YouTube Editor cannot delete published videos?

Is this your situation?

The short answer

What you see, and why

Check these first

• Check the video's publish status. Confirm whether the video is a draft or already published.Verify: Check the video's status label in YouTube Studio.
• Check your assigned role. Confirm you are listed as Editor rather than Manager or Owner.Verify: Check the Permissions list for your role name.
• Check whether the video is scheduled or live. The Editor role cannot delete scheduled, live, or completed streams.Verify: Check the video's stream status in YouTube Studio.

How YouTube handles this

• The Editor role can edit everything.
• The Editor role cannot delete the channel or published content.
• The Editor role can delete drafts.
• The Editor role cannot delete scheduled, live, or completed streams.

Which path applies to you?

1. Is the video still a draft? The Editor role can delete drafts.
2. Is the video already published? The Editor role cannot delete the channel or published content.
3. Is the video a completed live stream? The Editor role cannot delete scheduled, live, or completed streams.
4. Do you need to reset or delete the stream key? The Editor role cannot delete or reset stream keys.
5. Do you need the video deleted regardless of role limits? The Manager role can create, upload, publish, and delete content, including drafts.

Step by step: finding the cause

1. Confirm your role on the channel. Check your assigned role before assuming the delete control is broken.Where: Settings → PermissionsConfirm: Check the Permissions list for the role listed next to your name.
2. Open the video you want to delete. Locate the video in the content list to check its status.Where: ContentConfirm: Check whether the video is marked Draft or Published.
3. Check whether the video is a draft. The Editor role can delete drafts.Where: ContentConfirm: Check the status field for the word Draft.
4. Check whether the video is already published. The Editor role cannot delete the channel or published content.Where: ContentConfirm: Check the status field for the word Published.
5. Check whether the video is a live stream. The Editor role cannot delete scheduled, live, or completed streams.Where: ContentConfirm: Check the status field for scheduled, live, or completed.
6. Ask the channel owner to delete the video if no Manager is available The Owner role can do everything on all platforms, including deleting the channel.Where: ContentConfirm: Check with the channel owner whether the video has been deleted.

Common mistakes

• Assuming draft delete ability extends to published videos. The Editor role cannot delete the channel or published content.Why it happens: The Editor role can delete drafts.
• Trying to delete a completed live stream. The Editor role cannot delete scheduled, live, or completed streams.Why it happens: You expect the same delete control that works for regular videos.
• Expecting to manage permissions to work around the limit. The Editor role cannot manage permissions.Why it happens: Editors can edit everything, which makes this limit unexpected.
• Expecting to reset a stream key to remove a stream. The Editor role cannot delete or reset stream keys.Why it happens: Editors can manage live streams, which makes this limit unexpected.
• Assuming Editor access permits entering into contracts for the channel. The Editor role cannot enter into contracts.Why it happens: Editors can edit everything, which makes this limit unexpected.

Quick reference

Keeping track of who has access