How to Resolve Vimeo File Upload Errors with Python Library?

If you’re working with the Vimeo Python Library and trying to replace a video file, you might run into a frustrating issue just like I did. I followed the documentation, set up my script, and everything seemed to be in place. But then, boom I was hit with an “Unauthorized” error that made no sense at first glance.

Let me walk you through what happened, explain what the error really means, and how I fixed it. I’ll also add a few practice features to help you get more comfortable working with Vimeo’s API in Python.

My Initial Code

Here’s the original code I wrote when I tried replacing a video on Vimeo:

vimeo
import os

# Environment variables for secure handling
VIMEO_TOKEN = os.environ.get("TOKEN")
VIMEO_KEY = os.environ.get("KEY")
VIMEO_SECRET = os.environ.get("SECRET")

client = vimeo.VimeoClient(
    token=VIMEO_TOKEN,
    key=VIMEO_KEY,
    secret=VIMEO_SECRET
)

# Trying to replace a video file
video_uri = client.replace(
    'https://vimeo.com/745944239',
    'test_replace_test.mov'
)

I expected this to quietly replace my video file on Vimeo and give me back a URI for the updated file. Instead, I got an unexpected response that looked like this:

The Error I Got

.vimeo.exception_data = {
  "title": "Unauthorized",
  "message": "Oops! This action could not be completed because your form session expired. Please make sure your cookies are enabled, then return to the previous page and try again."
}

Define This Error

This error doesn’t actually come from the Python code directly it’s coming from Vimeo’s web interface. That made debugging even more confusing at first.

When you see "Unauthorized" or "form session expired", it usually means one of these things:

You’re using the wrong video identifier. Vimeo’s API expects a URI like /videos/12345678, not a full video URL like https://vimeo.com/745944239.
Your access token doesn’t have the correct scopes. For replacing a video, you need permissions like upload, edit, or video_files.
You might be using a short-lived or frontend-only token, which won’t work from a server script.

Key Fixes You Should Make

Here’s how I solved it:

I replaced the full video URL with just the Vimeo URI: /videos/745944239
I double-checked that my access token was correct and had the required scopes.
I made sure to use a server-side token with full access not a browser session token.

Correct Version of the Code

Here’s the fixed version that worked perfectly:

vimeo
import os

# Load secure API credentials
VIMEO_TOKEN = os.environ.get("TOKEN")
VIMEO_KEY = os.environ.get("KEY")
VIMEO_SECRET = os.environ.get("SECRET")

client = vimeo.VimeoClient(
    token=VIMEO_TOKEN,
    key=VIMEO_KEY,
    secret=VIMEO_SECRET
)

# Replace an existing video (use video URI, not URL!)
video_uri = client.replace(
    '/videos/745944239',
    'test_replace_test.mov'
)

print(f"Video replaced: {video_uri}")

Practice Feature You Can Add

Once I got things working, I started experimenting more with the Vimeo API. Here are a few extra things I coded for practice, and I highly recommend you try them too:

Upload a New Video

= client.upload('example_video.mp4', data={
    'name': 'My Test Video',
    'description': 'Uploaded via Python Vimeo API'
})
print(f"Uploaded video: {uri}")

Update Video Metadata

client.patch(uri, data={
    'name': 'Updated Title',
    'description': 'Updated description from script'
})
print("Video metadata updated.")

Get Video Info

video_info = client.get(uri)
print(video_info.json())

Delete a Video

client.delete(uri)
print("Video deleted.")

Final Thought

So, what was the issue? It wasn’t just one thing it was a mix of token permissions and improper URI usage. This little debugging journey reminded me that even with well-documented libraries, the smallest mistake (like using a full URL instead of a URI) can cause cryptic errors.

If you’re getting a similar “Unauthorized” or “form session expired” message, go back and check these three things: use the correct /videos/ID URI, make sure your token has edit and upload permissions, and verify you’re using the right token type for backend operations.