The YouTube operational API official instance is not operating anymore, as YouTube legal team requested me to do so by email (see below).

Note this won't prevent me from maintaining the YouTube operational API git repository at https://github.com/Benjamin-Loison/YouTube-operational-API.

Table of contents:

- Table of contents
- Alternatives
 - Alternative to web-scraping endpoints
 - Alternative to the no-key service
  - If you don't have a YouTube Data API v3 developer key
  - If you already have a YouTube Data API v3 developer key
- YouTube shutting down email
- YouTube shutting down email authenticity
- Contact

Alternatives:

Alternative to web-scraping endpoints:

You technically can host your own personal YouTube operational API instance, see https://github.com/Benjamin-Loison/YouTube-operational-API/blob/0e6889ec5d77f2e739dd86156c5c90c2d5100a06/README.md#install-your-own-instance-of-the-api.

Alternative to the no-key service:

If you don't have a YouTube Data API v3 developer key:

The following procedure requires you to have a Google account.

If you already have a YouTube Data API v3 developer key:

You can then use your YouTube Data API v3 developer key KEY as follows:

https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/YOUR_REQUEST&key=KEY

instead of:

https://yt.lemnoslife.com/noKey/YOUR_REQUEST&key=KEY

For instance for YOUR_REQUEST being videos?part=snippet&id=VIDEO_ID you can use:

https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos?part=snippet&id=VIDEO_ID&key=KEY

instead of:

https://yt.lemnoslife.com/noKey/videos?part=snippet&id=VIDEO_ID

If you do not have enough quota, request some more at https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/getting-started#quota or consider web-scraping alternatives, see wiki/Glossary. In the latter case if current implemented web-scraping alternatives do not meet your needs you are free to open an issue at issues/new to request such implementation (related to issues/91).

YouTube shutting down email:

From: legal-youtube+XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX@google.com
Date: 10/7/24, 19:06
Subject: YouTube Terms of Service Violation

October 4, 2024

Dear Mr. Benjamin Loison,

We recently became aware of your website, https://yt.lemnoslife.com/, (“Your Client”). Specifically, it has come to our attention that you have violated and continue to violate the YouTube Terms of Service and the YouTube API Services Terms of Service in creating, offering, and operating Your Client. As you acknowledge on your website, Your Client provides a script to make YouTube Data API requests “without any key/using your quota” and soliciting others to provide you with their API keys. 

As you know, by accessing and using the YouTube Platform, including by your participation in the YouTube API Developer Program beginning on or about August 2018, you are bound by the YouTube Terms of Service at all times, which are posted at www.youtube.com/t/terms. Compliance includes, without limitation, not circumventing or interfering with any part of the Service, or accessing the Service using any automated means.

Please respond in writing by no later than October 11, 2024, to confirm that Your Client has ceased to violate the YouTube Terms of Service. You must also delete any API keys that you have gathered in violation of our terms and policies.

Sincerely,

The YouTube Legal Team
I answered them on October 11 at 23:58 (France time): 
Dear Sir or Madam,

I confirm that the website https://yt.lemnoslife.com, ("Your Client"), is no more sending any request to YouTube.
I also deleted gathered YouTube Data API v3 keys.

Best regards,
Benjamin Loison

YouTube shutting down email authenticity:

While I am not very comfortable with DKIM, the email is authentic according to Thunderbird Add-on DKIM Verifier (see Benjamin_Loison/Thunderbird/issues/43#issuecomment-2369800) and PyPi: dkimpy (see the Stack Overflow answer 77999812).

Contact: