Persistent HTTP 403 on /v1/playlists/{playlist_id}/items (same token works for /v1/me and /v1/me/pla

[ef3koc]

Hello Spotify Developer Support,

I consistently get HTTP 403 on:
GET /v1/playlists/{playlist_id}/items
(and also /tracks for comparison)

With the same token:
- GET /v1/me -> 200
- GET /v1/me/playlists -> 200

Scopes include:
- playlist-read-private
- playlist-read-collaborative

I tested with fresh re-auth and direct calls (app/Postman/curl), same result.

Could you please check if there is an account/app-level restriction on playlist item access?

Technical evidence:
- 2-3 failed UTC timestamps
- endpoint + playlist IDs (can be partially masked if needed)
- x-spotify-request-id from failed responses

Thanks.

[Ximzend · Accepted solution]

Hi @ef3koc 

Thanks for posting in the Spotify Community, and Welcome!

What you’re running into isn’t an issue with your code, but it’s due to a recent change in how the Web API handles playlist access. Since Wednesday, 11 February, the Get Playlist Items endpoint only returns full track details for playlists that the current user owns or where the user is a collaborator. Public playlists no longer provide full item data through this endpoint.

The updated documentation explains it like:

> This endpoint is only accessible for playlists owned by the current user or playlists the user is a collaborator of. A 403 Forbidden status code will be returned if the user is neither the owner nor a collaborator of the playlist.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a workaround available for individual developers. Full access to all playlists is now limited to approved commercial partners with 25k+ monthly active users, so this route isn’t available for personal or hobby projects.

I know this change can be disappointing, but hopefully this explanation helps clear things up. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

[whrhshacker]

What a garbage change Spotify. Very cool of you to support your users like this. Unreal.