Usage
How to Run yt-dlp
How to run yt-dlp from the terminal: open a shell, run your first download, point it at the right folder, and the handful of options you'll actually use.
Updated 2026-06-13
Once yt-dlp is installed, running it is a single command. yt-dlp has no window — you run it from a terminal.
1. Open a terminal
- Windows: press Start, type 'Terminal' or 'cmd', press Enter.
- macOS: open Terminal from Applications → Utilities.
- Linux: open your terminal emulator.
2. Run your first download
Pass any video URL and yt-dlp downloads the best quality to your current folder:
yt-dlp "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"Always wrap the URL in quotes. URLs often contain & and ? characters that the shell would otherwise interpret.
3. Choose where it saves
By default the file lands in the directory your terminal is in. Set a destination with -P, or a full naming template with -o:
yt-dlp -P "~/Videos" "<URL>"
yt-dlp -o "~/Videos/%(title)s.%(ext)s" "<URL>"More on this in where does yt-dlp download to and yt-dlp download location.
4. The options you'll actually use
| Goal | Command |
|---|---|
| List available formats | yt-dlp -F "<URL>" |
| Audio only as MP3 | yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 "<URL>" |
| Force MP4 output | yt-dlp --merge-output-format mp4 "<URL>" |
| Whole playlist | yt-dlp "<playlist URL>" |
| Update yt-dlp | yt-dlp -U |
When a command gets long, save your favourite options to a config file so you don't retype them. For a deeper tour, read how to use yt-dlp and browse yt-dlp examples.
Frequently asked questions
Does yt-dlp have a graphical interface?+
The yt-dlp program itself is command-line only. For a GUI, use the [yt-dlp app](/download), which wraps the same engine.
How do I stop a running download?+
Press Ctrl+C in the terminal. Partially downloaded fragments are kept so you can resume.
Can I run yt-dlp on a whole list of URLs?+
Yes — put one URL per line in a text file and run: yt-dlp -a urls.txt