ea0caa9349
- Add cookies support in youtube.js service - Create extract-cookies.sh script for automatic cookie extraction - Add YOUTUBE_COOKIES_PATH environment variable - Update .env.example with cookies configuration - Add comprehensive documentation (YOUTUBE_COOKIES.md, COOKIES_QUICK_START.md) - Update .gitignore to exclude cookies files for security - Pass cookiesPath option through all download functions This fixes Sign in to confirm you're not a bot errors from YouTube. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
133 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
133 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
# YouTube Cookies Setup Guide
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## Why Do I Need Cookies?
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YouTube has anti-bot protections that may block yt-dlp requests. Using cookies from your browser allows yt-dlp to authenticate as if you're logged in, bypassing these restrictions.
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## Quick Start
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### Option 1: Automatic Extraction (Recommended)
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Run the helper script:
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```bash
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bash scripts/extract-cookies.sh
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```
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Follow the prompts to extract cookies from Chrome or Firefox.
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### Option 2: Using yt-dlp Directly
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```bash
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# For Chrome/Chromium
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yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome --cookies youtube-cookies.txt 'https://www.youtube.com'
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# For Firefox
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yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser firefox --cookies youtube-cookies.txt 'https://www.youtube.com'
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# For Edge
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yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser edge --cookies youtube-cookies.txt 'https://www.youtube.com'
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```
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### Option 3: Browser Extension
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1. Install a cookies export extension:
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- **Chrome/Edge**: [Get cookies.txt LOCALLY](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/get-cookiestxt-locally/cclelndahbckbenkjhflpdbgdldlbecc)
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- **Firefox**: [cookies.txt](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/cookies-txt/)
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2. Go to [youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com) and log in
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3. Click the extension icon and export cookies
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4. Save the file as `youtube-cookies.txt` in your project directory
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## Configuration
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After extracting cookies, update your `.env` file:
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```bash
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YOUTUBE_COOKIES_PATH=/home/debian/videotomp3transcriptor/youtube-cookies.txt
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```
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Or use a relative path:
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```bash
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YOUTUBE_COOKIES_PATH=./youtube-cookies.txt
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```
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## Verifying It Works
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Test with a video:
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```bash
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curl -X POST http://localhost:3001/download \
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-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
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-d '{"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"}'
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```
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If it works without cookies errors, you're good to go!
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## Security Notes
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⚠️ **IMPORTANT**:
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1. **Never commit cookies to git**: The `.gitignore` file should already exclude `youtube-cookies.txt`
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2. **Keep cookies secure**: They provide access to your YouTube account
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3. **Cookies expire**: You may need to re-export them periodically (typically every few weeks/months)
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4. **Don't share cookies**: Treat them like passwords
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## Troubleshooting
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### "Sign in to confirm you're not a bot"
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This usually means:
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- Cookies are not being used
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- Cookies have expired
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- Cookies file path is incorrect
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**Solutions**:
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1. Check the path in `.env` is correct and absolute
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2. Re-export fresh cookies
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3. Verify the cookies file exists: `ls -la youtube-cookies.txt`
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4. Check logs: `pm2 logs toMP3-api`
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### "HTTP Error 403: Forbidden"
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YouTube is blocking your IP or the video is region-restricted.
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**Solutions**:
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1. Try with fresh cookies
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2. Use a VPN if region-restricted
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3. Wait a bit if rate-limited
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### Cookies Not Working
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1. Make sure you're logged into YouTube in the browser before extracting
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2. Try extracting from a different browser
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3. Verify the cookies file format (should be Netscape format)
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4. Check file permissions: `chmod 600 youtube-cookies.txt`
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## Cookie File Format
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The cookies file should be in Netscape format and look like this:
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```
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# Netscape HTTP Cookie File
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.youtube.com TRUE / TRUE 1234567890 CONSENT YES+
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.youtube.com TRUE / FALSE 1234567890 VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE xxxxx
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```
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## Without Cookies
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The API will still work for many videos without cookies, but you may encounter:
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- "Sign in to confirm you're not a bot" errors
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- Rate limiting
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- Blocked downloads for certain videos
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For best results, always use cookies!
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## Additional Resources
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- [yt-dlp Cookie Documentation](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/wiki/FAQ#how-do-i-pass-cookies-to-yt-dlp)
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- [Browser Cookie Extraction](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp#:~:text=You%20can%20use%20cookies%20from%20your%20browser)
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