WP YouTube Lyte and YouTube API v2 end of life

The YouTube API v2 is now officially to be shut down soon after April 20th. That’s bad news for WP YouTube Lyte, which uses this version of the API to perform unauthenticated read-only requests to fetch a.o. video title and thumbnail information (example here). The v3 API is supposed to simpler yet more powerful and migrating should not be a big problem, except for that little detail that v3 doesn’t allow unauthenticated requests at all. So I’ll need to add authentication (via an API key) to the mix, leaving me with the dilemma of having to choose between these approaches, none of which I really like:

  1. Tell WP YouTube Lyte users to get their own API key and have them enter it in the plugin’s settings-page. Risk: upsetting users who all of a sudden have to get an API key (“huh, what key?”)
  2. Get an API key myself and hardcode that in WP YouTube Lyte. Risk: abuse of that key (and neither a server key nor a browser key is applicable really), reaching limits, being denied access.
  3. Create and operate a proxy application that sits between the v3 API and each and every WP YouTube Lyte instance, taking care of authentication with an API key. Risk: having to write & install that proxy application, making sure it is available 24/7 (it’s a single point of failure) + obviously the same abuse-risk as in (2).

No, I’m definitively not happy … 🙁

5 thoughts on “WP YouTube Lyte and YouTube API v2 end of life”

  1. I would definitely go for option 1. Many plugins have an option to fill in a key and it’s only once. If the plugin is good, people are willing to do it. Better inform them via the plugin already… 😉

    Reply
    • I’m working on version 1.6.0, which will support both the anonymous API v2 (for as long as Google does) and API v3 for which you indeed will have to get your own API key. So you, support for WP YouTube Lyte is guaranteed! 🙂
      have a nice weekend,
      frank

      Reply

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.