# 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:** 13
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/243 "2023-08-20T19:44:23Z")
Test: https://www.youtube.com/embed/c08wiEyVuak?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDc08wiEyVuak ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/244 "2023-08-21T17:46:39Z")
test [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v) =HbiLPcRF9Nw&322 Bah ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/245 "2023-08-21T17:51:16Z")
Links of any sort don’t work if you leave spaces in them. That’s not specific to youtube. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2023, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/246 "2023-08-21T23:05:29Z")
I do web design professionally as part of my job, you can’t have spaces in a web address. That’s why we love putting \_ in file names. If you want a space in an address you use HTML code %20 instead, because an actual space doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/247 "2023-08-29T01:16:52Z")
test [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FWd-bv05LvI/maxresdefault.jpg "Old Opinel №8 Pocket Knife Restoration") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWd-bv05LvI) ---
**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:** [September 7, 2023, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/248 "2023-09-07T18:45:32Z")
I’ve noticed today that YouTube videos are now giving playback errors, some links to news articles are no longer showing previews, and GIFs are not loading. Discourse is really screwy today. Here are a few examples: [https://media.tenor.com/kzFKQTGdFhsAAAAd/simpsons-third-party.gif](https://media.tenor.com/kzFKQTGdFhsAAAAd/simpsons-third-party.gif) [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/us/politics/pence-populism-speech.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/us/politics/pence-populism-speech.html) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XXFE2VYKUYU/maxresdefault.jpg "IBS Medicine Ad - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXFE2VYKUYU) ---
**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:** [September 7, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/249 "2023-09-07T21:10:37Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I’ve noticed today that YouTube videos are now giving playback errors I just tested on my phone and I’m not getting the same errors, so it must be my PC/browser. However, the GIF and article issues happen regardless of platform. (The NY Times link above isn’t even mine, someone else posted it in another thread and apologized that it wasn’t showing a summary.) ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/250 "2024-01-19T23:40:57Z")
Test: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/muK6gFtv7_o/maxresdefault.jpg "Japan Lands On The Moon.... Upside Down? Astrobotic's Moon Lander Lands On Earth?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muK6gFtv7_o) ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/251 "2024-01-19T23:44:07Z")
Well that’s weird, the fix I used for this test (to end the URL with /) does not work when I try it in the [Ongoing Space Exploration Thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/1147). I just get the same error. ---
**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:** [January 19, 2024, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/252 "2024-01-19T23:46:36Z")
As soon as the exact URL text has been converted into a preview _anywhere_, by _anyone_, it will remain broken forever. However, you can create an infinite number of tweaked URLs by appending it with &2, &3, etc. So just add that little bit and increment if you ever need to edit your post or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/253 "2024-01-20T00:04:39Z")
Tried that too and it didn’t work. It just didn’t even recognise it as a viable link, although it’s entirely possible (likely even) that I messed it up. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2024, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/254 "2024-01-20T00:07:57Z")
It should look like this: `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muK6gFtv7_o&2` No extra cruft (slashes, brackets, etc.) should be in there. Usual rules about appearing on a line by itself apply. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/255 "2024-01-20T00:10:05Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muK6gFtv7_o&2` > An error occurred: Sorry, you can’t embed media items in a post. I guess it just doesn’t like me. That’s right I’m taking this personally. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2024, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/256 "2024-01-20T00:13:25Z")
No, that’s how it works for everyone. Maybe you didn’t see my post in the other thread, but this is the complete explanation: > [@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… I thought you maybe read it since you posted once, but maybe that was just luck. In short, hide the preview window. And if it still gives you the error, increment the &2 to &3, &4, etc. Eventually one will work. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/257 "2024-01-20T00:15:14Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muK6gFtv7\_o&2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muK6gFtv7_o&2) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/muK6gFtv7_o/maxresdefault.jpg "Japan Lands On The Moon.... Upside Down? Astrobotic's Moon Lander Lands On Earth?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muK6gFtv7_o) ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/258 "2024-01-20T00:16:11Z")
Thanks! Hitting reply before the preview built seems to have been the thing that worked. I hadn’t seen that particular tip before. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2024, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/259 "2024-01-20T00:20:16Z")
Yeah, you have to either be quick or hide the preview window. Probably the best strategy is to leave the preview window open as you’re making the post, but leave out the video. When you’re about ready to post, hide the preview and paste the video link. Submit the post while it’s still in no-preview mode. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2024, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/260 "2024-01-20T00:41:53Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Yeah, you have to either be quick or hide the preview window. And this is, of course, because > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > As soon as the exact URL text has been converted into a preview _anywhere_, by _anyone_, it will remain broken forever. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2024, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/261 "2024-01-20T02:50:08Z")
Hide the preview if you want to post a video. It will make the process easy and you don’t feel like you’re trying to trick the software. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958/262 "2024-01-20T14:24:33Z")
Test [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4hjVjYfLMjI/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgSChCMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAaV89h4JddUTaYaAik3URPc-GuUA "Cream - Badge") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hjVjYfLMjI) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-links-to-youtube-been-disabled/981958.md?page=14)