yt-dlp/yt-dlp · error · ExtractorError

{clean_html(payload[0][1:-1])}

Error message

{clean_html(payload[0][1:-1])}

What it means

Error "{clean_html(payload[0][1:-1])}" thrown in yt-dlp/yt-dlp.

Source

Thrown at yt_dlp/extractor/vk.py:111

            data=urlencode_postdata(login_form))

        if re.search(r'onLoginFailed', login_page):
            raise ExtractorError(
                'Unable to login, incorrect username and/or password', expected=True)

    def _download_payload(self, path, video_id, data, fatal=True):
        endpoint = f'https://vk.com/{path}.php'
        data['al'] = 1
        code, payload = self._download_json(
            endpoint, video_id, data=urlencode_postdata(data), fatal=fatal,
            headers={
                'Referer': endpoint,
                'X-Requested-With': 'XMLHttpRequest',
            })['payload']
        if code == '3':
            self.raise_login_required()
        elif code == '8':
            raise ExtractorError(clean_html(payload[0][1:-1]), expected=True)
        return payload


class VKIE(VKBaseIE):
    IE_NAME = 'vk'
    IE_DESC = 'VK'
    _EMBED_REGEX = [r'<iframe[^>]+?src=(["\'])(?P<url>https?://vk(?:(?:video)?\.ru|\.com)/video_ext\.php.+?)\1']
    _VALID_URL = r'''(?x)
                    https?://
                        (?:
                            (?:
                                (?:(?:m|new|vksport)\.)?vk(?:(?:video)?\.ru|\.com)/video_|
                                (?:www\.)?daxab\.com/
                            )
                            ext\.php\?(?P<embed_query>.*?\boid=(?P<oid>-?\d+).*?\bid=(?P<id>\d+).*)|
                            (?:
                                (?:(?:m|new|vksport)\.)?vk(?:(?:video)?\.ru|\.com)/(?:.+?\?.*?z=)?(?:video|clip)|
                                (?:www\.)?daxab\.com/embed/

View on GitHub (pinned to 81ecd58b13)

Solutions

1. Read the VK error message shown in the payload for the cause
2. Log in via a browser and export cookies to bypass the failing login path
3. Update yt-dlp if VK changed its login flow

When it happens

Trigger: VK's login response contains an HTML error payload (e.g. security check or blocked login) that the extractor cleans and relays as the error message.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of yt-dlp/yt-dlp@81ecd58b13 (2026-08-22). Data as JSON: /api/errors/bdaa3c25bb71894a. Report an issue: GitHub.