“Post not found. Make sure it is public and still up.”

Error details

Message on screen

“Post not found. Make sure it is public and still up.”

Internal code

not_found

Where it appears

Extraction: X returned no post (or no broadcast) for that ID

HTTP status

404 from /api/extract

Does retrying help?

Rarely. Only if X was briefly inconsistent.

How to fix it

1. Open the link while logged out. Use a private window. If X shows “This post was deleted” or “Hmm… this page doesn't exist”, no downloader can get it.
2. Re-copy the link. Use Share › Copy link on the post instead of a link edited by hand.
3. Look for a repost. If someone quoted or reposted the video, extracting their post may still work.
4. Try once more later. If the post opens fine logged out, wait a minute and retry: X occasionally returns empty data for a short time.

What this message means

We read posts through X's public embed data, the same data an embedded tweet on a news site uses, with a second public source as a fallback. When both return nothing for the ID, the post doesn't exist for the public.

For live broadcast links the check is separate: X's broadcast lookup returned a 404, which happens when the broadcast was deleted or its ID is wrong.

Why it happens

• The post was deleted. The author removed it. X keeps no public copy, and neither do we.
• The account is suspended or deactivated. All of its posts disappear for logged-out visitors, including videos.
• The post is limited to logged-in users. Some sensitive posts are only shown after login and age confirmation; to us they can look like missing posts.
• A typo in the ID. Editing a link by hand or cutting off digits points at a different, non-existent post.
• The broadcast replay was removed. Hosts can delete replays; then the broadcast ID returns nothing.

When it is not this error

A post that exists but has no video gives no downloadable media instead. A protected account gives this account is protected.

Deleted, or only hidden from logged-out visitors?

Open the link in a private window and read X's own wording. “This post was deleted by the post author” and “This page doesn't exist” mean the file is gone for good. “This post is from a suspended account” means the same while the suspension lasts. If instead X asks you to log in to see the post, or shows a content warning first, the post exists but is restricted, and a public tool will keep reporting it as not found.

If you posted the video yourself and later deleted it, X's archive download (Settings › Your account › Download an archive of your data) is the only official way back to the original file.

Questions people ask