Download YouTube Videos the Easy Way

You can’t be online all the time, and despite the majority of YouTube videos being nut-shots and Lady Gaga parodies, there is a lot of great content that you might want to download and watch offline.

There are some programs and browser extensions to do this, but we’ve found that the easiest and quickest method is a bookmarklet that was originally posted on the Google Operating System blog (it’s since been removed). It will let you download standard quality and high-definition movies as MP4 files. Also, because it’s a bookmarklet, it will work on any modern web browser, and on any operating system!

Installing the bookmarket is easy – just drag and drop the Get YouTube video link below to the bookmarks bar of your browser of choice. If you’ve hidden the bookmark bar, in most browsers you can right-click on the link and save it to your bookmarks.

Get YouTube video

sshot-8

With the bookmarklet available in your browser, go to the YouTube video that you’d like to download.

sshot-1

Click on the Get YouTube video link in your bookmarks bar, or in the bookmarks menu, wherever you saved it earlier.

sshot-2010-03-14-[21-32-31]

You will notice some new links appear below the description of the video.

sshot-3

If you download the standard definition file, it will save as “video.mp4” by default.

sshot-4

However, if you download the high definition file, it will save with the same name as the title of the video.

sshot-5

There are many methods of downloading YouTube videos…but we think this is the easiest and quickest method. You don’t have to install anything or use up resources, but you can still get a link to download an MP4 with one click.

Do you use a different method to download Youtube videos? Let us know about it in the comments!

javascript:
(function(){
if(document.getElementById(‘download-youtube-video’))
return;
var args=null,video_title=null,video_id=null,video_hash=null;
var download_code=new Array();
var fmt_labels={
‘18′:’standard%20MP4′,’22′:’HD%20720p’,'37′:’HD%201080p’
}
;
try{
args=yt.getConfig(‘SWF_ARGS’);
video_title=yt.getConfig(‘VIDEO_TITLE’)
}
catch(e){
}
if(args){
var fmt_url_map=unescape(args['fmt_url_map']);
if(fmt_url_map==”)
return;
video_id=args['video_id'];
video_hash=args['t'];
video_title=video_title.replace(/[%22\'\?\\\/\:\*%3C%3E]/g,”);
var fmt=new Array();
var formats=fmt_url_map.split(‘,’);
var format;
for(var i=0;i%3Cformats.length;i++){
var format_elems=formats[i].split(‘|’);
fmt[format_elems[0]]=unescape(format_elems[1])
}
for(format in fmt_labels){
if(fmt[format]!=null){
download_code.push(‘%3Ca%20href=\”+(fmt[format]+’&title=’+video_title)+’\'%3E’+fmt_labels[format]+’%3C/a%3E’)
}
else
if(format==’18′){
download_code.push(‘%3Ca%20href=\’http://www.youtube.com/get_video?fmt=18&video_id=’+video_id+’&t=’+video_hash+’\'%3E’+fmt_labels[format]+’%3C/a%3E’)
}
}
}
if(video_id==null||video_hash==null)
return;
var div_embed=document.getElementById(‘watch-embed-div’);
if(div_embed){
var div_download=document.createElement(‘div’);
div_download.innerHTML=’%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cspan%20id=\’download-youtube-video\’%3EDownload:%20′+download_code.join(‘%20|%20′)+’%3C/span%3E’;
div_embed.appendChild(div_download)
}
}
)()

This article was originally written on 03/15/10 Tagged with: Firefox, Google Chrome

Comments (45)

March 15, 2010 10:19 am

Caiã

Really good sugestion. Easy and fast way do download youtube videos. I enjoy it . Thanks
March 15, 2010 10:24 am

Linda F

Thanks for this post, but the link to the bookmarklet doesn’t work. At least it didn’t for me. I found what I think is the same one here:

http://webtrickz.com/download-.....kmarklets/
March 15, 2010 11:21 am

Malcolm

Download YouTube Videos the Easy Way
Running Windows 7 Pro. Can’t get it to work on Chrome or Firefox.
Will it work if the video is running, if not how do you choose a You Tube video without it immediately running?
Thanks MM
March 15, 2010 11:34 am

Bharath

Thanks for this Bookmarkelt method Trevor !!
I use the method of directly converting cached temporary internet file of the video as FLV using hobocopy, a bit complex though it works for me

http://www.techrena.net/window.....ard-drive/
March 15, 2010 12:11 pm

Rocket

Dirpy Studio FTW
http://dirpy.com/
March 15, 2010 12:11 pm

Kevin

I simply copy the file from my /tmp folder. Yay Linux!
March 15, 2010 12:48 pm

jpmays

I got the bookmarklet to work in FF 3.5.8, but for some reason I’m unable to drag it up to the bookmarks bar in IE8. Is there a manual installation method available for IE8?

I’m running Windows 7 Pro 32-bit… for the record.

/jp/
March 15, 2010 1:46 pm

Trevor Bekolay

@Linda F

Yes, the bookmarklet at the bottom of that other website appears to be the same. I’m not sure why the link on this page wouldn’t work, though…

@Malcolm

It should work even if the video is running. Do the links not appear below the video’s description? Check out the 4th screenshot.

@jpmays

I haven’t used IE8, but you can try right clicking on the link and see if it gives you the options to add it to your favorites. If not, you can copy the link and manually add it to your favorites.
March 15, 2010 3:52 pm

Col

Yes as Kevin says just copy it from your temp folder. In ubuntu I have a one-click bookmark to my .temp folder.
March 15, 2010 3:57 pm

myglob

my method to download Youtube videos: http://bit.ly/bh7kCY

@jpmays

right click on top ie8 window, chose favorite bar if you dont have, next add some site to this bar and edit address url, copy and paste bookmarklet code to address url, click ok..ok and you have it…
March 15, 2010 6:26 pm

geeman89

A better way I think to download Youtube. Gives you options for what format to download in:

http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/62634
March 15, 2010 9:45 pm

Mayur

Dirpy bookmarklet is a good way to save Youtube videos and audio too. It also offers some useful options. http://webtrickz.com/dirpy-con.....p3-online/
March 16, 2010 1:36 am

kusuma

i used bookmarklet from flash video resources for downloading video from youtube, metacafe and many more site with video broadcasting. you can get bookmarklet from http://dys.lexal.net/flv/downloader.php
March 16, 2010 7:21 am

Easy YouTube Video Downloader

I would strongly recommend “Easy YouTube Video Downloader” for Firefox users, features single click non-intrusive direct download buttons for FLV, 3GP, MP3, MP4, 720p HD and 1080p Full-HD qualities.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10137
March 16, 2010 1:51 pm

Alex

Couldnt get it to work in ie8/ffox, works fine in chrome an opera10, though am currently using download helper in ffox.
March 17, 2010 6:28 am

Terry Hollett

I use the Opera browser and rather than use widgets/gadgets or any third party software, I always preferred to dig them out of the cache files. It use to be easy but with every upgrade the cache file structure is starting to look like a jungle.

But luckily Opera now includes a method to scan the cache for whatever you might want to get from it, since the latest version anyway (10.50):

http://my.opera.com/community/.....?id=454681
March 17, 2010 9:21 pm

Gabe

Amazing! I’ve tried online converter/ripper services but they often have a limit or they just don’t read.
This works seamlessly.
March 18, 2010 2:08 am

Edva

thank you for the information. it worked on the “old youtube” but not in the new interface.
March 18, 2010 2:56 am

ssc73

More great stuff from HTG!! One of my fave extentions/addons in Chrome is ‘vidzbigger’ It has tons of options and automatically plays the video in the biggest screen at highest res possible. DL is also available.

@jpmays: I dragged it to the favorites bar and once there, right clicked and copied. Worked perfectly.

those of you having trouble with chrome, I had to open a new tab with my bookmarks bar and place it their.

FYI, I did a test between youtube downloader, DL helper in firefox, and a few other extensions. This one was faster.

Also @ Linux users, the thing better about this one is you don’t have to play the whole video to get it from your temp folder. Just click the bookmard in the toobar once the video starts and youTHE can close the browser. It will finish it quickly while you work on other things.

Thanks again HTG!! THE ONLY WORTHY TECH SUBSCRIPTION IN THE WORLD!!
March 18, 2010 2:59 am

ssc73

Oh yea, and compared to the others, did I mention the quality is 10x better? I can watch standard mp4’s at full screen and they are barely pixelated. You guys rock!! Keep the good stuff coming.
March 19, 2010 3:50 am

Amatullah

Thank you! Alhamdullilah worked fine for me!
March 19, 2010 8:57 pm

Troy

To Edva’s comment above, it looks like YouTube is rolling out a new interface. I just was helping a friend in Australia, and (using screensharing), he was getting a new YouTube interface. I’m on a business trip in Malaysia and I’m getting the old one.

Old Interface – Info “bar” with yellow subscribe button (as seen in screencaps above)
New Interface – Recommendations and “auto-play” option to the right of the video

The script above is working a charm for the Old Interface. (Only way he could download with the New was with a Firefox add-on that was recently updated – so search the add-ons and sort by date if you want to try that method.)
March 20, 2010 5:23 pm

John

Hey Trevor,
Awesome “trick” to embed a download link into the Youtube page.
Thanks thousand times for sharing this.
Yours
John
March 20, 2010 5:44 pm

Moof

Command line

clive
March 21, 2010 12:15 am

ninja

Thank you, it worked
March 25, 2010 2:14 am

kapil

how to download youtube video downloder.
March 31, 2010 10:04 pm

randomness02

today i refreshed my youtube page and now there’s a new interface/look to youtube. bookmarklet doesn’t work anymore. i tried out the ant.com toolbar. it only gets the flv. until someone updates a bookmarklet, i suggest you use linkyoutube, they still provide an mp4 link.
April 1, 2010 7:59 pm

pepemosca

Yep, same here… the new Youtube layout has killed the bookmarklet.
April 2, 2010 2:32 pm

Sam

Same here Youtube updated the website, and it killed the bookmark. :(:(:(

Any chance to get an update?
Sam
April 3, 2010 5:03 pm

randomness02

the original script used to make this bookmarklet has been updated.

userscripts.org/scripts/show/25105

if anyone knows how to make a script into a bookmarklet that’d be awesome.
April 6, 2010 4:08 am

michael

The bookmarklet used to work.. for quite a while

but since Youtube did their facelift it hasn’t worked
April 6, 2010 4:24 pm

Trevor Bekolay

Hey everyone, apologies that the script doesn’t work with the new facelift; the original script it was based on has not been perfected for the new layout, but when it’s done I’ll update this article.
April 6, 2010 6:11 pm

Pax

Thanks Trevor!

Love this script, works beautifully in Opera. Will keep checking for an update here.
April 8, 2010 6:37 pm

mountainfreddy

Get the new download YouTube videos script from
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/25105
(Right click on Install in top right corner and Save As Youtube.txt). Use notepad to remove the first 12 lines with // in front of them and the 13th blank line and add javascript: in front of the
(function () {
line so it looks like
javascript:(function () {
and then create a bookmark (bookmarklet) in your desktop browser (I used Firefox 3.5.3 – you results may vary) and then select all and copy the contents from the youtube.txt file and paste this into the Location field of the bookmark and name the bookmark Download YouTube Video. Select a YouTube video to “watch”, pause it and then click on your Download YouTube Video bookmarklet and as per the screenshot at the above link, you should be able to download the video.
April 9, 2010 1:03 pm

regul8or

@mountainfreddy: The script inserts only “Download” button, without drop-down to select format and resolution and file being downloaded is called solmething like “videoplayback”
April 9, 2010 11:13 pm

bugblatter

I do not think mountainfreddy’s suggestion will work as-is. When I tried, it gave me an error. To get something to work, I deleted all the comment lines (the lines that start with “//”) throughout the code, not just the first 12 lines. Clicking the bookmarklet then produces a “Download” button that you can press, but this only downloads the lowest resolution mp4 file available. I could be doing something wrong; I’d love to know if anyone else got this working, as for me, a bookmarklet would be preferable to installing greasemonkey.

The script is intended for greasemonkey. If you install the greasemonkey extension, then install the script via greasemonkey, it is pretty slick. You will automatically get a Download button on every youtube page, and it will give you 3 options on which file to download: the lowest res .mp4 (360p), the medium res .flv (480p), and highest res .mp4 (720p HD).
April 11, 2010 2:11 am

Thunder

i love this bookmark, but since youtube updated it doesn’t work anymore. Has anyone gotten a new bookmark?
April 12, 2010 1:29 am

SL6370

i really like this youtube downloader. it’s so easy to use. but i wonder does this bookmark tool works for the new layout of youtube?

i clicked it and looked around the whole page for that download as, but can’t find it. can someone help me out?
April 14, 2010 3:59 pm

ST6894

There a to other ways to load Youtube videos.

1. In firefox You can use an Add-on called: Youtubemp
This Add-on is based on the new Greasemonkey-script. Once Installed it shows You the download button under the Video-Window whenever you start a video in youtube. Klick on it and You can save the shown video as mp4- or flv-file. Unfortunately theres is no possibility to save as mp4-file in HQ.

So the following Add-on for firefox is a better solution:

2. Add-on called Downloadhelper
Once installed You find a new button looking like 3 balls in Your firefox-browser beside the starting-page-button. Normally those 3 balls are grey. But when You start a video in youtbe the three balls are getting colored. Clikck on the button and You get the possibilities to save the shown video as flv-file, mp4-file or mp4-file in HQ. And this button also works for other Homepages like myvideo.de!

Hope this will help anybody
April 15, 2010 6:32 am

l

how do you use this with the new youtube layout?
April 16, 2010 8:08 am

ST6894

I use it exactly as discribt with the new layout of youtube.

1. Add-on “youtubemp”:
As I wrote this add-on is based on the new Greasemonkey-script. And this script wirks with the new youtube-layout

2. Add-on “video downloadhelper”:
This also works with the new youtube-layout. You can use it as I discribt allready. Just one Additon to my explanantion: The button with the three balls consists of two buttons – The button as it and a drop down button directly beside it. To Download files/videos from Youtube or any other homepage klick on this drop down button.

I wrot this allready yesterday, but made a mistake when I clicked on Submit Comment button. Please excuse me.

If You have futther Questions, please aks me again.
April 25, 2010 2:56 pm

kitten

I don’t think it works on the updated version of Youtube because my bookmarklet no longer works anymore. Have you made an updated one?
April 28, 2010 12:02 pm

randomness02

found an alternative script, works great on firefox(greasemonkey). youtube hd suite. it displays all resolution/formats that are downloadable in colored buttons above the video. you can even set it up so you only see only specific formats. you can find it at userscripts.org
April 29, 2010 11:06 am

ST6894

Yes kitten, the bookmarklet no longer works with the new Youtube layout. But the new greasemonkey-script does. The greasemonkey-script used in the bookmarklet is not the new one. This is the reason why the bookmarklet isn’t working.

But the add-ons I wrote heare and also the Youtube hd suite as randomness02 wrote are working with the new greasmonkey script. So they are working with the new Youtube layout.

You find videodownloadhelper here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/3006

Youtubemp here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/search?q=youtubemp&cat=all

There a lot of other add-ons for Firefox working with Youtube.
June 20, 2010 12:41 pm

james

i hate outdated tech advice articles. i wish google would delete them from the internet.

Similar Articles	Productive Geek Tips
Disable YouTube Comments while using Chrome Watch YouTube Videos in Cinema Style in Firefox Download YouTube Videos with Cheetah YouTube Downloader Stop YouTube Videos from Automatically Playing in Firefox Improve YouTube Video Viewing in Google Chrome	Set Up Your Google Homepage as a Feed Reader Scheduling vs Over-Scheduling: How to Find a Balance Transform your Ubuntu Box into a Karaoke Machine Increase Your Efficiency By Timing Your Tasks Monitor Trending Topics, Favourite Blogs and More with Regator How to Turn a Rant Into a Productivity Power Tool


Name:
Email:

Download YouTube Videos the Easy Way

Comments (45)

Meet the Author