[FIXED] Thumbnail upload YouTube API v3 failing

Issue

The YouTube API v3 is horribly documented. I've already reported numerous bugs multiple times but no one reacts. I still have to use this API to upload thumbnails. The guide states:

POST rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/thumbnails/set

Auth scopes:

• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtubepartner
• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube.upload
• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/youtube

Parameters:

• videoId: string The videoId parameter specifies a YouTube video ID for which the custom video thumbnail is being provided.

First of all - the url is wrong. It has to be https://www.googleapis.com/upload/youtube/v3/thumbnails/set. Now following code, it uses Unirest:

final HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.post("https://www.googleapis.com/upload/youtube/v3/thumbnails/set")
                    .header("Content-Type", "application/octet-stream")
                    .header("Authorization", accountService.getAuthentication(account).getHeader())
                    .field("videoId", videoid)
                    .field("thumbnail", thumbnail)
                    .asString();

The received response:

{
 "error": {
  "errors": [
   {
    "domain": "global",
    "reason": "required",
    "message": "Required parameter: videoId",
    "locationType": "parameter",
    "location": "videoId"
   }
  ],
  "code": 400,
  "message": "Required parameter: videoId"
 }
}

How can this be? The videoId is set! Anyone already played with this part of the API?

I can change the request to

Unirest.post("https://www.googleapis.com/upload/youtube/v3/thumbnails/set?videoId=" + videoid)
                    .header("Content-Type", "application/octet-stream")
                    .header("Authorization", accountService.getAuthentication(account).getHeader())
                    .field("mediaUpload", thumbnail)
                    .asString();

This will throw me this error:

{
 "error": {
  "errors": [
   {
    "domain": "global",
    "reason": "backendError",
    "message": "Backend Error"
   }
  ],
  "code": 503,
  "message": "Backend Error"
 }
}

Edit: Same request with URL posted by Ibrahim Ulukaya (the original url from the reference guide):

{
 "error": {
  "errors": [
   {
    "domain": "global",
    "reason": "wrongUrlForUpload",
    "message": "Uploads must be sent to the upload URL. Re-send this request to https://www.googleapis.com/upload/youtube/v3/thumbnails/set"
   }
  ],
  "code": 400,
  "message": "Uploads must be sent to the upload URL. Re-send this request to https://www.googleapis.com/upload/youtube/v3/thumbnails/set"
 }
}

Solution

We dug the issue, here are the steps you have to follow if you don't want to use the library.

1) POST https://www.googleapis.com/upload/youtube/v3/thumbnails/set?videoId=VIDEO_ID&uploadType=resumable with an empty body

2) get back the URL in the Location: header of the response, and POST to that URL with Content-Type: image/png and the thumbnail in the body

Answered By - Ibrahim Ulukaya
Answer Checked By - Dawn Plyler (JavaFixing Volunteer)