# Have links to YouTube been disabled? **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [April 1, 2023, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958 "2023-04-01T01:35:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/203 "2023-06-14T18:32:36Z")
Hmm… Here’s the “Share” link (broken) for the Indiana clip linked above: https: // youtu.be/ by-14R0C0yE Now I’m going to try posting it with &4 at the end, unbroken. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/by-14R0C0yE/maxresdefault.jpg "Wow. Disney+ changed the ending of Raiders of the Lost Ark...") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by-14R0C0yE) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/204 "2023-06-14T18:33:01Z")
You have to put the https:// in front of course, or the software doesn’t know it’s a link. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/205 "2023-06-14T18:35:08Z")
Well, from my computer and browser view (YMMV), just copying the Share link and adding an &(number) works just fine. No need to assemble separate components. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/206 "2023-06-14T18:35:09Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > Here’s the “Share” link (broken) for the Indiana clip linked above: > > https: // youtu.be/ by-14R0C0yE Yeah, that doesn’t work: **An error occurred. Sorry, you can’t embed media items in a post.** > [@Atamasama](#): > > You have to put the https:// in front of course, or the software doesn’t know it’s a link. This is the Share link (broken): https: // youtu.be/ by-14R0C0yE That’s what I copied and pasted. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/207 "2023-06-14T18:37:19Z")
Try it with &8 at the end (or some suitably high number). As pointed out above, if there is already a preview generated for it in Discourse, it will fail unless you add the &(number) forcing it to go out and get data to generate a new preview. Just saw your edit. Did you mean you pasted the broken link in, or an unbroken lin? Also, my preview was generated with &4 at the end. Did you try &5? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/208 "2023-06-14T18:37:57Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > Try it with &8 at the end (or some suitably high number) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/by-14R0C0yE/maxresdefault.jpg "Wow. Disney+ changed the ending of Raiders of the Lost Ark...") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by-14R0C0yE) OK, that worked. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/209 "2023-06-14T18:38:43Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > As pointed out above, if there is already a preview generated for it in Discourse, it will fail unless you add the &(number) forcing it to go out and get data to generate a new preview. I put that URL in another window to see what it was, and I’ve seen it a few times already on this board, so that’s probably the issue. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/210 "2023-06-14T18:40:25Z")
Glad to help, but I credit @Dr.Strangelove for the solution. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/211 "2023-06-14T18:41:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > OK, that worked. Thank you. Sort of worked. I edited to say ‘OK, that worked. Thank you,’ and it said **An error occurred. Sorry, you can’t embed media items in a post.** I had to put a 9 after it. Can somebody save me from having to read 200 posts? Is there a reason why Discourse suddenly decided to make things difficult? Seems like a dick move. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/212 "2023-06-14T19:00:07Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Can somebody save me from having to read 200 posts? Is there a reason why Discourse suddenly decided to make things difficult? Seems like a dick move. There is a bug that now thinks if you embed a video, you’re uploading it into a thread. You’re not, obviously, but it assumes you are. We don’t allow that on this message board, so it blocks you. If you post before the preview gets loaded, you’re able to get it to not realize it’s embedded before you submit and it allows it. If you edit the post, it won’t let you save because it thinks that embedded video is an upload. So you tweak it just enough that it has to reach out to YouTube again, and then before it loads the preview again save the edit. You’re constantly tricking it to allow you to do something it mistakenly thinks is prohibited. It’s a really irritating bug. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/213 "2023-06-14T19:04:27Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > If you post before the preview gets loaded, you’re able to get it to not realize it’s embedded before you submit and it allows it. Wow. I don’t know if I can be that quick. > [@Atamasama](#): > > It’s a really irritating bug. It really is. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/214 "2023-06-14T19:08:14Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Wow. I don’t know if I can be that quick. If on a laptop (and maybe a tablet?), you can close the Preview window to the right of the Reply window. Reply window is the one at left that you’re actually typing into. Once you close the Preview window, there is no timing issue to be concerned about: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Jzbmbx59gZA/maxresdefault.jpg "New Orleans Saints Minicamp Practice Report 6/13/2023") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzbmbx59gZA) I _think_ this issue doesn’t come up at all for users on mobile. Unsure if that’s 100% or not. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/215 "2023-06-14T19:10:54Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > I _think_ this issue doesn’t come up at all for users on mobile. Unsure if that’s 100% or not. Oh it does. Trust me. 😡 It’s just that we can’t turn off the preview (because there is none), you need to be quick. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/216 "2023-06-14T19:26:11Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > It’s just that we can’t turn off the preview (because there is none), you need to be quick. This is not my experience. On a mobile device without preview (seems to be limited to phones), you have unlimited time, just if you had the preview window hidden manually. This doesn’t bypass the problem where the video may have been posted already, however (including if you edited your own post). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/217 "2023-06-14T19:29:04Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > This is not my experience. On a mobile device without preview (seems to be limited to phones), you have unlimited time, just if you had the preview window hidden manually. Then you’re lucky. On an iPhone with Safari it’s a massive pain in the ass. But it’s not consistent. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/218 "2023-06-14T19:59:08Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Can somebody save me from having to read 200 posts? Is there a reason why Discourse suddenly decided to make things difficult? Seems like a dick move. If you read just one post in the thread, read this one (#170): > [@Have links to YouTube been disabled?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/170): > > I’ve seen a few links to this thread from other threads, but the information is a bit scattershot, so I think it’s worth summarizing. The bug occurs because Discourse now sees a YouTube preview–that is, the inline video as compared to a bare link–as a “media item”. We don’t allow media items on this site for cost reasons, but in this case it’s a bug because the video is hosted elsewhere. And this is new behavior. Discourse takes a few seconds to convert a bare link into a preview. That is t… ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/219 "2023-06-22T20:54:19Z")
Strangely, I have no issue with YouTube links, but YouTube links with a time stamp on them fail. ```auto https://youtu.be/hoe24aSvLtw https://youtu.be/hoe24aSvLtw?t=32 ``` The first one works fine, the latter errors out. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/220 "2023-06-22T20:56:28Z")
Test: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hoe24aSvLtw/maxresdefault.jpg "Spies Like Us (1985) - Doctor, Doctor Scene (4/8) | Movieclips") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoe24aSvLtw) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/221 "2023-06-22T20:58:01Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > The first one works fine, the latter errors out. It means someone posted that exact URL (with timestamp) somewhere else. Try the trick with appending “&1”, “&2”, etc. (except not “&1” since I just used that). ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/222 "2023-06-22T20:58:51Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hoe24aSvLtw/maxresdefault.jpg "Spies Like Us (1985) - Doctor, Doctor Scene (4/8) | Movieclips") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoe24aSvLtw) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958.md?page=12)