Check the video’s upload date on the watch page or in the video details
Use the video URL or video ID in the YouTube Data API to inspect published and privacy-related metadata
Search the video title or URL in web search results and cached pages
Check channel activity feeds or community posts around the time the video appeared
Use third-party archive sites or page snapshots if available
Compare the video’s first known appearance in playlists, embeds, or comments
Look at the earliest available view count, likes, or comments timestamps
Check if the video was listed in the channel’s uploads playlist before being made public
Use browser history or saved links if you personally accessed it while private or unlisted
Check social media posts or external shares that mention when it became available
Review the video’s metadata in page source or API responses for publish time
Compare the upload date with the first public index date in search engines