YouTube link not working? What to try

Short answer

Duetoday needs a link to a single public or unlisted video with speech. Private, members-only and some age-restricted videos can't be read, and playlist or channel links aren't supported. If a video has no transcript, Duetoday can't make notes from it. Try another upload of the same lecture, or download the audio you're allowed to use and upload it as a file.

Before you start

Copy the link from the video page (or Share, then Copy). It should look like youtube.com/watch?v=… or youtu.be/….

Steps

Check the link is one video. Playlist (list=), channel and search-results links don’t work. Open the video itself and copy that link.
Check it’s public or unlisted. Open the link in a private window. If it asks you to sign in, Duetoday can’t read it either.
Check it has speech. Music, silent screen recordings and videos with no talking produce no transcript.
Try again in a few minutes. Fetching transcripts sometimes fails temporarily.
Use another source. If your lecturer shares the slides or a recording file, upload that instead.

Common messages

“Enter a valid YouTube or website link.” The address is incomplete. Copy it again, including https://.
“Could not fetch a timed YouTube transcript for this video” or the progress card shows failed. The video has no transcript Duetoday can read.
“Invalid YouTube URL”. The link isn’t a video link. Use the video’s own address.
It opened as a website note. The link wasn’t recognised as a YouTube video, often because it was a channel or playlist link.

Tips

Try the Chrome extension. On the video page, click Learn with Duetoday under the player.
Failed links don’t use up your free preview, so you can try another video.

If something goes wrong

Every video fails. Check that your network isn’t blocking YouTube (some school networks do), then contact support with the link.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a video work for my friend but not for me?

It may be private to them, or restricted in your region. Ask for a public or unlisted link.

Does the video need captions?

Captions help most. Without them, Duetoday tries other ways to transcribe the speech, which doesn't always succeed.

Can I use YouTube Shorts?

Yes, Shorts links work, though short videos make short notes.