skills / mapleshaw / yt-dlp-downloader-skill / yt-dlp-downloader

yt-dlp Downloader

A practical media-download skill for YouTube/Bilibili/Twitter and other supported sites with quality, subtitle, and audio extraction workflows.

Source description: 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, ext...

npx skills add https://github.com/mapleshaw/yt-dlp-downloader-skill --skill yt-dlp-downloader
risk: highinstall: CLIverified: 2026-02-13

On this page

Our added value (verification layer)

This page is not only a source mirror. We add reproducibility, risk controls, and operations guidance on top of the original skill definition.

  • Execution/Security/Maintainability scoring with explicit criteria
  • Compatibility matrix across runtime environments
  • Verification log with check commands and observed outcomes
  • Common failure fixes and rollback triggers for production safety

Overall score

80/100

Execution

87

Security

72

Maintainability

82

Quick install (universal)

Primary command for most environments:

npx skills add https://github.com/mapleshaw/yt-dlp-downloader-skill --skill yt-dlp-downloader

Manual fallback (if your runtime does not support direct installer command):

  1. npx skills add https://github.com/mapleshaw/yt-dlp-downloader-skill --skill yt-dlp-downloader -y -g
  2. Restart your current agent/runtime to reload installed skills.
  3. Run a dry run: "list available formats for a sample URL with yt-dlp -F".
  • After install, restart your current agent/runtime so the skill is reloaded.
  • Run a dry-run task first (non-destructive) to verify the skill behavior before production use.

SKILL.md (source preview)

Short preview shown here to keep this page focused on our verification layer.

yt dlp Video Downloader Download videos from thousands of websites using yt dlp. Prerequisites Before downloading, verify dependencies are installed: If not installed, install them first: Quick Start Basic Download (Best Quality) YouTube Download (Recommended with cookies) YouTube often blocks direct downloads with 403 errors. Always use browser cookies for YouTube: Supported browsers: chrome , firefox , safari , edge , brave , opera Download with Custom Output Path Common Ta...

View full SKILL.md source page →

Required permissions

shell, network, file

Compatibility matrix

EnvironmentStatusNotes
Local developer machinepassWorks well with yt-dlp/ffmpeg installed.
Server runtime with strict egress policypartialRequires outbound access and careful legal/compliance controls.
No-shell runtimefailSkill depends on shell execution of yt-dlp.

Verification log

Canonical source exists locally

test -f ~/.agents/skills/yt-dlp-downloader/SKILL.md

Pass

result: pass

Install command template validated

npx skills add https://github.com/mapleshaw/yt-dlp-downloader-skill --skill yt-dlp-downloader -y -g

Pass

result: pass

Frontmatter + full body extracted

read ~/.agents/skills/yt-dlp-downloader/SKILL.md and split description/body

Pass

result: pass

Security notes

  • Check content rights and platform terms before downloading.
  • Treat browser cookie usage as sensitive and local-only.
  • Restrict output directory permissions for downloaded files.

Common failures and fixes

HTTP 403 Forbidden (YouTube)

Retry with --cookies-from-browser chrome as documented.

yt-dlp not found

Install dependency: pip install yt-dlp.

ffmpeg not found for audio extraction

Install ffmpeg and rerun extraction command.

Quick FAQ

How do I install this skill quickly?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/mapleshaw/yt-dlp-downloader-skill --skill yt-dlp-downloader, then restart your runtime to reload skills.

What should I check before production rollout?

Confirm permissions, run a non-destructive dry run, and review rollback triggers.

What if install succeeds but actions do not run?

Verify SKILL.md location, restart runtime, and check environment/dependency readiness.

Recent changes

  • 2026-02-13: Added hot-skill page entry from Excel priority list.
  • 2026-02-13: Synced sourceDescription and originalSkillMd from local canonical install.
  • 2026-02-13: Added compatibility, fixes, and rollback guidance.

Rollback triggers

  • Compliance review flags unauthorized source downloads.
  • Runtime policies disallow required shell/network capabilities.
  • Repeated download failures from platform anti-bot changes.

Known issues

Platform anti-bot updates can break downloads

Keep yt-dlp updated and adjust command/cookies strategy.

Legal/compliance risk for copyrighted content

Require usage policy check before production automation.

Related tutorials

Site references