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yt-dlp supports downloading from thousands of websites through its extractor system. This page explains how site support works and provides access to the complete list.

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Extractor System

yt-dlp uses extractors to download videos from different websites. Each extractor is specifically designed to handle one or more related sites.

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How Extractors Work

When you provide a URL to yt-dlp:
  1. Pattern Matching: yt-dlp checks the URL against patterns for known extractors
  2. Site-Specific Extraction: The matching extractor fetches video metadata and download URLs
  3. Fallback Options: If no specific extractor matches, yt-dlp tries:
    • Embed extraction (for embedded videos)
    • Generic extractor (for standard HTML5 videos)
Not all sites listed are guaranteed to work at all times. Websites frequently change their structure, which can temporarily break support until yt-dlp is updated.

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Checking Site Support

The most reliable way to check if a site is supported is to try downloading: 
yt-dlp --simulate https://example.com/video
This will test the URL without actually downloading the video.

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Extractor Features

Different extractors support different features:
Most extractors support downloading individual videos from their URLs.
Many extractors include playlist support (indicated by :playlist suffix in the extractor name).
yt-dlp https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAYLIST_ID
Some extractors can download all videos from a user or channel (indicated by :user or :channel suffix).
yt-dlp https://youtube.com/@username
Certain extractors support search queries (indicated by :search suffix).
yt-dlp "ytsearch5:search term"
Some extractors can download live streams (indicated by :live suffix).
yt-dlp --live-from-start https://youtube.com/watch?v=LIVE_ID

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Authentication Required

Some extractors require login credentials for access. These are marked with a netrc machine name in the full list.
To use authenticated extractors, set up credentials using the --username and --password options, or configure a .netrc file. See the Authentication guide for details.

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Currently Broken Extractors

Extractors marked as “Currently broken” are known to have issues. These typically require updates to adapt to website changes.
Before reporting an issue with a broken extractor, update to the latest nightly build:
yt-dlp --update-to nightly
Many broken extractors are fixed quickly in development builds.

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Listing Extractors

You can view all available extractors directly from the command line: 
# List all extractor names
yt-dlp --list-extractors

# Show extractor descriptions
yt-dlp --extractor-descriptions

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Using Specific Extractors

You can force yt-dlp to use (or exclude) specific extractors: 
# Use only YouTube extractor
yt-dlp --use-extractors youtube URL

# Exclude generic extractor
yt-dlp --use-extractors default,-generic URL

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Complete Supported Sites List

For the most up-to-date and complete list of all supported sites and extractors, see:

View Full List

The complete list includes over 1,700 extractors supporting thousands of websites

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Major Platforms Supported

yt-dlp includes robust support for major video platforms:
  • YouTube - Videos, playlists, channels, live streams, shorts, stories
  • Twitch - VODs, clips, live streams
  • Vimeo - Videos, albums, channels, groups
  • Facebook - Videos, reels, stories
  • TikTok - Videos, user profiles, live streams
  • Twitter/X - Videos, spaces
  • Instagram - Videos, stories, reels
  • Reddit - Videos and media posts
  • Dailymotion - Videos, playlists, users
  • SoundCloud - Tracks, playlists, users
  • Pornhub - Videos, playlists, channels (authentication supported)
And many, many more!

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Adding New Sites

If you need support for a site that isn’t currently available:
  1. Check if it’s already requested in GitHub Issues
  2. If not, open a new site request issue
  3. For developers: See the extractor development guide
Site support requests are handled by volunteers. Complex sites or those requiring authentication may take longer to implement.

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