ytdl-org/youtube-dl · error · ExtractorError

%s: Failed to parse XML

Error message

%s: Failed to parse XML 

What it means

Error "%s: Failed to parse XML " thrown in ytdl-org/youtube-dl.

Source

Thrown at youtube_dl/extractor/common.py:908

        See _download_webpage docstring for arguments specification.
        """
        res = self._download_xml_handle(
            url_or_request, video_id, note=note, errnote=errnote,
            transform_source=transform_source, fatal=fatal, encoding=encoding,
            data=data, headers=headers, query=query,
            expected_status=expected_status)
        return res if res is False else res[0]

    def _parse_xml(self, xml_string, video_id, transform_source=None, fatal=True):
        if transform_source:
            xml_string = transform_source(xml_string)
        try:
            return compat_etree_fromstring(xml_string.encode('utf-8'))
        except compat_xml_parse_error as ve:
            errmsg = '%s: Failed to parse XML ' % video_id
            if fatal:
                raise ExtractorError(errmsg, cause=ve)
            else:
                self.report_warning(errmsg + str(ve))

    def _download_json_handle(
            self, url_or_request, video_id, note='Downloading JSON metadata',
            errnote='Unable to download JSON metadata', transform_source=None,
            fatal=True, encoding=None, data=None, headers={}, query={},
            expected_status=None):
        """
        Return a tuple (JSON object, URL handle).

        See _download_webpage docstring for arguments specification.
        """
        res = self._download_webpage_handle(
            url_or_request, video_id, note, errnote, fatal=fatal,
            encoding=encoding, data=data, headers=headers, query=query,
            expected_status=expected_status)
        if res is False:

View on GitHub (pinned to 956b8c5855)

Solutions

1. Check that the server returned well-formed XML; if the site changed its markup, update youtube-dl.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at youtube_dl/extractor/common.py:908 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

Understand the failure class

• Parsing and encoding errors: unexpected token, malformed input — why parsers reject input and how to find the real culprit.

AI-assisted analysis of ytdl-org/youtube-dl@956b8c5855 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d16863caae10f20a. Report an issue: GitHub.