# How to import a match from a YouTube, Google Drive or Dropbox link > Paste a YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox or direct video link to add a match without uploading it, including one match from a long stream. Source: https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/import-from-link Updated: 2026-10-11 Answers: How do I import a match from a YouTube link? / Can I add a video from Google Drive or Dropbox without downloading it? / How do I import just my match from a full day tournament stream? / Why won't my YouTube link import? If your match is already online, paste the link and we fetch the video for you. You don't need to download it and upload it again. This page also shows how to pull one match out of a long stream. ## What links work | Source | What it needs | |---|---| | **YouTube** | Public or unlisted. Private videos can't be fetched. A normal watch link, a youtu.be share link, a Shorts link or a youtube.com/live link all work. One import can be up to 4 hours long. | | **Google Drive** | Sharing set to **Anyone with the link**. The file has to be a video, up to 5 GB. | | **Dropbox** | The normal share link. The file has to be a video, up to 5 GB. | | **Direct link** | A link that goes straight to an MP4 or MOV file, up to 5 GB. | Bigger than 5 GB? Upload the file itself instead. See [Recording your matches](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/recording-matches) for how to film so the match tracks well. ## On the web ### From Videos 1. Open your account menu at the top right and choose **Videos**. 2. Find the **Paste a link** card under **Upload videos**. 3. Paste the link into the box. 4. Only want part of a YouTube video? Fill in the start and end boxes next to **Just part of it?**. See [Import just part of a long video](#import-just-part-of-a-long-video) below. 5. Press **Import**. The button shows **Checking…** while we check the link. If we can't use it, the reason shows under the box straight away. 6. When the check passes, the card says it's fetching your video. The video appears under **Your videos** and shows **Uploading** or **Processing** while we fetch and prepare it. 7. When the video shows **Ready**, press **Track** to set it up in [Match Tracker](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/match-tracker). Only import footage you filmed yourself or have the owner's permission to use. On the web, pressing **Import** confirms that, as set out in our [Terms](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/terms#your-content). ### From Match Tracker You can also paste a link while you start a new project. 1. Open **Match Tracker** in the sidebar and press **New tracker project** or **New project**. 2. On the **Video** step, choose **Upload new**. 3. Use the **Paste a link** card the same way as above. 4. Once the video is processed, it shows in the **Pick from library** tab. Pick it there to carry on. ## In the app 1. Tap the menu button at the top left and choose **Match Tracker**. 2. Tap **Paste a link**. 3. Paste the link into the box. 4. Only want part of a YouTube video? Fill in the **Start** and **End** boxes under **Just part of it?**. 5. Tap **Import**. 6. The sheet closes and the video appears in your list as **Uploading**, then **Processing**. 7. When it's ready, the row shows **Not tracked**. Tap the three dots on the video (**More options**) and choose **Track** to send it for tracking. If we can't use the link, the app shows **Couldn't import that link** with the reason. The messages are the same as on the web, listed under [If something goes wrong](#if-something-goes-wrong). ## Import just part of a long video A full day tournament stream is usually far longer than your match. For **YouTube links only**, add a start and end time and we fetch just that stretch. - **Format:** hours, minutes and seconds like `1:05:00`, minutes and seconds like `23:45`, or `1h5m`. Use the times on the YouTube player's clock. - **Up to 4 hours:** the stretch between start and end can be at most 4 hours. - **Start only:** we import from the start time to the end of the video, up to 4 hours. - **End only:** we import from the beginning of the video to the end time. - **The name:** your times are added to the video's name in your library, so you can tell your imports apart. - **More than one match from the same stream:** import each one with its own times. Each becomes its own video. A YouTube video longer than 4 hours can't be imported whole. If you paste one with no times, we ask you to add a start and end time first. Start and end times don't work for Google Drive, Dropbox or direct links. To use part of one of those, upload the file instead and save segments around your match during setup. See [Automatic Tracking and Tokens](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/auto-tracking-tokens). > **Take the whole match in one stretch** > > Set the start before the first rally and the end after the last one. Don't import a match in pieces or cut between rallies. The gaps between rallies are real data, as explained in [Recording your matches](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/recording-matches#one-take-no-cuts). ## What you'll see while it imports | Status | What it means | |---|---| | **Checking…** | On the Import button, while we check the link. | | **Uploading** | We're fetching the video from the link. | | **Processing** | We have the file and we're preparing it for playback. | | **Ready** | Done. In the app, a ready video shows **Not tracked** until you send it for tracking. | | **Error** on the web, **Processing failed** in the app | The fetch or processing failed. The reason shows under the video's name. | ## If something goes wrong If the check fails, the message tells you what to fix: | Message | What to do | |---|---| | "That doesn't look like a YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox, or direct video link." | Copy the share link again from YouTube, Drive or Dropbox. | | "That video is private. Set it to unlisted or public, then try again." | Change the YouTube video to unlisted or public. | | "That YouTube video isn't available." | Check the video still exists and opens in YouTube. | | "Google Drive wouldn't share that file. Set it to "Anyone with the link" and try again." | Change the Drive file's sharing to **Anyone with the link**. | | "That Drive file isn't a video." or "That link doesn't point at a video file. Use a direct link to an MP4 or MOV." | Link to the video file itself, not a folder or a web page. | | "That file is over 5 GB. Upload it directly instead." | Upload the file from your computer or phone. | | "Start and end times only work with YouTube links for now." | Clear the start and end boxes, or upload the file and use segments. | | "Times should look like 1:23:45 or 23:45." | Fix the time format. | | "The end time has to be after the start time." | Swap or fix the times. | | "Sections can be up to 4 hours long." | Bring the start and end closer together. | | "This video is … long. Add a start and end time to import just your match (up to 4 hours)." | Add a start and end time around your match. | | "This video is already in your library." | You've imported this link with these times before. Look for it in your videos. | | "That link didn't return a file (HTTP …)." or "Couldn't reach that link." | Check the link is shared with anyone who has it and points at the video file, or upload the file instead. | | "Couldn't reach YouTube. Try again in a moment." or "Couldn't reach Google Drive. Try again in a moment." | Wait a moment and try again. | **When the check passes but the import fails later,** the video shows an error in your library with the reason. - **On the web:** open **Videos**, open the three-dot menu on the video and choose **Retry processing**. - **In the app:** there's no retry button. Retry it from **Videos** on the web, or delete the video and paste the link again. If a YouTube import fails on the web, a **Check YouTube import status** link appears next to the reason. It opens our [status page](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/status), which shows whether YouTube imports are getting through right now. If they're failing, download the video and upload the file instead. More fixes are in [Troubleshooting](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/troubleshooting#a-link-wont-import). ## Related guides - [Recording your matches](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/recording-matches) - [How to upload a match video from your phone](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/upload-from-phone) - [Match Tracker](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/match-tracker) - [Automatic Tracking and Tokens](https://getgoodatbadminton.com/docs/auto-tracking-tokens)