YouTube clarifies that madeForKids settings are only changed when a request sends them
What changed
YouTube's October 15, 2026 Data API revision clarifies that the status.selfDeclaredMadeForKids and status.madeForKids properties are only updated if specified in the request and are not overridden if omitted. The revision names videos.list; the videos.update reference states the same rule: if an update request omits a property that already has a value, that value is deleted, except for status.selfDeclaredMadeForKids and status.containsSyntheticMedia, which only update if explicitly set.
What it means
A videos.update call that leaves out the made-for-kids flag keeps the video's existing setting instead of clearing it, unlike most other fields in the same part.
Who is affected
Scheduling and bulk-edit tools that update YouTube video metadata, and channels whose content is set as made for kids.
What to do by 15 Oct 2026
Send status.selfDeclaredMadeForKids on videos.update only when you mean to change it; do not rely on omission to reset it.
What this means for you
When an app changes a YouTube video's details, anything it leaves out is usually wiped. YouTube has now said clearly that one setting is different: whether the video is "made for kids". If the app leaves it out, YouTube keeps what was there. This protects your kids setting from being erased by accident when your tool edits a title or description.
The details
- Revision text: "the
status.selfDeclaredMadeForKidsandstatus.madeForKidsproperties are only updated if specified in the request and are not overridden if omitted." The entry links tovideos.list. - videos.update rule: "If you are submitting an update request, and your request does not specify a value for a property that already has a value, the property's existing value will be deleted." Exempt, and only updated "if explicitly set":
status.selfDeclaredMadeForKidsandstatus.containsSyntheticMedia. - Other status fields:
privacyStatus,embeddable,license,publicStatsViewableandpublishAtstill follow the delete-if-omitted rule, so send the fullstatuspart when updating it. - Type note: a documentation clarification; the revision does not say the behaviour changed on this date.
What to do next
- Business owners: Nothing.
- Marketers and agencies: Nothing.
- Developers: Keep sending every
statusfield you want to keep onvideos.update, and sendselfDeclaredMadeForKidsonly when the user changes it.
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