How to Watch Deleted YouTube Videos?

Patrick 04/06/2025

Cleverget Video Downloader

907 views

Have you ever gone back to rewatch one of those YouTube videos that you could have sworn was there just last week, only to discover it’s been deleted? Yeah, it’s the worst. Maybe it was a hilarious clip you adored, or an informative how-to, or some wonderful shred of content you’d never remember to save that’s now just gone.

But, you know what, videos don’t always vanish into thin air. In truth, there are also a few deceptively simple ways to find deleted YouTube videos. It’s not a sure thing, always, but with the right tools and a little bit of luck, you may be able to recover that lost video after all. In this post, we’ll walk you through some real-world steps for finding or being able to watch deleted YouTube videos, without turning to anything too shady, dangerous or technical, and also an extra guide on how to save YouTube videos forever. Let’s get into it.

Part 1:The Best 6 Methods to Watch Deleted YouTube Videos

Occasionally a YouTube video is removed or made private, and all you’ll find at your bookmark or playlist spot is a broken link. Fortunately, there are several methods to retrieve or see such videos. Here are some methods that will guide you to watching deleted YouTube videos.

Method 1: Find the URL of the Deleted YouTube Video

Before you can attempt any kind of recovery, you’ll need the original URL of the deleted video. If you've only lost access to the link, there are a few ways to find it again. Begin by searching your browser’s history for the YouTube watch page. And you can go back to your YouTube Watch History provided you were logged in when you did it. Occasionally, that link might still be shared in messages, emails or social post where the video was previously shared.

If the video was in a playlist, you’re in good luck. YouTube usually leaves a placeholder for a deleted video in the playlist, original title and sometimes original URL included. This is one easy way to get the link, and which you will use in the next steps.

Method 2: Find Deleted YouTube Videos on Archive Websites

After you get the URL, your next destination is a digital archive like the Wayback Machine. These tools take snapshots of web pages over time, and that includes YouTube video pages. Simply go to the web. archive. org, and paste the URL to see whether a snapshot of the video page is available.

If a snapshot is available, you may be able to view the page as it appeared before the deletion. Although archived videos are not always playable, they frequently provide useful information about such elements as the title, the description and the date of upload. This can then be used to look for reuploads, or alternative versions, on YouTube, or elsewhere. Archive. Today is another similar tool that’s worth checking, though it’s less reliable in the case of multimedia content.

Method 3: Use Specialized Tools and Extensions

If the video isn’t accessible through the archives, specialized browser extensions and tools can be useful. As an instance, you have the Chrome extension: YouTube Deleted Videos: Track and Restore, which will check on your playlists and save your videos' metadata when YouTube starts taking them down. It makes it simple to see what’s been deleted, and also to recover vital details such as the title and link.

Another great resource is Quite a Playlist, a web-based application which analyses your YouTube playlists and show details of deleted or private videos. You may not be able to play the video anymore, but you will be able to get the “title”, “Video ID”, and sometimes a thumbnail. Once you’ve recovered enough metadata such as the video’s title or uploader you can search for it on YouTube, Vimeo, Reddit, or even specialized video repositories. Deleted videos are frequently re-uploaded by fans or saved by other users, so you do get a second chance to watch them.

Method 4: Search for a Cached Version

Sometimes, although a video has been deleted from YouTube, search engines such as Google can still have a cached version of the page. This cache is a snapshot of the page as it appeared the last time the search engine visited it. To see if there’s a cached version, just google the video’s URL or title. With any luck, there will be a little arrow or three-dot icon next to the result, giving you an option to view a cached version.

And while the cached version probably won’t display the actual video file, it does tend to store important information about the video, such as its title, uploader, view count, and description. This information can be helpful for locating alternate sources of the same content or identifying if someone else has re-uploaded it under a similar name.

Method 5: Explore Alternative Platforms

A video might be gone from YouTube, but that doesn’t mean it has disappeared from the internet. Many creators cross-post their work to platforms such as Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook Video or even TikTok. If you have the title of the video, the name of the channel or a string of key words, try running them through these platforms.

Some creators also maintain personal websites or Patreon pages where they archive their older content. If you look for the creator’s name next to the video title, you may find alternate uploads or direct links to the video on other platforms. Beyond this, community-based sites such as Reddit or archive boards can also store rare or re-uploaded video files, particularly if the videos in question were popular or controversial.

Method 6: Contact the Content Creator

As a last resort, one of the easiest (and most respectful) solutions is simply to reach out to the video’s original creator. Loads of YouTubers are active on other social platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, or Threads, and may be happy to share the video privately or let you know why it was taken down.

When sending your message, keep it polite and straightforward. Explain where you found their video and what makes you want to see it again. Creators may not always be able or willing to re-upload content (especially if it was taken down for copyright reasons), but if the inquiry is sincere, many are willing to help.

Part 2: Proactive Measures: Save Videos for Future Access

Although there are several ways to retrieve deleted YouTube videos, it is better to be prepared and save essential content before it disappears. Whether you’re saving educational videos, browsing inspiration, or backing up favorite clips, using a dependable downloader means you can watch on your phone or tablet even when internet connectivity is poor or unavailable.

• 

• CleverGet Video Downloader

  - Enable users to download online videos, movies, TV shows, live streams, etc. from 1000+ websites.
  - Detect M3U8 links intelligently with an inherent browser to download videos.
  - Download up to 8K video and audio at 320 kbps without quality loss.
  - Support to download TV series episodes of all/certain seasons in batches.
  - Download online video to MP4/MKV/WEBM or other available popular formats.

  DownloadDownload

One recommended tool is CleverGet Video Downloader. CleverGet Video Downloader impressive all-in-one downloading. It lets you download videos in resolutions up to 8K and has support for a multitude of formats and platforms. Not only can you save single videos, but you can also <save whole YouTube playlists and YouTube channels, shorts, music videos, TV series and movies, as well as live streams. It’s compatible with over 1,000 sites, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, and so on, and hence one of the best flexible tools out there. It's really simple to use CleverGet. Just do these four things:

Step 1: Set the Download Directory

Open CleverGet and tap Settings. Pick the folder on your phone/tablet that will store downloaded videos. Well, you might want to organize by platform or topic for easier finding later.

Step 2: Copy, Paste, and Play the Target Video

Copy and paste the URL of the video you wish to download into CleverGet’s address bar. The video will start streaming and playing inside the integrated browser.

Step 3: Choose Your Download Option

download panel will be going to show up for you to choose the output quality in terms of the resolution, format and file size. Choose the option that best suits your needs whether you want a lightweight file or full 8K quality.

Step 4: Download and Monitor Progress

Click the download button to begin. You can follow the downloading process in real time, pause or cancel it if it's necessary. When done, the video file will be in the location you specified and can be watched offline.

Part 3: Conclusion

In this post, we covered 6 ways to restore and watch deleted YouTube videos, from restoring URLs to archive tools, browser extensions, and even reaching out to the creators. Proactively doing so means you’re not scrambling after content vanishes. To avoid these issues and make everything simpler from now on, we suggest using a great tool such as CleverGet Video Downloader. With 8K quality support and downloads from more than 1,000 platforms, this is a good way to save the videos you care about before they disappear.