🌍 YouTube Region Restriction Checker
By Shihab Mia · Updated 2026-06-27
Paste a YouTube video link or 11-character ID, then press Check restrictions to see whether the video is available worldwide, limited to certain countries, or blocked in some regions.
This youtube region restriction checker tells you, in one click, whether a YouTube video is available worldwide, locked to a handful of countries, or blocked in specific regions. Paste a video URL or ID, press the button, and read the country list straight from YouTube's own data.
What is the YouTube Region Restriction Checker?
A YouTube region restriction, sometimes called a geo-block or region lock, is a setting that limits which countries can watch a particular video. The youtube region restriction checker on this page surfaces that setting instantly so you do not have to guess why a video plays for one person and shows "this video is not available in your country" for another. Restrictions are stored by YouTube as part of each video's content details and are returned by the official API, so the result you see here is authoritative rather than a guess.
There are two ways a video can be geo-limited. The first is an allow list: the uploader or rights holder specifies that the video may only be seen in a named set of countries, and it is blocked everywhere else. The second is a block list: the video plays everywhere except a named set of countries. A single video uses one approach or the other, never both at once, which is why this youtube region restriction checker shows either an "allowed countries" panel or a "blocked countries" panel, but not both.
Region locks usually come from licensing and copyright. Music videos, sports clips, TV segments and movie trailers are the most common culprits because the rights to show that content are sold market by market. A record label might license a music video for North America and Europe but not for Asia, so YouTube blocks the video in countries where no deal exists. Creators can also apply restrictions themselves, and some blocks are imposed for legal reasons in specific jurisdictions.
Knowing a video's restrictions matters for several groups of people. Creators want to confirm that monetized content reaches the audiences they expect. Marketers embedding a video on a landing page need to know it will not break for international visitors. Educators and researchers want to verify that a resource is reachable for their audience before they rely on it. Travellers and expats simply want to understand why a clip that worked at home will not load abroad. This youtube region restriction checker answers all of those questions from a single field.
It is worth understanding what a region restriction is not. It is not the same as a private or unlisted video, which is hidden from everyone except people with the link or permission. It is not the same as an age restriction, which gates a video behind a sign-in rather than a location. And it is not the same as a full takedown, where the video is removed entirely. The youtube region restriction checker focuses only on the geographic availability layer reported in contentDetails.regionRestriction.
Finally, remember that availability can change over time. A licensing deal can expire, a new market can open, or a rights holder can update a block list. Because this tool reads live data each time you press the button, you always get the current state rather than a cached snapshot, which makes it a reliable youtube region restriction checker for ongoing monitoring.
When to use it
- A music or media channel confirming that a newly uploaded video reaches its target markets and is not accidentally locked to one country.
- A marketer checking that a video embedded on an international landing page will actually play for visitors in every region they advertise to.
- A traveller or expat figuring out why a video that played fine at home now shows "not available in your country" abroad.
- An educator or librarian verifying that a tutorial or lecture is reachable for students located in different countries before assigning it.
- A rights or compliance team auditing whether a partner has applied the correct allow or block list to licensed content.
- A researcher documenting which clips in a dataset are geo-blocked so the limitation is recorded alongside the data.
How to use the YouTube Region Restriction Checker
- Copy the YouTube video link you want to test, for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID, or just the 11-character video ID.
- Paste it into the input box at the top of this youtube region restriction checker. A sample video is pre-filled so you can try it instantly.
- Press the Check restrictions button. The tool does not run automatically on page load, which keeps the lookup fast and saves quota.
- Read the colored result banner: green means available worldwide, amber means allowed only in listed countries, red means blocked in listed countries.
- Scan the country chips below the banner to see exactly which regions are affected by name and ISO code.
- Use the Copy result button to save the summary for a ticket, a spreadsheet, or a message to your team.
Formula & method
Worked examples
A creator pastes a standard public video that has no licensing limits into the youtube region restriction checker to confirm it is open everywhere.
- Paste the full watch URL into the input field.
- Press Check restrictions and wait for the lookup to finish.
- The tool reads contentDetails and finds no regionRestriction object.
Result: A green banner reads "No region restrictions found - this video is available worldwide." The creator knows every market can watch it.
A marketer tests a licensed music video and wants to know which markets it can reach.
- Paste the music video link and press Check restrictions.
- The API returns regionRestriction with an "allowed" array of country codes.
- The tool shows an amber banner and an Allowed countries panel.
Result: The banner explains the video is available ONLY in the listed countries, for example United States (US), United Kingdom (GB) and Canada (CA), and is blocked everywhere else.
A support agent investigates a complaint that a clip will not load for users in two countries.
- Paste the reported video ID into the youtube region restriction checker.
- The API returns regionRestriction with a "blocked" array.
- The tool shows a red banner and a Blocked countries panel.
Result: The banner confirms the video is blocked in the listed countries, for example Germany (DE) and Japan (JP), and plays normally everywhere else, so the agent can explain the cause.
How to read each youtube region restriction checker result
| Result banner | Underlying data | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Green - available worldwide | No regionRestriction object | The video has no geographic limits and plays in every country. |
| Amber - allowed only | regionRestriction.allowed list | The video plays ONLY in the listed countries and is blocked everywhere else. |
| Red - blocked | regionRestriction.blocked list | The video is blocked in the listed countries and plays everywhere else. |
| Error message | API returns an error or no items | The video is private, deleted, or the URL or ID is wrong. |
Sample ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes you may see in the lists
| Code | Country |
|---|---|
| US | United States |
| GB | United Kingdom |
| CA | Canada |
| DE | Germany |
| FR | France |
| IN | India |
| JP | Japan |
| BR | Brazil |
| AU | Australia |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing a region block with a private or unlisted video. A private or unlisted video is hidden from the public regardless of location. The youtube region restriction checker only reports geographic limits, so an inaccessible private video will return a not-found message, not a country list.
- Assuming "not available in your country" always means a permanent block. Licensing deals expire and renew, so a video blocked today may open tomorrow. Re-run the check when you need the current state rather than trusting an old result.
- Pasting a channel or playlist link instead of a video link. This tool reads a single video. Make sure the URL contains a watch?v= parameter, a youtu.be/ short link, or an 11-character video ID, not a channel or playlist URL.
- Expecting an allow list and a block list at the same time. YouTube uses one approach per video. A video either lists allowed countries or blocked countries, never both, so the checker shows only one panel.
- Believing the tool can bypass a restriction. This youtube region restriction checker reports availability. It does not unblock anything. Use it to understand restrictions, not to circumvent them.
Glossary
- Region restriction
- A YouTube setting that limits which countries can watch a video, also called a geo-block or region lock.
- Allow list (allowed)
- A list of countries where the video is permitted to play. It is blocked in every country not on the list.
- Block list (blocked)
- A list of countries where the video will not play. It plays normally in every country not on the list.
- ISO 3166-1 alpha-2
- The two-letter country code standard YouTube uses in its region lists, for example US, GB and JP.
- contentDetails
- The part of a YouTube video record returned by the API that holds duration, definition and the regionRestriction object.
- Geo-block
- Any technical limit that restricts content based on the viewer's geographic location.
- Video ID
- The unique 11-character string that identifies a YouTube video, found after watch?v= in the URL.
- YouTube Data API v3
- Google's official interface that returns structured video metadata, including the region restriction data this tool reads.
Frequently asked questions
What does this youtube region restriction checker do?
It reads a video's official availability data and tells you whether the video is open worldwide, allowed only in certain countries, or blocked in certain countries. It also lists the affected countries by name and code.
How do I check if a YouTube video is blocked in my country?
Paste the video URL or ID into the box and press Check restrictions. If the result is a block list that includes your country, or an allow list that excludes it, the video is not available where you are.
Where does the region restriction data come from?
It comes directly from the YouTube Data API v3, specifically the contentDetails.regionRestriction field that YouTube publishes for each video. The result is authoritative, not a guess.
Is this youtube region restriction checker free to use?
Yes. It is completely free, with no sign-up and no limit on how many videos you can check. Just paste a link and press the button.
Does the tool store my searches or need my YouTube login?
No. You never log in, and we do not save the videos you look up. The API key used for the lookup lives on our server and is never exposed to your browser, so your check stays private.
What is the difference between an allowed list and a blocked list?
An allowed list means the video plays ONLY in those countries and is blocked everywhere else. A blocked list means the video plays everywhere except those countries. A video uses one method, never both.
Why does a video show as available worldwide here but fail to play for me?
A worldwide result means there is no geographic restriction. If it still will not play, the cause is usually something else, such as an age restriction, a private or deleted video, or a temporary network or sign-in issue.
Can availability change after I check it?
Yes. Region locks follow licensing deals that expire and renew, so availability can change over time. Run the youtube region restriction checker again whenever you need the current state.
Does this tool work for YouTube Shorts and youtu.be links?
Yes. You can paste a standard watch link, a youtu.be short link, a Shorts URL, or the bare 11-character video ID, and the youtube geo restriction checker will extract the ID automatically.
Can the checker remove or bypass a region block?
No. This is a youtube country block checker that reports availability only. It does not unblock or circumvent any restriction; it simply tells you what the restriction is.