diff --git a/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_handler.py b/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_handler.py
index c1d5ddde..c6d415cd 100644
--- a/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_handler.py
+++ b/tubearchivist/home/src/download/yt_dlp_handler.py
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@ class DownloadPostProcess:
         for idx, video_id in enumerate(self.download.videos):
             comment = Comments(video_id, config=self.download.config)
             comment.build_json(notify=(idx, total_videos))
-            comment.upload_comments()
+            if comment.json_data:
+                comment.upload_comments()
 
         key = "message:download"
         message = {
diff --git a/tubearchivist/home/src/index/comments.py b/tubearchivist/home/src/index/comments.py
index 944a1d91..14cb1a54 100644
--- a/tubearchivist/home/src/index/comments.py
+++ b/tubearchivist/home/src/index/comments.py
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ class Comments:
 
         self._send_notification(notify)
         comments_raw, channel_id = self.get_yt_comments()
-        if comments_raw:
-            self.format_comments(comments_raw)
-        else:
-            self.comments_format = []
+        if not comments_raw and not channel_id:
+            return
+
+        self.format_comments(comments_raw)
 
         self.json_data = {
             "youtube_id": self.youtube_id,
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ class Comments:
         """get comments from youtube"""
         yt_obs = self.build_yt_obs()
         info_json = YtWrap(yt_obs).extract(self.youtube_id)
+        if not info_json:
+            return False, False
+
         comments_raw = info_json.get("comments")
         channel_id = info_json.get("channel_id")
         return comments_raw, channel_id
@@ -104,9 +107,10 @@ class Comments:
         """process comments to match format"""
         comments = []
 
-        for comment in comments_raw:
-            cleaned_comment = self.clean_comment(comment)
-            comments.append(cleaned_comment)
+        if comments_raw:
+            for comment in comments_raw:
+                cleaned_comment = self.clean_comment(comment)
+                comments.append(cleaned_comment)
 
         self.comments_format = comments
 
@@ -169,6 +173,9 @@ class Comments:
             return
 
         self.build_json()
+        if not self.json_data:
+            return
+
         es_comments = self.get_es_comments()
 
         if not self.comments_format: