YouTube → video file
Download a public YouTube video
This page saves the video file, not the transcript. Paste a public watch, Shorts, or youtu.be link, choose a quality, and use Download video. We request a stream YouTube already serves to a player. We do not host a library of files.
How to download a YouTube video
Paste a public link
Watch, Shorts, youtu.be, or the 11-character id. The form is on this page.
Pick a quality
360p and 480p are the everyday choices. 720p and above are limited so one network cannot pull every upload.
Save the file
Download video starts the file in your browser. The same page can still open the transcript, MP3, or a summary.
What this downloader is for
A file, not a paragraph
The transcript tools turn captions into text. This one keeps the picture.
Public videos only
Private, age-restricted, members-only, and many livestreams do not resolve.
Same link, next job
After the file starts you can still open captions, MP3, translation, or a chapter summary.
Honest failures
If YouTube only returns a signature we cannot decode, the download stops. We do not pretend every URL works.
When a video file is the right job
Your own upload
Save a copy of a video you published and are allowed to keep.
A clip for an editor
A short public video you have permission to edit, at 480p or 720p.
Offline playback
A talk you are allowed to store, when streaming is not an option.
Limits
Only public videos we can resolve. Video length caps are about 4 hours at 360p, 3 hours at 480p, 90 minutes at 720p, and 60 minutes at 1080p or 4K. Higher qualities are rate-limited. Use this for a video you are allowed to keep a personal copy of. We are not a piracy mirror, and we do not bypass a login, age gate, or region wall.
FAQ
Is this a YouTube video downloader?
Yes, for a public video you are allowed to keep. Paste the link, pick a quality, and press Download video. No account.
Which quality should I pick?
480p is the default. 720p is limited to about one file each half hour. 1080p, 1440p, and 4K are about one file a day.
Why did the download fail?
The video is private, age-gated, live-only, region-blocked, or YouTube did not give us a plain file URL. Try another public video, or a lower quality.
Does this also give me the transcript?
The words are a separate tool. Captions, MP3, translation, and a chapter summary stay on YouTubeForge for the same link.
Is it free?
Yes. Ads may appear around the page. The file is not paywalled.