What is the `.../auth/youtube.download` scope for YouTube Data API v3?

user_1729441 0
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In the select scope screen for YouTube Data API v3 you can select the following scope:

Scope risk API Scope User-facing description?
(non-sensitive) YouTube Data API v3 .../auth/youtube.download Download your public YouTube videos

To me, it sounds a lot like the API would allow users to download some videos. Since it's a non-sensitive scope, it doesn't even need verification. But as far as I can tell, the API neither supports nor allows downloading videos, not even your own. Then what is this scope for? Can I use it, and if so, how?

scopes youtube-data-api youtube-api youtube
3 Answers

I have confirmed that the scope does indeed show up in the Google sign-in that's shown to users.

Google OAuth form with the 'Download your public YouTube videos' scope

However, it does not grant access to resources that are available to the .../auth/youtube.readonly scope, which seems to be the scope with the lowest permissions otherwise.

I have also found that the scope is not in the official API reference, or in this list of scopes. As I have not been able to find any more information about the scope, we must assume in the absence of evidence that it cannot be used (by ordinary users) to access YouTube resources, downloading your own public YouTube videos or otherwise.

I can see this answer being improved by any of the following:

  1. A proof that it is in fact possible to access resources with the scope
  2. An official statement concurring with the answer
  3. A proof that shows systematically that none of the API endpoints accept the scope

EDIT: Before any points are confirmed officially by Google, it is important to note, that as per Developer Policies (as @stvar pointed in the comment)

Undocumented Services

You must not use undocumented APIs without express permission. You must access data from YouTube API services only according to the means stipulated in the authorized documentation of that YouTube API service.

You must not reverse engineer undocumented YouTube API services or otherwise attempt to derive the underlying source code of these API services.

user_17294410

I created an issue in the official tracker, reporting that the scope appeared but was undocumented. The response stated, however:

This is working as intended. It is not available for public use and therefore will not be documented.

In other words, the scope is intended to appear in the selection screen but cannot be used by ordinary users.

user_17294410

Considering that the scope youtube.download does require OAuth, it is used for downloading videos of the authenticated user, though according to the description of the scope in the YouTube Data API, this seems to only be possible for public videos.

Image

So the clarification here is that whilst you cannot download any YouTube video, it does seem to be possible to just fetch the ones of the current OAuth user.

user_89820340
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