[Bug] Using shortlink redirects to channel instead of video

[austinhuang0131]

Describe the bug
Generally speaking /<video_id> redirects /watch?v=<video_id>.

However, somehow, /<video_id> was fetched as a channel URL instead in this case.

This affects Privacy Redirect's ability to redirect youtu.be links

Steps to Reproduce

1. https://redirect.invidious.io/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ redirects to the rickroll video, right?
2. https://redirect.invidious.io/dQw4w9WgXcQ redirects to a channel called "SubToMe" whose custom channel URL is dQw4w9WgXcQ

[SamantazFox]

Invidious (and by extension the redirection service we provide) is meant to handle youtube URLs, i.e under the www.youtube.com domain. Our goal is that for any www.youtube.com/url you can go to <invidious instance>/url and it will work. youtu.be is another domain that is exclusively used as an URL shortener for video URLs (i.e www.youtube.com/watch?v=<id>).

[austinhuang0131]

So channel names are prioritized over video IDs? (Since https://redirect.invidious.io/pd8P12BXebo does go to the video with the ID) Alright.

[TheFrenchGhosty]

I agree with @SamantazFox here, Privacy Redirect should rewrite it to include watch?v=

So channel names are prioritized over video IDs? (Since https://redirect.invidious.io/pd8P12BXebo does go to the video with the ID) Alright

We definitely have to look into that. Thanks for reporting it.

[austinhuang0131]

Actually, wait:

eg. https://redirect.invidious.io/watch?v=LAXiHmwqsGg

The description contains youtu.be/<id> links, but clicking the first one goes to invidious.instance/<id>

[syeopite]

Hmm this is strange. Technically Invidious's behavior is right. YouTube returns the first of those links as a urlEndpoint while the rest are given as a watchEndpoint.

As a result on YouTube the links traverse to:

• https://youtu.be/3EsuRXSv2U
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZPdI5Y2zCI&t=0s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6vQEmMNT3E&t=0s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xya6zsX3Hps&t=0s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGv2rLBp01c&t=0s

And this is technically the behavior seen on Invidious. Just not the one you'd typically expect. Anyhow, #2365 should fix it.

[syeopite]

#2347 (comment)

Closing as this has been fixed by #2365