If ArchiveBox fails to download a YouTube video, first find the exact extractor error and identify whether ArchiveBox is using yt-dlp or youtube-dl. Then check ArchiveBox’s resolved dependencies and whether the URL opens in a normal browser. The error and the selected extractor’s version determine what to try next; there is no single fix for every YouTube capture failure.
First identify what failed
ArchiveBox adding a URL and its media extractor downloading a video are separate steps. Check ArchiveBox’s standard output or Web UI output and locate the exact URL and the step that reported the error. This helps distinguish a URL that was not added or parsed from a failure during media extraction.
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Record the complete error instead of starting with a guessed fix. In particular, note whether the message names yt-dlp or youtube-dl, and whether it reports a dependency problem, an inaccessible URL, or a failure while extracting media.
Check ArchiveBox’s version and resolved dependencies
ArchiveBox uses yt-dlp or youtube-dl for media extraction. Its documentation describes dependency resolution through abxpkg; a tool installed on your host may not be the same executable ArchiveBox uses, especially when ArchiveBox runs in a container.
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- Run
archivebox versionand review the ArchiveBox version and installed dependency information it reports. - Run
archivebox installto install or resolve ArchiveBox’s runtime dependencies. - Check the deployment where ArchiveBox actually runs. For the documented bare-metal setup, check
uv --versionanduv tool listas well asarchivebox version. For a container deployment, check the ArchiveBox environment in the container rather than assuming a host-installed extractor is used. - Return to the captured output and confirm which media extractor ArchiveBox selected and the version it reports.
ArchiveBox’s troubleshooting guidance also recommends checking dependencies when repeated errors occur. Installing or updating a dependency is a diagnostic step, not proof that dependency age caused the failure.
Test the URL and ordinary access
Open the exact target URL in a normal browser. Check that it is the intended video or page and that it is reachable from the environment you are using. Browser access is a useful check, but it does not by itself establish that an extractor can retrieve the media.
Do not infer support just because a site appears on an extractor’s supported-site list. URL formats can change, and the yt-dlp FAQ recommends testing with the actual URL and examining the tool’s output. The precise error is needed to distinguish a changed or unsupported URL from other causes.
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Use the error category to choose your next check
The message points to a missing or unresolved dependency
Run archivebox version and archivebox install in the ArchiveBox environment. If ArchiveBox runs in a container, make sure you are checking and resolving dependencies there, not only on the host. Confirm the extractor and version shown in ArchiveBox’s output before retrying.
The message identifies a particular extractor or extraction step
Use the named tool and its version to guide further investigation. A historical ArchiveBox issue opened on February 22, 2023, recorded a YouTube failure in a Docker Compose setup using youtube-dl with the message Unable to extract uploader id. That is an example of why it matters to identify the selected extractor; it does not establish the cause of current errors or a universal fix.
The error reports an HTTP 403 or access restriction
Keep the full output and consult the current yt-dlp guidance for that error and site. The FAQ discusses 403 behavior and notes that cookies or IP-related conditions can matter for some sites. That is not a reason to export cookies or change IPs automatically: apply site-specific steps only when the actual error and current guidance support them.
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The URL cannot be reached or appears to have changed
Verify the URL and check whether it opens in a normal browser. If the extractor reports a URL or site-support problem, use the exact message and URL as evidence; do not treat the site’s presence in a support list as a guarantee for every URL format.
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Keep a useful diagnostic record
If you need to investigate further or report the problem, preserve:
- ArchiveBox version and deployment type, such as bare metal or container.
- The exact URL and the complete ArchiveBox output around the failure.
- The extractor ArchiveBox selected and its version.
- Whether the URL is reachable in a normal browser from your environment.
- The output from a direct yt-dlp diagnostic run, when yt-dlp is the tool involved.
The yt-dlp FAQ recommends including the output of yt-dlp -Uv followed by the rest of the command when reporting an issue. Preserve the output as-is; it is more useful than replacing it with a guessed cause.
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Retry an already indexed URL deliberately
ArchiveBox normally skips URLs that are already indexed instead of downloading them again. After changing a suspected cause, request a retry with:
archivebox add --no-only-new URL
Replace URL with the target URL. This asks ArchiveBox to attempt capture again; it does not guarantee that the media extractor will succeed. Avoid deleting or moving the archive tree as a retry workaround: ArchiveBox warns that doing so can separate database state from snapshot files.
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A failed media download does not necessarily mean the entire page is uncapturable. ArchiveBox supports multiple archive methods and recommends combining methods when a site does not work effectively with every method. A page or screenshot capture may preserve visible page context, but it is not a downloaded or playable copy of the video.
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For a visual record of a YouTube page, ScreenshotNeo can capture a screenshot; that does not repair ArchiveBox’s media extractor or preserve playable video.
Or skip the browser setup
For a screenshot of the page rather than a video download, make one API request. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for parameters and options.
Quick Recap
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID -o shot.webpScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, popups and chat widgets before the shot; bot checks, blank pages and failed loads are never billed; an MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots; and 1,000 screenshots a month are free with no card, with paid plans starting at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month with no card.
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