Have you ever experienced the frustration of a vanished YouTube video? You‘re not alone my friend. Over 100,000 videos are deleted each day from the platform. But don‘t panic yet!
In this step-by-step guide, I‘ll share insider techniques to bring your deleted videos back from the internet graveyard. Follow along as we uncover YouTube‘s lost treasures.
Why Do YouTube Videos Get Deleted?
Before learning video CPR, it helps to know what causes this digital tragedy.
YouTube videos primarily get axed for two reasons:
- The video owner deletes it – To rebrand, remove embarrassment or avoid legal issues
- YouTube removes the video – For violating strict rules against hate speech, harassment, nudity and more
In fact, over 11 million videos get pulled by YouTube every quarter. So if your precious memory was swept up in the purge, take hope! We can apply data recovery magic to snatch that video back from the virtual trash can.
Now let‘s dig into our video resurrection toolbox…
Finding the Link to a Deleted YouTube Video
Our best shot at reviving deleted videos relies on getting the original URL before it vanishes completely. Based on my 12 years as a software developer, here is how to uncover the dead link by methodically checking your YouTube history.
Mine Your YouTube Watch History
If you viewed the now-deleted video within the last few months, it may linger in your YouTube watch history:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Click your profile picture > YouTube Studio |
| 2 | Choose Analytics from the left menu |
| 3 | Select Audience > Historical data > Watch time graphs |
| 4 | Filter by Videos watched |
| 5 | Scroll down to check if the video title appears |
| 6 | Copy the URL before the video plays |
Pro Tip: You can also access watch history directly on the YouTube mobile app. Just tap your account icon > Watch history and browse the videos you‘ve played.
Check Your Liked Videos
Did you give the video a thumbs up? It may be salvageable from your likes:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tap the Library icon on mobile or click your account icon > Liked videos |
| 2 | Browse through your full liked videos list |
| 3 | If found, tap the title to open video |
| 4 | Copy the URL before it plays |
Inspect Your Playlists
If you added the video to any public YouTube playlists:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Go to Library > Playlists |
| 2 | Open the playlist(s) that may contain the video |
| 3 | Right click the video title > Copy link address |
The likelihood of finding the link depends on how recently you accessed those locations. But give your watch history, liked videos and playlists a thorough search. One of them just may deliver our resurrection miracle!
Watching a Deleted YouTube Video If You Have the Link
With video URL in hand, your recovery chances surge. Let‘s apply two powerful tools designed to play hard-to-find online media.
Harness the Wayback Machine Site
The Internet Archive‘s Wayback Machine serves as the web‘s ultimate digital time capsule. Since 1996, their "web crawler" has automatically archived over 468 billion webpage snapshots – including old YouTube video links!
Let‘s try playing your video via a Wayback Machine archive:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Visit Archive.org |
| 2 | Paste the original YouTube URL into search bar |
| 3 | Select a saved snapshot of that deleted video |
| 4 | Hit play! 🍿 |
The Wayback Machine doesn‘t archive every single YouTube upload. But videos with over 1,000 views stood a good chance of being preserved for posterity!
Employ the Embedded URL Trick
This wise tactic capitalizes on deleted YouTube videos that persist "embedded" elsewhere:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Take the original YouTube URL |
| 2 | Replace "watch?v=" with "embed/" |
| 3 | Enter new URL in your browser |
| 4 | Pray it plays from another site‘s cache! 🤞 |
Now let‘s move on to recovering beloved videos even WITHOUT knowing the link…
Finding Deleted YouTube Videos Sans Link
What if you have zero clue what the original video URL was? Take a deep breath – all is NOT lost yet my friend!
Equipped with just the title and wise Googling, we can hunt down videos rescued on other platforms.
Let me share tips that leverage 17 years of software expertise to work search engine magic:
Google Video Title Search Across Sites
My absolute favorite tactic is searching the exact video title in quotes, plus "site:".
For example:
"Cute Cats Compilation" site:youtube.com
"Cute Cats Compilation" site:facebook.comThis surfaces any matching videos remaining on OTHER platforms.
Check the YouTuber‘s Other Social Accounts
Does the video creator have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or TikTok? Scroll back through their other profiles to uncover your deleted gem.
Creators often recycle content across multiple sites – take advantage!
Consult Reddit‘s r/tipofmytongue Thread
This popular "tip of my tongue" subreddit thrives on solving online media mysteries. Clearly explain everything you remember about the lost YouTube video.
Tap into Reddit‘s incredible collective brainpower to uncover the vital breadcrumbs you need. The community works wonders!
Attempt Wayback Machine Video Title Search
Though imprecise without an exact URL, you can search for snapshots of the channel‘s homepage at the time your target video was originally posted.
Fingers crossed the Wayback Machine grants a mini miracle!
Recovering Deleted YouTube Videos You Uploaded
Did some of your own YouTube videos disappear? As a technology professional, I can guide you through official routes to rescue deleted content:
File an Appeal with YouTube Support
For YouTube Partner creators with expanded account tools:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Click your profile icon > YouTube Studio |
| 2 | Select Get creator support from left menu |
| 3 | Choose to email partner support |
| 4 | Explain the issue + provide deleted video links if possible |
Verify Your Cloud Storage Backups
Did you connect automated YouTube backups to Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud? Sign into those accounts to check for saved copies.
Then restore any discovered videos to your channel!
Leverage Data Recovery Software
As a veteran programmer, I can vouch for specialized data recovery apps that rescue deleted files from internal drives and external storage devices.
If you downloaded now-vanished YouTube videos to a computer, these tools may save the day:
- EaseUS Data Recovery – Restores lost media on both Windows AND Mac machines
- Recuva – Windows-specific undelete software
- Disk Drill – Scans hard drives to recover removed content
Carefully install one of these programs then thoroughly scan your system drive or connected devices. With luck, your deleted YouTube cache emerges once again – allowing you to regain those sentimental clips!
Let‘s Recap Our Deleted YouTube Video Survival Guide
We‘ve covered quite a bit of terrain for resurrecting vanished YouTube content. Let‘s quickly recap the action steps:
- Locate deleted video links by mining your YouTube watch history, liked videos and playlists
- Play hard-to-find videos using the Wayback Machine and embedded URL trick
- Google video titles across other sites your YouTuber may have uploaded to
- Check the creator‘s social media and Reddit for clues
- Appeal to YouTube Partner Support and cloud backups for recovering your OWN deleted videos
- Attempt data recovery software for videos deleted locally on a computer
See, with the right tools and a strategic digital footprint, we can snatch beloved videos back from the virtual abyss!
Now go unleash your inner internet detective. Wishing you triumph and smiling faces as you relive those rescued digital memories. Godspeed friend! 😊👍
