148) says credit alone doesn't make a copy fair use, and phrases like no infringement intended aren't a defense. The Internet Archive has its own process for copyright owners. Its [general information page](https://help.archive.org/help/wayback-machine-general-information/) describes written copyright notices sent to its copyright agent, and notes some sites are excluded at the owner's request. If you want to share part of a video that's still up, [how to clip a YouTube video](/blog/how-to-clip-a-youtube-video) covers YouTube's built-in Clip and Remix tools, which keep the creator credited. ## How do I make sure I never lose my own videos? **Before you delete anything** - [ ] Keep the original file and editing project - [ ] Export everything with Google Takeout now and then - [ ] Make the video private or unlisted instead of deleting it - [ ] Hide the channel instead of deleting it - [ ] Never delete a video that has a strike or a copyright removal - [ ] Trim or edit in place rather than re-uploading - [ ] Turn on 2-Step Verification so no one else can delete your videos *Every item keeps a way back open.* ### Use private or unlisted instead of delete If you want a video off your channel, changing its visibility does that without losing it. In YouTube Studio, open Content, hover over the video, open the Visibility dropdown, choose Private or Unlisted, and save. Private videos can't be seen by anyone you haven't invited, and comments are turned off. Unlisted keeps comments and lets anyone with the link watch. Either way you can make it public again later, with its URL and history intact. ### Back up your uploads YouTube Studio lets you download each video up to five times a day, and Google Takeout exports all of them, in their original format or as MP4. Takeout archives expire after about 7 days and can be downloaded 5 times, so move the files somewhere permanent once they arrive. If your channel is on a Brand Account, switch to it before exporting or the videos may be missing. ### Edit in place instead of starting over YouTube says you can't replace a video's file, because a new upload gets a new URL, but you can trim it, add info cards, or change its title, description or privacy. Fixing a mistake that way keeps the video's views and comments. [How to clip a YouTube video](/blog/how-to-clip-a-youtube-video) covers the Studio editor, including the limits on undoing a trim. ### Limit who can delete Give people who help with your channel the Editor role unless they truly need more, since YouTube says Editors can't delete published content. Turn on 2-Step Verification for your own account and ask everyone with access to do the same. [How to recover a YouTube account](/blog/how-to-recover-a-youtube-account) covers the full set of protections. ### If you do re-upload A re-upload gets a new URL and starts from zero views, so update any links to the old video in your other videos' descriptions, your playlists and your website, and give it a fresh title, description and thumbnail. The [YouTube title generator](/tools/youtube-title-generator) and [description generator](/tools/youtube-description-generator) help with the text, and [YouTube thumbnail size](/blog/youtube-thumbnail-size) covers the image, which the [thumbnail resizer](/tools/youtube-thumbnail-resizer) can crop to fit. [PostMesh can schedule the upload](/platform/youtube) up to 30 days ahead through the YouTube API: the video uploads as private and YouTube makes it public at the time you pick. The [YouTube scheduling guide](/blog/how-to-schedule-youtube-videos) and [best time to post on YouTube](/blog/best-time-to-post-on-youtube) cover timing. ## Questions ### Can YouTube support restore a video I deleted? YouTube's help pages describe no way to do that. They say a deleted video is permanently deleted and recommend keeping a backup. ### Is there a trash or recycle bin for YouTube videos? YouTube's help pages don't describe one. Deleting asks you to confirm with Delete forever, and the video is gone once you do. ### Can I watch a deleted YouTube video? Not on YouTube. You may find a snapshot of its page in the Wayback Machine, but the Internet Archive doesn't promise the video itself was saved or will play. ### How do I know if a video was deleted or made private? From the outside you often can't tell, because both disappear from the channel and search. If it's your own video and it's still in YouTube Studio's Content list, it wasn't deleted. ### Why does a video in my playlist say it's unavailable? It may have been deleted, made private or removed, or it may be a playback error. Try signing in and refreshing first, since YouTube lists This video is unavailable among its general playback errors. ### Can I get back a video YouTube removed? Sometimes. Appeal a Community Guidelines removal within 1 year, or file a counter notification for a copyright removal you believe was a mistake. If it succeeds, YouTube reinstates the video. ### Do clips survive when the original is deleted? No. YouTube removes clips when the original video is deleted or set to private. ### Will Google Takeout include videos I already deleted? No. Google says items still being deleted aren't included, and a deleted video is no longer on your channel to export, so Takeout only helps if you exported before deleting. ### Can I see the title of a deleted YouTube video? Possibly, from a Wayback Machine capture of its watch page or from a link someone shared that shows the title. YouTube itself no longer shows it in search. ### Does deleting my Google Account delete my YouTube videos? Deleting the primary owner's Google Account deletes the channel too. Google says a recently deleted account may be recoverable, so try account recovery quickly. ## Sources - [YouTube Help: Replace or delete your video](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/55770) - [YouTube Terms of Service (effective January 5, 2022)](https://www.youtube.com/t/terms) - [YouTube Help: Troubleshoot YouTube video errors](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3037019) - [YouTube Help: Change video privacy settings](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/157177) - [YouTube Help: Delete or hide your YouTube channel](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/55759) - [YouTube Help: Re-enable hidden channel](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2972692) - [YouTube Help: Download YouTube videos that you've uploaded](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/56100) - [Google Account Help: How to download your Google data](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190) - [YouTube Help: Watch videos offline with YouTube Premium](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/11977233) - [YouTube Help: Troubleshoot video removals](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6395024) - [YouTube Help: Appeal Community Guidelines actions](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/185111) - [YouTube Help: Submit a copyright counter notification](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2807684) - [YouTube Help: Channel or account terminations](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802168) - [YouTube Help: Recover a hacked YouTube channel](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/76187) - [Google Account Help: Recover a recently deleted Google Account](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6236295) - [YouTube Help: View, delete, or turn on or off watch history](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/95725) - [Internet Archive Help: Using the Wayback Machine](https://help.archive.org/help/using-the-wayback-machine/) - [Internet Archive Help: Wayback Machine general information](https://help.archive.org/help/wayback-machine-general-information/) - [YouTube Help: Fair use on YouTube](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9783148) - [YouTube Help: Create and share clips](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10332730)