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What is the maximum number of videos permitted in a YouTube playlist? If you were to believe the docs, you would think this is 200 items, but I have noticed that, in the last few months, YouTube is apparently letting me go beyond 200 videos?

Am I somehow benefiting from a helpful bug in having playlists above 200, or has YouTube not updated their docs to reflect reality?

I want to know if I can safely take advantage of these larger playlists, or if I should keep my playlists under this somewhat arbitrary 200 item value, even though the system permits me to have more.

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2
  • 1
    Still, we need to point out that no matter how many videos you add to a playlist, you will be only allowed to play 200 of them in continuous playback. This is where the 200 videos restriction takes place.
    – user106590
    Commented Oct 24, 2015 at 8:05
  • You can use the API to programmatically retrieve and play all the videos, but it's not for the faint-hearted.
    – Ken Sharp
    Commented Feb 12, 2019 at 13:37

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
7

The limit is 5,000. Once you hit this limit using the API you receive the following response:

{
 "error": {
  "errors": [
   {
    "domain": "youtube.playlistItem",
    "reason": "playlistContainsMaximumNumberOfVideos",
    "message": "Playlist contains maximum number of items."
   }
  ],
  "code": 403,
  "message": "Playlist contains maximum number of items."
 }
}

Attempting to add more videos via the web page does... nothing (at time of writing).

You can simply open the playlist and look at the number of items, or query via the API.

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  • It has 200 limit when using YouTube IFame API to play videos: player.loadPlaylist({'playlist': " + jsonIdsArray + ", 'index': 0, 'suggestedQuality': 'hd720'});
    – user924
    Commented May 7, 2019 at 20:28
6
+50

There isn't any documented number anywhere other than the 200 listed in the API. However, by just experimentation the limit is higher than that.

I made a YouTube playlist with 500+ videos and no limit notifications.

Example list

In addition, a quick search brought up this playlist which seems to be constantly testing the limits of YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUg5WJL2pGHcM9ZReMONn_XVIpDXZb0vU

[Updated 2018] there are 5000 videos listed.

Longest Playlist

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    At least as of today, the referred-to playlist now says "5,000 videos" when you bring up that link, so that may be the limit.
    – James Manning
    Commented Aug 15, 2016 at 13:44
  • Note that some playlist features do not work as expected for lists over 200. For example, randomizing only works in chunks, so you cannot fully randomize a playlist of over 200 videos.
    – David Starkey
    Commented Nov 21, 2016 at 15:36
  • So once achieving 5000 for every new video you add 1 video will be deleted? (possibly without notification)
    – user3015682
    Commented Jul 24, 2018 at 21:34
3

5000 in my experience. (That's the limit of my "liked videos" playlist.)

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  • Any related official link would be more helpful.
    – serenesat
    Commented Oct 1, 2015 at 14:32
  • @serenesat: Official documentation would be great, but S Kim did say "my experience".
    – ale
    Commented Oct 1, 2015 at 14:37
  • @AlE.: Hmm, you are right.
    – serenesat
    Commented Oct 1, 2015 at 14:43
  • 1
    It is 5,000. I've just tried adding 15,000 to a playlist via the API and it specifically states (once you get there) that 5,000 is the limit.
    – Ken Sharp
    Commented Jan 31, 2018 at 1:59

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