Why You Can't Download a YouTube Video (and How to Fix It)

If a YouTube video won't download, it's almost always one of these causes: the video is private, it's paid or members-only, it has an age restriction, it's live (still streaming), it's blocked in your country, or it was deleted. You may also have copied the link wrong. Most of these can be fixed in seconds. Here they all are, with their fix, for use with the YouTube downloader.

This guide is specific to YouTube. For problems that happen on any platform (the file won't play, slow download), see the general guide on why you can't download a video.

1. The video is private

If the author set the video to private, only they and the people they invited can watch it, and no tool can download it because it requires explicit permission. An unlisted video is different (hidden but accessible with the link): those can be downloaded if you have the URL. We go into detail in downloading private videos.

2. It's a paid or members-only video

Paid YouTube videos (rental/purchase) or channel members-only exclusives sit behind an access wall and can't be downloaded without the purchase or the membership. It's not a fault of the downloader: the content isn't publicly accessible.

3. It has an age restriction

Some videos are flagged with an age restriction. PullVid can process most of these public videos without you signing in; we explain this in downloading age-restricted YouTube videos. If it still fails, it's usually because of an additional restriction on the video itself.

4. The video is live

A YouTube live stream in progress isn't a closed file, so it can't be downloaded while it's streaming. You have to wait for it to end and be saved as a video; then it downloads like any other. We cover this in downloading a YouTube live stream.

5. Region-blocked or deleted

• "Not available in your country": the author or rights holders limit the video by region. Check whether it plays on YouTube from your connection; if YouTube won't show it, the downloader can't either. PullVid does not bypass geo-blocks.
• Deleted video or removed channel: if opening the link shows "Video unavailable," it no longer exists and can't be recovered anywhere.

6. You copied the link wrong

• Use Share → Copy link on the specific video, not the channel URL.
• Short youtu.be/... links and Shorts links work the same; paste them as-is.
• If you get stuck, see how to copy a YouTube video link.

7. A temporary glitch

Sometimes it's just a passing glitch: wait a minute and paste the link again, try another connection, or check that the video plays on YouTube before downloading. If the problem isn't downloading but that the already-downloaded file won't open, that's covered in a downloaded video that won't play.