About youtube-downloader
youtube-downloader is a Python skill for downloading YouTube videos with presets ranging from WhatsApp-sized clips to the best available quality. It also supports format listing and MP3-only extraction.
Key features
- 01Quality presets from 144p to best available
- 02List formats before downloading
- 03Extract audio as MP3
- 04Choose an output directory
Use cases
- 01Prepare smaller videos for WhatsApp sharing
- 02Download videos at standard or high quality
- 03Extract audio from podcasts or music
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
$
npx skills add https:/After installing, type/youtube-downloaderin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled filesscripts/download.pySETUP.md
Details
From the project READMEYouTube Video Downloader
First time? If
setup_complete: falseabove, run./SETUP.mdfirst, then setsetup_complete: true.
Download YouTube videos with quality control, optimized for sharing on WhatsApp and other platforms.
Requirements
This skill requires Python to be installed on your system.
- Python 3.9+ (required)
- yt-dlp (
pip install yt-dlp) - ffmpeg (for audio extraction)
First time setup? Read SETUP.md for detailed installation instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Quick Start
cd ~/.claude/skills/youtube-downloader/scripts
# Download for WhatsApp (144p, small file)
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --quality whatsapp
# Download standard quality (480p)
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --quality standard
# Download high quality (720p)
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --quality high
# Download best quality available
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --quality best
# List available formats
python download.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID" --list
Quality Presets
| Preset | Resolution | Max Size | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
whatsapp | 144p | ~10MB | WhatsApp sharing (default) |
standard | 480p | ~50MB | General use |
high | 720p | ~100MB | Good quality |
best | Best available | Varies | Maximum quality |
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--quality / -q | Quality preset (whatsapp/standard/high/best) |
--output / -o | Output directory (default: current dir) |
--list / -l | List available formats without downloading |
--audio-only / -a | Extract audio only (MP3) |
Examples
# Download and send to WhatsApp
python download.py "https://youtube.com/watch?v=xxx" -q whatsapp
# Then use WhatsApp skill to send
# Download to specific folder
python download.py "https://youtube.com/watch?v=xxx" -o ~/Downloads
# Audio only (for podcasts/music)
python download.py "https://youtube.com/watch?v=xxx" --audio-only
WhatsApp Size Limits
- 16MB: Direct video sharing limit
- 2GB: Document sharing limit (preserves quality)
For videos over 16MB, either:
- Use lower quality preset
- Send as document (not video)
Comments
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