commentsDisabled: why YouTube comment requests fail

Explain the YouTube API error for disabled comments, show the owner's recovery steps, and identify videos whose comment settings cannot be changed.

commentsDisabled

Short answer

Explain the YouTube API error for disabled comments, show the owner's recovery steps, and identify videos whose comment settings cannot be changed.

Diagnosis checked 2026-11-12; sources below.

Do this now

If the data is yours or your use fits the official terms, switch to the official route: YouTube Data API v3 (Public API). No per-call fee is published; the constraint is the daily quota. Extra quota is not self-serve.
For public YouTube data at volume, run a hosted route instead of patching your own requests: YouTube Video Metadata & Chapter Extractor. The request below runs it with its published example input through the Apify API (your token, billed at the Store price).
Compare every route, with fields and prices, on the YouTube page.

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run_input = {
    "videoUrls": [
        "jNQXAC9IVRw",
        "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
        "M7lc1UVf-VE"
    ],
    "maxComments": 0,
    "includeChapters": True,
    "includeHeatmap": False,
    "includeEndscreen": False,
    "includeCards": False,
    "includeTranscriptMetadata": True,
    "includeTranscript": False,
    "includeRelatedVideos": 0
}

run = client.actor("vexaloom-labs/youtube-video-metadata-and-chapter-extractor").call(run_input=run_input)
if run is None:
    raise RuntimeError("The Actor run was not found.")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

pip install apify-client

JavaScript

import { ApifyClient } from "apify-client";

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: "<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>" });
const input = {
    "videoUrls": [
        "jNQXAC9IVRw",
        "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
        "M7lc1UVf-VE"
    ],
    "maxComments": 0,
    "includeChapters": true,
    "includeHeatmap": false,
    "includeEndscreen": false,
    "includeCards": false,
    "includeTranscriptMetadata": true,
    "includeTranscript": false,
    "includeRelatedVideos": 0
};

const run = await client.actor("vexaloom-labs/youtube-video-metadata-and-chapter-extractor").call(input);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

npm install apify-client

cURL

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/vexaloom-labs~youtube-video-metadata-and-chapter-extractor/run-sync-get-dataset-items"   -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN"   -H "Content-Type: application/json"   -d '{"videoUrls":["jNQXAC9IVRw","dQw4w9WgXcQ","M7lc1UVf-VE"],"maxComments":0,"includeChapters":true,"includeHeatmap":false,"includeEndscreen":false,"includeCards":false,"includeTranscriptMetadata":true,"includeTranscript":false,"includeRelatedVideos":0}'

Waits for the run and returns the dataset items (runs over 300 seconds return HTTP 408; start an async run instead).

MCP (AI agents)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=vexaloom-labs/youtube-video-metadata-and-chapter-extractor",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Adds this Actor as a tool in an MCP client that takes a remote server URL (Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code) through Apify's hosted MCP server. OAuth sign-in also works without the header. Clients that only start local servers can wrap the URL with npx mcp-remote.

Open YouTube Video Metadata & Chapter Extractor in Apify Store

Routes that work for YouTube data

The official route first, then the catalogue Actors that fit this problem, by their published fields. Store figures are the publisher's public numbers.

Routes for YouTube data
Route	Core fields	Price / 1K	Success, 30 days	Link
Public APIYouTube Data API v3	not compared	below		Official docs
YouTube Video Metadata & Chapter Extractor	7/8	$0.99	16 runs, too few to rate	Open in Apify Store
YouTube Search Results & Entity Type Scraper	7/8	$0.99	100% of 21 runs	Open in Apify Store
YouTube Video Comment & Reply Thread Scraper	2/8	$0.99	100% of 24 runs	Open in Apify Store

Official price: No per-call fee is published; the constraint is the daily quota. Extra quota is not self-serve. Compare all 25 YouTube routes.

The facts behind the error

Fact	Value
Meaning	The video selected by videoId has comments disabled.
HTTP status	commentThreads.list documents this error under HTTP 403.
Owner recovery	For eligible videos, change Comments and ratings in YouTube Studio and save the setting.
Documented restriction	Comment settings cannot be changed for videos designated as made for kids; their comments are turned off.
Working route	When comments are available, retrieve the video's threads with commentThreads.list and its videoId filter.