ToolForgeby ForgeSparse

YouTube Video Downloader

Get your own uploads back, in the quality YouTube stored them.

How to download from YouTube

YouTube's terms don't allow downloading other people's videos. This tool is built for the case they do allow: getting back content you uploaded yourself, or content you hold the rights to. Thumbnails are public assets and work for any video.

  1. 1

    Copy the video link

    From the address bar or the Share button.

  2. 2

    Confirm you have the rights

    Your own upload, licensed content, or a thumbnail — anything else isn't supported.

  3. 3

    Download

    Pick the file and save it.

What comes back

The rendition YouTube kept

YouTube re-encodes every upload. What comes back is their stored version — usually smaller than your master file.

Why this one is scoped differently

Every other tool here works on any public post. This one doesn't, and that's intentional: YouTube's Terms of Service specifically prohibit downloading videos you don't own unless a download button is shown.

So use it for your own channel, for content licensed to you, or for public-domain and Creative Commons material. Thumbnails are a separate case — they're public metadata and fine to fetch for any video.

One tool, plenty of uses

Recover your master

Get an upload back when the original project file is lost.

Repurpose your content

Pull your own long-form video down to cut Shorts from it.

Channel backups

Keep offline copies of your published catalogue.

Thumbnail audits

Collect thumbnails to compare click-through performance across a niche.

Licensed footage

Download material you've been granted rights to use.

Creative Commons clips

Save CC-licensed video for projects that credit the creator.

What you get

Shorts and long-form

Both formats use the same box.

Thumbnails for any video

Public cover images, at full resolution.

No software install

Runs in the browser — nothing to download to your machine first.

Clear about the rules

The tool tells you where the line is instead of pretending there isn't one.

Where the limits are

  • Videos you don't own or hold rights to aren't supported. This isn't a technical limit — it's YouTube's terms.
  • YouTube re-encodes uploads, so you get their rendition, not your original master.
  • Age-restricted and members-only videos need a login and can't be fetched.

Rights and fair use

YouTube's Terms of Service prohibit downloading content you don't own unless YouTube shows a download button for it.

Your own uploads, licensed material, Creative Commons and public-domain video are fine. Everything else isn't — and thumbnails are public assets you can fetch freely.

Questions people ask