download-video

name	download-video
description	Download videos from social media URLs (X/Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) using yt-dlp. Use when saving a video locally, extracting content for transcription, or archiving video references.
argument-hint	[url]
allowed-tools	Bash(yt-dlp:*), Bash(ls:*), Bash(mkdir:*)

Video Download Skill

Download a video from $ARGUMENTS (a social media URL) to the current directory using yt-dlp.

Supports X/Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and 1400+ other sites.

Process

1. Verify yt-dlp is installed - check with which yt-dlp, suggest brew install yt-dlp if missing
2. Download the video in the best available quality
3. Report results with filename, format, and file size

Download Command

yt-dlp -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"

Options Reference

# Best video+audio (default)
yt-dlp -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"

# List available formats first
yt-dlp -F "URL"

# Pick a specific format
yt-dlp -f "FORMAT_ID" -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"

# Audio only (e.g. for podcasts)
yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"

# Custom output directory
yt-dlp -o "/path/to/dir/%(title)s.%(ext)s" "URL"

Platform-Specific Notes

Platform	Notes
X/Twitter	Works with tweet URLs containing video. May need --cookies-from-browser for age-restricted content
YouTube	Supports playlists, channels, shorts. Use -F to pick resolution
Instagram	Reels and stories supported. May require authentication for private accounts
TikTok	Direct video URLs work. Watermark-free when available
Reddit	Handles v.redd.it links with audio merging automatically

After Download

1. Verify the file: ls -lh *.mp4 (or whatever extension was downloaded)
2. Report the filename, format, resolution, and file size to the user
3. If the user wants subtitles or a transcript, suggest using /transcribe-video