What is the YouTube Video Finder Skill?
The YouTube Video Finder skill is a specialized tool designed to search
multiple online archives and recover deleted YouTube videos, their metadata,
and comments using just the video ID. This skill is particularly useful when
you encounter broken links, deleted content, or private videos that you need
to access.
How Does It Work?
The skill operates by taking a YouTube video ID (the 11-character identifier)
and querying various archival services like GhostArchive and the Wayback
Machine. It then returns detailed information about whether the video, its
metadata, or comments have been archived.
Key Features:
- Recovers deleted YouTube videos using archival services
- Extracts video metadata and comments when available
- Provides direct links to archived content
- Offers detailed status reports about recovery success
Using the YouTube Video Finder Skill
Step 1: Extract the Video ID
Start by isolating the 11-character YouTube video ID from the URL or text. For
example:
youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
The video ID is: dQw4w9WgXcQ
Step 2: Make the API Request
The skill uses a simple GET request to the API endpoint:
https://findyoutubevideo.thetechrobo.ca/api/v5/{videoid}
Where {videoid} is replaced with your extracted video ID.
Step 3: Understanding the Response
The API returns a structured response with several key elements:
Status Check
First, check the status field. If it returns bad.id, the video ID is
invalid and you should inform the user accordingly.
The Verdict
The verdict object provides a human-friendly summary of the recovery
results, including boolean flags for:
-
video- whether the video file was recovered -
metaonly- whether only metadata was archived -
comments- whether comments were recovered
Finding Available Links
Review the keys array, which contains service objects. For each service
where archived: true, examine the available list to find direct URLs to
the archived content.
Interpreting Results
Full Recovery
When the video is fully recovered, you'll receive direct links to the archived
video along with metadata and comments.
Partial Recovery
If only metadata or comments were archived, the skill will clearly indicate
this in the verdict. You can still provide valuable information to users even
when the video file itself isn't available.
Service Information
Each service result may include notes about accessibility, such as whether
content might be paywalled or require special access methods.
Best Practices
- Always verify the video ID is exactly 11 characters before making a request
- Use the human-friendly verdict for user-facing responses
- Provide context about which archival service successfully recovered the content
- Be transparent about limitations, such as paywalled content or incomplete recoveries
Advanced Options
The skill includes optional parameters for advanced users:
-
includeRaw- Set to true for debugging and raw metadata -
stream- Set to true for JSONL streaming for large datasets
Common Use Cases
- Recovering lost educational content
- Accessing deleted entertainment videos
- Researching historical YouTube content
- Finding alternative sources for broken video links
Limitations
While the YouTube Video Finder skill is powerful, it has some limitations:
- Success depends on whether the video was archived by third-party services
- Some content may be paywalled or require special access
- Very recent deletions might not yet be archived
- Private videos that were never public cannot be recovered
Conclusion
The YouTube Video Finder skill provides a valuable service for recovering
deleted YouTube content. By understanding how to properly use the API and
interpret its responses, you can help users access valuable video content that
would otherwise be lost to the digital void.
Quick Reference
1. Extract 11-character video ID
2. Make GET request to API
3. Check status for validity
4. Read verdict for summary
5. Provide archived links to user
Skill can be found at:
video-finder/SKILL.md>
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