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Troubleshooting YouTube Link Issues in Broken Link Checker

33 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Broken link checker

Content

Many WordPress site owners rely on the Broken Link Checker plugin to maintain their content. A common and persistent area of confusion involves its handling of YouTube links. This guide covers the most frequent YouTube-related problems and their solutions, compiled from community discussions.

Common YouTube Link Problems

Users often report the following issues when the plugin checks YouTube videos and playlists:

  • Links incorrectly flagged as broken with errors like 400 Bad Request, 403 Forbidden, or 429 Too Many Requests.
  • An expired or missing YouTube API key causing widespread false positives.
  • The plugin failing to detect when a YouTube video has been deleted or made private.
  • Embedded videos from plugins like Elementor or ARVE not being detected at all.
  • YouTube playlists consistently reported as "Playlist Not Found" even when they are valid.
  • The plugin consuming an excessive number of API requests for a single link check.

Why These Problems Occur

Understanding the root cause is the first step to a solution.

  • API Key Issues: The plugin's built-in YouTube API key has a usage limit and can expire, leading to keyExpired or 403 Forbidden errors for all users. This is the most common cause of problems.
  • Rate Limiting (Error 429): YouTube imposes strict quotas on how many requests can be made to its API in a short period. If the plugin's check is too aggressive, YouTube will block requests with a 429 Too Many Requests error.
  • Detection Limitations: Without a valid API key, the plugin can only perform a basic HTTP check. A video that is deleted or set to private may still return a valid 200 OK HTTP status because the YouTube page exists, making the broken content undetectable.
  • Plugin Conflicts & Custom Fields: The plugin may not scan links embedded within certain page builders (e.g., Elementor widgets), custom fields, shortcodes, or serialized data (like JSON) by default, requiring specific configuration.

Solutions and Workarounds

1. Fix API Key Errors (400, 403, keyExpired)

The most effective solution for API errors is to provide your own YouTube API key.

  1. Create a YouTube API Key:
    • Go to the Google Cloud Platform Console.
    • Create a new project or select an existing one.
    • Enable the YouTube Data API v3 for that project.
    • Create an API key credential.
  2. Add the Key to Broken Link Checker:
    • In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Settings > Link Checker > Protocols & APIs.
    • Paste your new API key into the "YouTube API Key" field.
    • Save the changes.

Note: This requires a Google account but does not require you to be the video uploader.

2. Mitigate Rate Limiting (Error 429)

If you are seeing 429 errors, you need to reduce the request load on YouTube's servers.

  1. Go to Settings > Link Checker > Advanced.
  2. Reduce the Target server load setting to "Light" or "Very Light."
  3. Increase the Check each link every X hours value to reduce the frequency of checks.
  4. Save changes. This will slow down the checking process but should prevent YouTube from blocking your requests.

3. Configure the Plugin to Find Embedded Links

If links from page builders or custom fields are not being found, try these settings:

  1. Go to Settings > Link Checker > Which Links To Check.
  2. Ensure that Embedded YouTube videos is checked.
  3. Also, enable Custom fields and Plaintext URLs to widen the scan.
  4. Go to Look for Links In and ensure relevant post types are selected.

Be aware that checking more areas can increase server resource usage.

4. For Playlist "Not Found" Errors

First, ensure your API key is entered correctly. If the problem persists, it may be a temporary issue with YouTube's API or a bug. You can temporarily exclude playlists from checks by adding a pattern like *playlist* to the Exclusion list in Settings > Link Checker > General.

What the Plugin Cannot Do

It's important to have realistic expectations. Even with a valid API key, the Broken Link Checker plugin may not detect every single scenario where a YouTube video becomes unavailable, such as when an entire account is closed. Community reports indicate this remains a limitation.

Conclusion

YouTube link checking is powerful but requires a personal API key for reliable operation. By configuring your own key and adjusting the server load settings, you can resolve the majority of false positive errors and ensure your video links are monitored effectively. For links not in standard post content, exploring the advanced "Which Links To Check" settings is essential.

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