topic Spotify Web API playlist endpoints return fewer items than tracks.total with no unavailable placehol in Spotify for Developers https://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-for-Developers/Spotify-Web-API-playlist-endpoints-return-fewer-items-than/m-p/7318876#M19841 <P>I am seeing consistent and reproducible behaviour across multiple playlists where the Spotify Web API does not return all playlist items, even though all tracks are playable in the Spotify client.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P><STRONG>Observed behaviour</STRONG></P><UL><LI><P>GET /playlists/{playlist_id} reports tracks.total = N</P></LI><LI><P>GET /playlists/{playlist_id}/tracks (or playlist_items via Spotipy) returns <STRONG>M &lt; N</STRONG> items</P></LI><LI><P>The missing items:</P><UL><LI><P>do <STRONG>not</STRONG> appear as track: null</P></LI><LI><P>are <STRONG>not</STRONG> returned at any offset</P></LI><LI><P>are excluded <STRONG>before pagination</STRONG></P></LI></UL></LI><LI><P>Pagination completes normally (next = null) after M items</P></LI><LI><P>This behaviour occurs consistently across runs and playlists</P></LI></UL><P><STRONG>Examples</STRONG></P><UL><LI><P>Playlist with tracks.total = 308 → API returns 200 items</P></LI><LI><P>Playlist with tracks.total = 111 → API returns 100 items</P></LI><LI><P>Playlist with tracks.total = 196 → API returns 100 items</P></LI><LI><P>Playlist with tracks.total = 827 → API returns 427 items</P></LI></UL><P>Smaller playlists often return all items, while larger playlists frequently return a reduced subset.</P><P><STRONG>Important detail</STRONG></P><P>All tracks that are missing from the API:</P><UL><LI><P>are visible in the Spotify UI</P></LI><LI><P>are fully playable in the Spotify client</P></LI><LI><P>do not appear greyed out or unavailable in the app</P></LI></UL><P><STRONG>What has been tested</STRONG></P><UL><LI><P>Forced market parameter (e.g. market=GB)</P></LI><LI><P>Multiple playlists (personal and Spotify-curated)</P></LI><LI><P>Multiple runs with fresh tokens</P></LI><LI><P>Spotipy and direct Web API calls show identical behaviour</P></LI></UL><P>No track = null placeholders are returned for the missing items. They are silently excluded from the response entirely.</P><P><STRONG>Questions</STRONG></P><OL><LI><P>Is this behaviour intentional?</P></LI><LI><P>Is full playlist enumeration via the Web API still supported?</P></LI><LI><P>Should developers expect tracks.total to exceed the number of retrievable playlist items?</P></LI><LI><P>Is there a documented reason why tracks playable in the Spotify client may be excluded from the Web API without indication?</P></LI></OL><P>I am not asking for a workaround, only clarification on whether this behaviour is expected going forward so developer applications can adapt correctly.</P><P>Thank you.</P> Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:07:29 GMT Synaptix23 2026-01-26T12:07:29Z Spotify Web API playlist endpoints return fewer items than tracks.total with no unavailable placehol https://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-for-Developers/Spotify-Web-API-playlist-endpoints-return-fewer-items-than/m-p/7318876#M19841 <P>I am seeing consistent and reproducible behaviour across multiple playlists where the Spotify Web API does not return all playlist items, even though all tracks are playable in the Spotify client.</P><P>&nbsp;</P><P><STRONG>Observed behaviour</STRONG></P><UL><LI><P>GET /playlists/{playlist_id} reports tracks.total = N</P></LI><LI><P>GET /playlists/{playlist_id}/tracks (or playlist_items via Spotipy) returns <STRONG>M &lt; N</STRONG> items</P></LI><LI><P>The missing items:</P><UL><LI><P>do <STRONG>not</STRONG> appear as track: null</P></LI><LI><P>are <STRONG>not</STRONG> returned at any offset</P></LI><LI><P>are excluded <STRONG>before pagination</STRONG></P></LI></UL></LI><LI><P>Pagination completes normally (next = null) after M items</P></LI><LI><P>This behaviour occurs consistently across runs and playlists</P></LI></UL><P><STRONG>Examples</STRONG></P><UL><LI><P>Playlist with tracks.total = 308 → API returns 200 items</P></LI><LI><P>Playlist with tracks.total = 111 → API returns 100 items</P></LI><LI><P>Playlist with tracks.total = 196 → API returns 100 items</P></LI><LI><P>Playlist with tracks.total = 827 → API returns 427 items</P></LI></UL><P>Smaller playlists often return all items, while larger playlists frequently return a reduced subset.</P><P><STRONG>Important detail</STRONG></P><P>All tracks that are missing from the API:</P><UL><LI><P>are visible in the Spotify UI</P></LI><LI><P>are fully playable in the Spotify client</P></LI><LI><P>do not appear greyed out or unavailable in the app</P></LI></UL><P><STRONG>What has been tested</STRONG></P><UL><LI><P>Forced market parameter (e.g. market=GB)</P></LI><LI><P>Multiple playlists (personal and Spotify-curated)</P></LI><LI><P>Multiple runs with fresh tokens</P></LI><LI><P>Spotipy and direct Web API calls show identical behaviour</P></LI></UL><P>No track = null placeholders are returned for the missing items. They are silently excluded from the response entirely.</P><P><STRONG>Questions</STRONG></P><OL><LI><P>Is this behaviour intentional?</P></LI><LI><P>Is full playlist enumeration via the Web API still supported?</P></LI><LI><P>Should developers expect tracks.total to exceed the number of retrievable playlist items?</P></LI><LI><P>Is there a documented reason why tracks playable in the Spotify client may be excluded from the Web API without indication?</P></LI></OL><P>I am not asking for a workaround, only clarification on whether this behaviour is expected going forward so developer applications can adapt correctly.</P><P>Thank you.</P> Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:07:29 GMT https://community.spotify.com/t5/Spotify-for-Developers/Spotify-Web-API-playlist-endpoints-return-fewer-items-than/m-p/7318876#M19841 Synaptix23 2026-01-26T12:07:29Z