yt-dlp-downloader
Download videos from YouTube, Bilibili, Twitter, and thousands of other sites using yt-dlp. Use when the user provides a video URL and wants to download it, extract audio (MP3), download subtitles, or select video quality. Triggers on phrases like "下载视频", "download video", "yt-dlp", "YouTube", "B站", "抖音", "提取音频", "extract audio".
- Installs
- 813
- Last 24h
- —
- Trending rank
- —
- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/mapleshaw/yt-dlp-downloader-skill --skill yt-dlp-downloader- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads yt-dlp-downloader automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
yt-dlp Video Downloader
Download videos from thousands of websites using yt-dlp.
Prerequisites
Before downloading, verify dependencies are installed:
# Check yt-dlp
which yt-dlp || echo "yt-dlp not installed. Install with: pip install yt-dlp"
# Check ffmpeg (required for audio extraction and format merging)
which ffmpeg || echo "ffmpeg not installed. Install with: brew install ffmpeg"
If not installed, install them first:
pip install yt-dlp
brew install ffmpeg # macOS
Quick Start
Basic Download (Best Quality)
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" "VIDEO_URL"
YouTube Download (Recommended - with cookies)
YouTube often blocks direct downloads with 403 errors. Always use browser cookies for YouTube:
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" --cookies-from-browser chrome "YOUTUBE_URL"
Supported browsers: chrome, firefox, safari, edge, brave, opera
Download with Custom Output Path
yt-dlp -P "/path/to/save" -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"
Common Tasks
1. Download Video (Default - Best Quality)
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" "VIDEO_URL"
2. Extract Audio Only (MP3)
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -x --audio-format mp3 "VIDEO_URL"
3. Download with Subtitles
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" --write-subs --sub-langs all "VIDEO_URL"
4. Download Specific Quality
720p:
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -f "bestvideo[height<=720]+bestaudio/best[height<=720]" "VIDEO_URL"
1080p:
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best[height<=1080]" "VIDEO_URL"
Best available:
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -f "bestvideo+bestaudio/best" "VIDEO_URL"
5. List Available Formats (Before Download)
yt-dlp -F "VIDEO_URL"
Then download specific format by ID:
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -f FORMAT_ID "VIDEO_URL"
6. Download Playlist
# Download entire playlist
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -o "%(playlist)s/%(playlist_index)s - %(title)s.%(ext)s" "PLAYLIST_URL"
# Download specific range (e.g., items 1-5)
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -I 1:5 "PLAYLIST_URL"
7. Download with Thumbnail
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" --write-thumbnail "VIDEO_URL"
Workflow
When user provides a video URL:
-
Identify the platform:
- YouTube/YouTube Music → Always use
--cookies-from-browser chrome - Other sites → Try without cookies first
- YouTube/YouTube Music → Always use
-
Ask what they want (if not specified):
- Just download the video?
- Extract audio only?
- Need subtitles?
- Specific quality?
-
Construct the command based on requirements
-
Execute the download using Shell tool with
required_permissions: ["all", "network"] -
Handle errors:
- 403 Forbidden → Retry with
--cookies-from-browser - Connection issues → yt-dlp auto-resumes, just retry
- Format unavailable → Use
-Fto list formats, then select
- 403 Forbidden → Retry with
-
Report the result - file location and any errors
Example Interaction
User: "帮我下载这个视频 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxx"
Response:
# YouTube - use cookies to avoid 403 errors
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" --cookies-from-browser chrome "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxx"
User: "下载这个视频的音频 https://www.bilibili.com/video/xxx"
Response:
# Bilibili - extracting audio as MP3
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -x --audio-format mp3 "https://www.bilibili.com/video/xxx"
User: "下载这个 Twitter 视频 https://twitter.com/xxx/status/123"
Response:
# Twitter/X - direct download usually works
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" "https://twitter.com/xxx/status/123"
Supported Sites
yt-dlp supports thousands of sites including:
- YouTube, YouTube Music
- Bilibili (B站)
- Twitter/X
- TikTok, Douyin (抖音)
- Vimeo
- Twitch
- And many more...
Full list: https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/blob/master/supportedsites.md
Troubleshooting
Common Errors and Solutions
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| HTTP 403 Forbidden | YouTube blocks unauthenticated requests | Use --cookies-from-browser chrome |
| Video unavailable | Geo-restricted or private | Use cookies or VPN |
| Download interrupted | Network issues | Retry - yt-dlp auto-resumes |
| Format not available | Requested format doesn't exist | Use -F to list formats |
Error: "yt-dlp: command not found"
pip install yt-dlp
Error: "ffmpeg not found" (for audio extraction)
brew install ffmpeg # macOS
Error: HTTP 403 Forbidden (YouTube)
This is the most common YouTube error. Always use cookies for YouTube:
# Recommended approach for YouTube
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" --cookies-from-browser chrome "YOUTUBE_URL"
Supported browsers: chrome, firefox, safari, edge, brave, opera
Error: Video unavailable or geo-restricted
# Try with cookies from browser
yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome "VIDEO_URL"
# Or use a specific format
yt-dlp -F "VIDEO_URL" # List formats first
yt-dlp -f FORMAT_ID "VIDEO_URL"
Error: Download keeps failing
# Update yt-dlp to latest version
pip install -U yt-dlp
# Force IPv4 (sometimes helps with connection issues)
yt-dlp -4 "VIDEO_URL"
Best Practices
- YouTube downloads: Always use
--cookies-from-browser chrome - Large files: yt-dlp auto-resumes, just retry if interrupted
- Keep yt-dlp updated:
pip install -U yt-dlp - Check formats first: Use
-Fbefore downloading if unsure
FAQ
What does the yt-dlp-downloader skill do?
Download videos from YouTube, Bilibili, Twitter, and thousands of other sites using yt-dlp. Use when the user provides a video URL and wants to download it, extract audio (MP3), download subtitles, or select video quality. Triggers on phrases like "下载视频", "download video", "yt-dlp", "YouTube", "B站", "抖音", "提取音频", "extract audio".
How do I install yt-dlp-downloader?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/mapleshaw/yt-dlp-downloader-skill --skill yt-dlp-downloader in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/yt-dlp-downloader/ (personal) or .claude/skills/yt-dlp-downloader/ (project).
Which AI agents can use yt-dlp-downloader?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is yt-dlp-downloader safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains yt-dlp-downloader?
It is published by mapleshaw in mapleshaw/yt-dlp-downloader-skill. It has 813 recorded installs.
Popular media & creative skills
hyperframes
heygen-com/hyperframes
Read first to make, edit, animate or render any video with HyperFrames (HTML rendered to video), including launch films, explainers, music videos, charts, maps, vertical clips, title cards, captions and overlays. Holds the render contract, the work loop and what each kind of video needs.
media-use
heygen-com/hyperframes
Get or make any media for a HyperFrames video - music, sound effects, images, icons, logos, voiceover, avatar and generated video, transcripts, cutouts, colour grades and looks - with HeyGen or free local tools, and mix placed audio. Also for footage that looks dark, flat or dull, or should be stylized or hidden.
hyperframes-registry
heygen-com/hyperframes
About 450 ready-made HyperFrames blocks and components installed as editable source - transitions, overlays, titles, kinetic type, captions, charts, map overlays, 3D, camera moves. Use it before hand-building any named visual (CRT scanlines, glitch, film grain, a chart); also for hyperframes add and catalog.
hyperframes-creative
heygen-com/hyperframes
Non-animation creative direction for HyperFrames videos. Use for design spec (frame.md / design.md) handling, palettes, typography, narration, beat planning, audio-reactive visuals, composition patterns, and brand / style decisions. For atomic motion patterns and scene blueprints, use hyperframes-animation.
ai-video-generation
101-skills/superpowers
Generate AI videos with Google Veo, Seedance 2.0, HappyHorse, Wan, Grok and 40+ models via inference.sh CLI. Models: Veo 3.1, Veo 3, Seedance 2.0, HappyHorse 1.0, Wan 2.5, Grok Imagine Video, OmniHuman, Fabric, HunyuanVideo. Capabilities: text-to-video, image-to-video, reference-to-video, video editing, lipsync, avatar animation, video upscaling, foley sound. Use for: social media videos, marketing content, explainer videos, product demos, AI avatars. Triggers: video generation, ai video, text to video, image to video, veo, animate image, video from image, ai animation, video generator, generate video, t2v, i2v, ai video maker, create video with ai, runway alternative, pika alternative, sora alternative, kling alternative, seedance, happyhorse
ai-image-generation
101-skills/superpowers
Generate AI images with GPT-Image-2, FLUX, Gemini, Grok, Seedream, Reve and 50+ models via inference.sh CLI. Models: GPT-Image-2, FLUX Dev LoRA, FLUX.2 Klein LoRA, Gemini 3 Pro Image, Grok Imagine, Seedream 4.5, Reve, ImagineArt. Capabilities: text-to-image, image-to-image, inpainting, LoRA, image editing, upscaling, text rendering. Use for: AI art, product mockups, concept art, social media graphics, marketing visuals, illustrations. Triggers: flux, image generation, ai image, text to image, stable diffusion, generate image, ai art, midjourney alternative, dall-e alternative, text2img, t2i, image generator, ai picture, create image with ai, generative ai, ai illustration, grok image, gemini image, gpt image, openai image, chatgpt image