YouTube Video Health System
Automatic monitoring and filtering of YouTube video submissions to ensure only playable content appears in challenges and feeds.
Overview
The YouTube Video Health System ensures that only playable, embeddable videos appear in public challenge pages and the NewFans App. The system automatically detects privacy changes, region blocks, age restrictions, and embed restrictions.
Automatic Protection
Videos that become private, age-restricted, or have embeds disabled are automatically hidden from public views without manual intervention.
Health Status Indicators
🟢 Healthy
PlayableVideo is fully playable, embeddable, public or unlisted, not age-restricted, and not region-blocked.
🟡 Restricted
LimitedVideo is age-restricted or blocked in certain regions (e.g., US).
🔴 Embeds Disabled
UnplayableVideo owner has disabled embedding. Cannot be played on external sites.
🔴 Dead
UnplayableVideo is private, deleted, or not yet processed by YouTube.
âš« Unknown
Pending CheckHealth status has not been checked yet. Will be verified on next check cycle.
When Health Checks Happen
1. On Entry Submission
When a fan submits a YouTube URL, the system immediately checks video health via YouTube Data API. If the video is not playable, the submission is rejected with a specific reason.
2. On Artist Approval
Before approving an entry, the system re-checks health if the last check was over 1 hour ago. Only playable videos can be approved.
3. Background Recheck (Every 15-30 Minutes)
A worker job automatically rechecks videos that are:
- • Still approved for a challenge
- • Visible in public feeds
- • Last checked over 24 hours ago
If a video becomes unplayable, it's automatically removed from public views.
4. Playback Error Flagging
If a video player fails to load, the system can flag the video as unplayable and queue it for immediate recheck.
Host Dashboard Indicators
Challenge hosts see detailed health information in the Entries Review Table:
Health Status Column
Shows the current health status of each entry with color-coded badges for quick scanning.
Unplayable Warning Badge
An orange "Unplayable" badge appears in the Link column when a video cannot be played.
Replace Clip Button
For unplayable entries, a "Replace Clip" button appears in the Actions column to help hosts contact entrants.
Public View Behavior
Public challenge pages and feeds only show playable videos
All queries automatically filter by is_playable = true
Automatic removal from feeds
If a previously visible entry becomes unplayable, it automatically disappears from public lists
Host views remain unfiltered
Challenge hosts and admins can see all entries regardless of playability status
Best Practices for Entrants
Set video to Public or Unlisted: Private videos cannot be embedded
Enable embedding: Check YouTube settings to allow embedding on external sites
Avoid age restrictions: Age-restricted content may be filtered from feeds
Wait for processing: Ensure YouTube has fully processed your video before submitting