How to Find & Recover Deleted YouTube Videos (5 Working Methods)

Lost a favorite YouTube video? Whether it was removed by the creator, taken down for copyright, or deleted by YouTube itself, you still have options to get it back.

Method 1: Wayback Machine (Best for Older Videos)

The Wayback Machine at web.archive.org archives billions of web pages, including YouTube video pages. It rarely stores the actual video file, but it often captures page metadata like the title, description, and thumbnail. That info can help you track the video down elsewhere.

Steps:

1. Go to web.archive.org
2. Paste the YouTube video URL (e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID)
3. Click "Browse History"
4. Select a date when the video was still live
5. View the archived page for video details

If You Don't Have the URL:

• Check your browser history for youtube.com/watch URLs
• Search your email for shared YouTube links
• Check your messaging apps for video links you shared

Success rate: Medium. Works best for popular videos that were archived before deletion.

Method 2: Google Cache

Google caches web pages it crawls, so if a video was recently deleted, Google may still have a cached version of the page.

Steps:

1. Open Google Search
2. Search for the video title in quotes: "exact video title" site:youtube.com
3. If the result appears, click the three dots next to the URL
4. Select "Cached" to view the cached version
5. Note the video details from the cached page

Alternative Google Search Tricks:

• Search cache:youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID directly in the address bar
• Use inurl:VIDEO_ID to find the cached page
• Search the video title on Google to find mirrors or re-uploads

Success rate: Low-medium. Cache expires quickly after a page is removed (usually within days).

Method 3: YouTube Trash (Your Own Videos)

If you accidentally deleted your own YouTube video, YouTube keeps it in a trash folder for 21 days.

Steps:

1. Go to studio.youtube.com
2. Click Content in the left sidebar
3. Click the Trash tab at the top
4. Find your deleted video
5. Hover over the video and click Restore

Important Notes:

• Videos are permanently deleted after 21 days in trash
• This only works for videos YOU deleted from YOUR channel
• Videos removed by YouTube for policy violations cannot be restored this way
• The restored video keeps its original URL and view count

Success rate: High (if within 21 days and you deleted it yourself).

Method 4: Third-Party Archive Sites

Several websites and communities archive YouTube content, especially historically significant or popular videos.

Sites to Check:

• archive.org, the Internet Archive stores copies of some YouTube videos
• Filmot.com, searches YouTube video metadata including deleted videos
• DeletedVideoFinder, community-driven databases of removed content
• Reddit communities, subreddits like r/lostmedia help identify and find deleted videos

How to Use Filmot:

1. Go to Filmot.com
2. Enter the video ID (the part after watch?v= in the URL)
3. View archived metadata: title, description, upload date, channel
4. Use this info to search for mirrors or re-uploads

Success rate: Low-medium. Depends on how popular the video was.

Method 5: Social Shares & Embeds

When YouTube videos get shared on social media, blogs, or forums, those embeds sometimes preserve video information even after the original is deleted.

Where to Search:

• Twitter/X: Search for the YouTube URL or video title
• Reddit: Search the video title or URL on Reddit
• Facebook: Check groups or pages that might have shared it
• Instagram: People often share YouTube videos on Instagram, so check Stories and posts for saved copies
• Blogs/Forums: Google the video title with quotes to find embedded copies
• Telegram: Video-sharing channels often re-upload content

Steps:

1. Search Google for "VIDEO_TITLE" or "VIDEO_ID"
2. Check if anyone shared or discussed the video with an alternative link
3. Look for re-uploads on other YouTube channels
4. Check video-sharing platforms like Dailymotion or Vimeo for mirrors

Success rate: Medium for popular videos. Low for obscure content.

Bonus: How to Find a Deleted Video's Title From Its URL

Have a broken YouTube link but no idea what the video was? Here's how to identify it.

Using the Video ID:

1. Copy the video ID from the URL (the characters after watch?v=)
2. Search Google for that exact ID in quotes: "dQw4w9WgXcQ"
3. Results often show blog posts, social media shares, or forums that mentioned the video with its title

Using Wayback Machine:

1. Paste the full YouTube URL into web.archive.org
2. Check any archived snapshot for the video title in the page source

Using YouTube's Own Data:

1. If you have the video in a playlist, the playlist page may still show the title as "[Deleted video]" with metadata in the page source
2. Check your YouTube watch history at myactivity.google.com
3. If it was your own video, our YouTube analytics guide can help you track and document your content before anything gets lost

Why YouTube Videos Get Deleted

Knowing why a video was removed tells you a lot about whether recovery is realistic.

How to Prevent Losing Important Videos

Don't rely on YouTube as permanent storage. Save important videos locally.

Download Videos You Want to Keep

• Use YouTube's built-in download feature (YouTube Premium)
• Download your own videos from YouTube Studio > Content > Download
• Keep backup copies of any content you upload — especially if you invest time learning how to create engaging YouTube content

Archive Your Playlists

• Periodically screenshot or export your playlist titles and URLs
• Use your YouTube watch history as a backup record

Save Video Details

• Bookmark important videos
• Save URLs in a notes app or spreadsheet
• Screenshot thumbnails and titles of valuable content

FAQ

Can you recover a deleted YouTube video after 21 days? If it was your own video, no. YouTube permanently deletes trashed videos after 21 days. For other people's videos, try the Wayback Machine or archive sites.

Is it legal to watch deleted YouTube videos? Viewing archived copies is generally legal for personal use. However, re-uploading copyrighted content that was removed via DMCA is illegal.

Can YouTube restore a video that was removed for copyright? The original uploader can file a counter-notification. If the copyright claimant doesn't take legal action within 10 to 14 days, YouTube may restore the video.

How do I find a deleted YouTube video without the URL? Search Google for the video title in quotes. Check your YouTube watch history at myactivity.google.com. Look through your browser history for youtube.com URLs.

Do deleted YouTube videos still count views? No. Once a video is deleted, its views are removed from the creator's total count and analytics.

Can I see who deleted a YouTube video? No. YouTube doesn't publicly disclose whether a video was removed by the creator, by YouTube, or by a copyright claim. Copyright removals usually show a notice on the video page, though.

Related Resources

• YouTube Video Dimensions Guide
• YouTube Monetization Requirements
• YouTube Tools
• YouTube Thumbnail Size Guide