Reference
yt-dlp Commands: The Essential Cheat Sheet
A practical yt-dlp commands cheat sheet: list formats, choose quality, extract MP3, download playlists and channels, write subtitles, use cookies, and more.
Updated 2026-06-13
This is the cheat sheet of yt-dlp commands and options worth bookmarking. Pair it with the longer yt-dlp examples page for full recipes.
Inspect
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
yt-dlp -F "<URL>" | List all available formats |
yt-dlp --list-subs "<URL>" | List available subtitle languages |
yt-dlp -j "<URL>" | Print metadata as JSON without downloading |
Download & quality
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
yt-dlp "<URL>" | Best quality, merged |
yt-dlp -f 137+140 "<URL>" | Specific format IDs |
yt-dlp -S res:1080 "<URL>" | Cap at 1080p via sorting |
yt-dlp --merge-output-format mp4 "<URL>" | Force MP4 container |
Audio
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 "<URL>" | Extract MP3 |
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --audio-quality 0 "<URL>" | Best-quality MP3 |
yt-dlp -f bestaudio "<URL>" | Native audio, no re-encode |
Playlists, channels, batches
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
yt-dlp -I 1:10 "<URL>" | Items 1–10 of a playlist |
yt-dlp --download-archive done.txt "<URL>" | Skip already-downloaded items |
yt-dlp -a urls.txt | Download every URL in a file |
Output, subtitles, metadata
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
yt-dlp -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "<URL>" | Custom filename template |
yt-dlp -P "~/Videos" "<URL>" | Set output directory |
yt-dlp --write-subs --sub-langs en "<URL>" | Download English subtitles |
yt-dlp --embed-thumbnail --embed-metadata "<URL>" | Embed cover art + tags |
Auth & networking
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
yt-dlp --cookies-from-browser chrome "<URL>" | Use your browser's login |
yt-dlp --proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:9050 "<URL>" | Route through a proxy |
yt-dlp -U | Update yt-dlp |
See the complete option list any time with yt-dlp --help, or read the yt-dlp documentation overview.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see every yt-dlp option?+
Run yt-dlp --help, or read the README on GitHub. This cheat sheet covers the options people use most.
What does -f vs -S do?+
-f selects a specific format (by ID or filter); -S sorts the available formats by your preferences and picks the top. -S is usually easier.
How do I download only new videos from a channel?+
Use --download-archive archive.txt; yt-dlp records what it grabbed and skips them next time.