Access Soon To Be Deleted YouTube Videos

YouTube videos are monitored in two ways: YouTube algorithms search for things like copyrighted material and improperly used metadata, and YouTube staff reviews (24/7) user flags for videos that contain questionable material. Then, if either the algorithm comes across such material or the YouTube staff concurs that the flag was warranted and the material violates YouTube policies, the videos will be deleted.[1][2] While there is no way to predict which videos will be deleted, there is a way to catch new videos before users or YouTube's algorithm has a chance to review them.

Steps

Searching by Personal Interest

  1. Go to the YouTube search bar. Go to the YouTube website (YouTube.com) and click on the search bar. You will not need to scroll to find the search bar, as it is on the top of the page.
  2. Type in your desired content. In the search bar, enter the keywords that best describe the content you wish to view before it is deleted.
  3. Click on the "Filters" button. The "Filters" button is directly below and to the left of the search bar. You won't need to scroll down to see it.
  4. Click on the "Upload Date" button. Having clicked the "Filters" button, a kind of window should now have appeared. The "Upload Date" filter option is in the far-right column, under "Sort by Relevance."
  5. Watch your desired content. The videos that are now appearing in your search results are the ones that have most recently been added to YouTube. These videos may or may not soon be deleted. If a video violates its Terms of Use, YouTube will probably have it deleted within the first 24 hours of its posting (due, again, to its vigilant monitoring and algorithms).[1]

Searching by Dubious Content

  1. Go to the YouTube homepage. Type YouTube's web address (YouTube.com) into your browser. For now, don't enter anything in the search bar.
  2. Click on the "About" button. The "About" button is a link at the very bottom of the YouTube homepage. You will have to scroll down to find it on the far left of the bottom of the page.
    • Sometimes the homepage will load more videos after you scroll: keep scrolling until you reach the very bottom.
  3. Access the "Community Guidelines." Now in the "About" page, the first option in the right column will be the link entitled "Community Guidelines."
  4. Read the guidelines. If you scroll down a little, you will see a section entitled "Don't cross the line." Under this section is listed the kinds of content that is policed among the YouTube community. If you are looking for material that is likely to be deleted soon, using some of these keywords will be the easiest way to find it.
  5. Search for your desired content. Scroll to the top of the current page ("Community Guidelines") and enter the keywords of the content you wish to view.
  6. Click on "Filters". Right below and to the left of the search bar is the "Filters" button (you won't need to scroll down to see it). Once you click on it, several options will appear in a kind of little window.
  7. Click the "Upload Date" filter. In the far-right column, under the title "Sort by Relevance," is the "Upload Date" filter.
  8. Watch your desired content. The videos you now see in your search results are the ones that have most recently been added to YouTube. These videos may or may not soon be deleted. However, if any of these violates YouTube's Terms of Use, YouTube will delete it within the first 24 hours of its posting -- if not much sooner (due, again, to its vigilant monitoring and algorithms).[1]

Tips

  • Videos that are deleted will still be displayed in the search results for a few hours, so prepare to be disappointed if the video you wished to watch has been removed.

Warning

  • The kind of material that YouTube will delete is most likely inappropriate for children.

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Sources and Citations