YouTube API 403 Error Guide

Troubleshoot YouTube API 403 errors, including forbidden requests, insufficient scopes, quota issues and transcript API alternatives.

Read error reference Read auth docs

Direct answer

A 403 usually means the server understood the request but will not allow it

For YouTube-related APIs, 403 can point to credential, permission, project, quota or resource restrictions. Do not assume it has the same meaning across Google endpoints, transcript APIs and web routes.

Official Google API 403 errors should be debugged with the current Google Cloud project, credentials and API settings.
Transcript-specific services may use different status codes for unavailable captions or upstream failures.
Scority's production transcript API uses 401, 404, 429 and 502 for common transcript cases.
The Scority public web /api/transcript route returns 403 because the browser-facing demo proxy is disabled.

Official API

Common official YouTube API causes

When the failing request is going to Google's official API, common causes can include permission, credential, project or resource restrictions. Check Google's current docs and console output before publishing exact policy claims.

The request may need a different credential type or OAuth scope.
The API may not be enabled for the Google Cloud project.
Project restrictions or quota settings may prevent the request.
The requested resource may be private, owner-only or otherwise unavailable to the caller.

Transcript-specific

Transcript-specific causes

Transcript workflows can fail even when metadata requests succeed. A visible YouTube page does not guarantee accessible captions through an API path.

Captions may not be available for the video.
The requested language may not exist.
The upstream caption fetch may be blocked or temporarily unavailable.
A provider may expose this as an upstream error rather than a Google-style 403.

Scority

How Scority errors differ

Scority does not use 403 as the main transcript API status for authentication, rate limits, quota or upstream transcript failures.

unauthorized is 401 when x-api-key is missing, invalid or revoked.
rate_limited is 429 for short-window throttling.
quota_exceeded is 429 for monthly quota exhaustion.
transcript_not_available is 404 when no transcript can be returned.
upstream_transcript_failed is 502 when upstream transcript access fails.

Web route

Why /api/transcript returns 403 on the public web app

The browser-facing web route is intentionally disabled so Scority does not become a free public transcript proxy. Production users should call https://api.scority.ai/v1/youtube/transcript with x-api-key from trusted server-side code.

Use https://api.scority.ai for the real API.
Keep API keys server-side.
Use /docs/api for the current request and response contract.

Checklist

Debug checklist

Confirm whether the failing request is going to an official Google endpoint or to Scority.
Check which credential system the endpoint expects.
Verify that the API or project is enabled in the provider console you are using.
Check whether the resource is private, owner-only or restricted.
For Scority transcript requests, inspect error.code instead of assuming every blocked request is a 403.

Choose

When to use Google Console and when to use a transcript API

Use Google Console when you are debugging official Google API credentials, scopes, API enablement or project restrictions. Use a transcript API when the real job is extracting transcript text and segment timing from videos with accessible captions.

Google Console is the right place to inspect official API projects and credentials.
Scority docs are the right place to inspect x-api-key authentication and transcript error codes.
A transcript API can reduce product work around caption parsing, normalized errors and segment formatting.

Errors