How do I limit downloads to 1080p?

Use yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best" "URL" to cap the resolution.

How do I download a full playlist?

Run yt-dlp --yes-playlist "PLAYLIST_URL" and consider -o "%(playlist_index)02d-%(title)s.%(ext)s" to keep the order.

How do I resume and avoid duplicates?

Add --continue to resume partial files and --download-archive downloaded.txt to skip already saved items.

How do I pass cookies for private/restricted videos?

Use --cookies-from-browser chrome (or edge/firefox) to authenticate with your logged-in browser profile.

yt-dlp Commands Cheatsheet (Windows)

Q: How do I convert to MP3?

Use yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --audio-quality 0 --embed-thumbnail --embed-metadata "URL" (FFmpeg required).

Q: How do I download a full playlist?

Run yt-dlp --yes-playlist "PLAYLIST_URL" and consider -o "%(playlist_index)02d-%(title)s.%(ext)s" to keep the order.

Q: How do I resume and avoid duplicates?

Add --continue to resume partial files and --download-archive downloaded.txt to skip already saved items.

Q: How do I pass cookies for private/restricted videos?

Use --cookies-from-browser chrome (or edge/firefox) to authenticate with your logged-in browser profile.

Copy & paste the most useful commands for Windows: quality, MP3, playlists, subtitles, filenames, retries, cookies, and more. Ensure FFmpeg is present for merges and audio conversion.

⬇️ Download yt-dlp.exe

• Works on Windows 11/10

Basics

yt-dlp "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"

yt-dlp --version yt-dlp -U

Best quality (auto-merge)

yt-dlp -f "bestvideo+bestaudio/best" "URL"

Limit to 1080p

yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[height<=1080]+bestaudio/best" "URL"

Prefer MP4/H.264

yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[ext=mp4][vcodec*=h264]+bestaudio[ext=m4a]/best[ext=mp4]" "URL"

Prefer AV1 then VP9

yt-dlp -f "bestvideo[vcodec^=av01]/bestvideo[vcodec^=vp9]/bestvideo"+bestaudio/best "URL"

Convert to MP3 (best)

yt-dlp -x --audio-format mp3 --audio-quality 0 --embed-thumbnail --embed-metadata "URL"

Keep original audio (no re-encode)

yt-dlp -f ba -x --audio-format best "URL"

Full playlist

yt-dlp --yes-playlist -o "%(playlist_index)02d-%(title)s.%(ext)s" "PLAYLIST_URL"

Specific items or ranges

yt-dlp --playlist-items 1,5,10-12 "PLAYLIST_URL"

Download subtitles

yt-dlp --write-sub --sub-langs "en" --sub-format srt "URL"

Auto-subs, embed to MKV

yt-dlp -f "bv+ba/best" --write-auto-sub --sub-langs "en,*" --embed-subs --merge-output-format mkv "URL"

Output templates (folders & names)

-o "C:/Videos/%(playlist)s/%(playlist_index)02d-%(title)s.%(ext)s"

-o "C:/Music/%(artist,channel)s/%(title)s.%(ext)s"

Archives & resume

--download-archive downloaded.txt --continue

Performance & rate limits

-N 4 --limit-rate 5M --retries 10 --fragment-retries 10

Cookies & authentication

--cookies-from-browser chrome

Use edge or firefox as needed. Only for content you have rights to access.

Thumbnails & metadata

--embed-thumbnail --embed-metadata

Dry run & list formats

-F "URL" # list formats --simulate "URL" # no download

FAQ

Where do files save?

To the current working folder by default. Use -o to change paths.

Why do I get separate video/audio files?

High resolutions often come as separate streams. Ensure ffmpeg.exe is present so yt-dlp can merge them.

How do I update yt-dlp?

Run yt-dlp -U. See the install guide for more.