yt-dlp-downloader

Data Community

Repo stars 183
Author repo yt-dlp-downloader-skill

Interpretation is structured for decision-making; original keeps the upstream SKILL.md unchanged.

Decide Fit First

Core job: Download videos from thousands of websites using yt-dlp. Before downloading, verify dependencies are installed: which yt-dlp ||…
Best fit: Use it when the task has reusable inputs, steps, and validation criteria rather than a one-off answer.
Avoid forcing it: If the source lacks commands, platform support, or external-service evidence, keep those fields unknown instead of guessing.

Design Intent

Structure: The skill is organized around “Prerequisites”, “Quick Start”, “Basic Download (Best Quality)”, “YouTube Download (Recommended - with cookies)”, showing how the author expects the agent to judge fit, collect context, and produce verifiable output.
Trigger evidence: Prioritize the author’s wording around when to use it, what context to collect, and what output shape to produce.
Evidence boundary: Author text states facts, repository files prove commands and paths, and Fluxly only adds fit, limits, and usage judgment.

How To Use It

Inputs: Provide target material, scope, expected result, forbidden changes, and validation method.
Invocation: Name yt-dlp-downloader directly; if the source includes slash commands, start with the command and then add task context.
Validation: Start small and check whether the result follows “Prerequisites / Quick Start / Basic Download (Best Quality)” before expanding.

Boundaries And Review

Dependencies: It usually needs no extra API key, so start with a small validation task.
Permissions: Declared permissions include read / write / shell-exec; ask the agent to state file, command, and rollback boundaries before acting.
Quality bar: A useful result names the deliverable, evidence, and next action. Generic prose means the task needs tighter context.

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
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 -F to list formats, then select
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 -F before downloading if unsure

Fluxly profile Author and license come from source; runtime, permissions, and network are Fluxly detections or estimates

Fluxly category: Data
Author-declared agents: No explicit declaration found; this is not inferred or tested compatibility
Static check: 88 / 100 · heuristic scan, not runtime safety proof
Author / version / license: @MapleShaw · no license declared
Fluxly token estimate: Lean
Fluxly setup estimate: Guided setup
External API key: No requirement detected
Detected OS requirements: macOS
Runtime requirements: Unspecified
Detected file/system behavior: Read-only
Write / modify
Shell exec
Detected network behavior: Local-only
Install commands: None (reference only)

Profile is derived at build time from SKILL.md and install vectors. Subject to drift from author intent.

Heads up: 未限定 allowed-tools，默认拥有全部工具权限。

Output preview yt-dlp-downloader.preview

# Download with Custom Output Path

yt-dlp -P "/path/to/save" -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"

SKILL.md SKILL.md

# yt-dlp Video Downloader

Download videos from thousands of websites using yt-dlp.

## Prerequisites

Before downloading, verify dependencies are installed:

```bash
# 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:
```bash
pip install yt-dlp
brew install ffmpeg  # macOS
```

## Quick Start

### Basic Download (Best Quality)

```bash
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:

```bash
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

```bash
yt-dlp -P "/path/to/save" -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "VIDEO_URL"
```

## Common Tasks

### 1. Download Video (Default - Best Quality)

```bash
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" "VIDEO_URL"
```

### 2. Extract Audio Only (MP3)

```bash
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -x --audio-format mp3 "VIDEO_URL"
```

### 3. Download with Subtitles

```bash
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" --write-subs --sub-langs all "VIDEO_URL"
```

### 4. Download Specific Quality

**720p:**
```bash
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -f "bestvideo[height<=720]+bestaudio/best[height<=720]" "VIDEO_URL"
```

**1080p:**
```bash
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best[height<=1080]" "VIDEO_URL"
```

**Best available:**
```bash
yt-dlp -P "~/Downloads/yt-dlp" -f "bestvideo+bestaudio/best" "VIDEO_URL"
```

…

Evidence boundary and execution chain

Author text anchors workflow facts; Fluxly only indexes current sections, terms, files, and commands.

sections -> Prerequisites → Quick Start → Basic Download (Best Quality) → YouTube Download (Recommended - with cookies) → Download with Custom Output Path → Common Tasks
terms    -> 720p · 1080p · Best available · Identify the platform · Always use --cookies-from-browser chrome · Ask what they want · Construct the command · Execute the download
files/cmd -> chrome · firefox · safari · edge · brave · opera · --cookies-from-browser chrome · requiredpermissions: ["all", "network"]
body sha256 -> 00f9b7186d9a

Decide Fit First

Design Intent

How To Use It

Boundaries And Review

yt-dlp Video Downloader

Prerequisites

Quick Start

Basic Download (Best Quality)

YouTube Download (Recommended - with cookies)

Download with Custom Output Path

Common Tasks

1. Download Video (Default - Best Quality)

2. Extract Audio Only (MP3)

3. Download with Subtitles

4. Download Specific Quality

5. List Available Formats (Before Download)

6. Download Playlist

7. Download with Thumbnail

Workflow

Example Interaction

Supported Sites

Troubleshooting

Common Errors and Solutions

Error: "yt-dlp: command not found"

Error: "ffmpeg not found" (for audio extraction)

Error: HTTP 403 Forbidden (YouTube)

Error: Video unavailable or geo-restricted

Error: Download keeps failing

Best Practices

Discussion