# Download a GIF from a website

> Download a GIF from a website, find out why it saves as WebP or MP4, turn it back into a GIF with one command, and get every GIF on a page at once.

Canonical page: https://sitepeel.dev/guides/download-gif-from-website/

To download a GIF from a website, right-click it and choose Save image as. If it saves as .webp or .mp4, the site turned the GIF into a smaller format: keep it, or convert it back with ffmpeg. To get every GIF on a page, paste the link into a free asset extractor and search for .gif.

Published: 2026-11-04

Tool used in this guide: [Image downloader extension](https://sitepeel.dev/image-downloader-chrome-extension/index.md)

Free website tool for this task: [Asset extractor](https://sitepeel.dev/free-tools/asset-extractor/index.md) (https://sitepeel.dev/free-tools/asset-extractor/)

## In short

- A real GIF saves with Save image as, like any image
- Many sites serve GIFs as MP4 or animated WebP to save space
- An MP4 turns back into a GIF with one ffmpeg command
- GIFs come from someone’s video or art: check before you reuse one

## How to use it

1. **Right-click the GIF** Choose Save image as. If the menu says Save video as, it is a video, not a GIF.
2. **Check the file type** Look at the saved name: .gif is a GIF; .webp or .mp4 means a converted copy.
3. **Get every GIF at once** Paste the page’s link into the free asset extractor and type .gif in the search box.
4. **Convert if needed** Turn an MP4 or WebP back into a GIF with ffmpeg or ImageMagick, as shown below.

## What a GIF on a website really is

Moving pictures on websites, and how to save each

| What it is | Right-click shows | How to save it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A GIF file | Save image as | Save it as it is |
| An animated WebP | Save image as (.webp) | Save it, then convert it if an app needs GIF |
| A looping MP4 or WebM | Save video as, or nothing | Save the video, then convert it |
| A Lottie animation | Nothing | Save its .json file |
| A CSS or canvas animation | Nothing | Record your screen instead |

Good to know: Social and GIF sites usually play GIFs as MP4: the file is much smaller and plays more smoothly.

- [Download Lottie animations](https://sitepeel.dev/guides/download-lottie-from-website/index.md)

## Turn an MP4 or WebP into a GIF

ffmpeg turns a video into a GIF. The palette step keeps colors clean, and scale sets the width. ImageMagick handles animated WebP.

Example: to-gif.sh

```
ffmpeg -i clip.mp4 -vf "fps=15,scale=480:-1:flags=lanczos,split[a][b];[a]palettegen[p];[b][p]paletteuse" clip.gif

# animated WebP
magick clip.webp clip.gif
```

Tip: A GIF of a few seconds can be several megabytes. Keep it short and narrow.

## Find GIFs in DevTools

- Open DevTools, go to Network, choose Img and reload.
- Type `gif` in the filter box. Also try `webp`, and `mp4` under Media.
- Right-click a request, choose Open in new tab, then save it.
- In Elements, check the `<img>` or `<video>` tag’s `src` for the file’s address.

## What the asset extractor finds

It lists every image the page loads, GIFs included, with looping videos under Video and Lottie files under Animations. Type .gif in its search to see only GIF files, and hover a video to play it.

## Questions and answers

### How do I download a GIF from a website?

Right-click it and choose Save image as. If it saves as WebP or MP4, convert it back with ffmpeg. For every GIF on a page, paste the link into a free asset extractor and search for .gif.

### Why does my GIF save as a WebP or MP4?

The site converted it to a smaller format. The animation is the same; only the file type changed. Keep it, or convert it back to GIF with ffmpeg or ImageMagick.

### How do I save a GIF on my phone?

Press and hold the GIF and choose Save image, or Save to Photos on an iPhone. If no save option appears, it is a video: use the browser’s download option for the video.

### How do I convert an MP4 to a GIF?

Run ffmpeg with a palette filter, as shown above, or use any video to GIF converter. Keep it short: a GIF is much larger than the same clip as MP4.

### Can I use GIFs from other websites?

GIFs are made from someone’s video, art or film, so they have owners. Sharing one in a chat is common; using it in your product or ads needs permission.

## Further reading

- [FFmpeg filters: palettegen and paletteuse](https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html)
- [ImageMagick: command-line tools](https://imagemagick.org/script/command-line-tools.php)

## Related pages

- [Download Lottie animations from a website](https://sitepeel.dev/guides/download-lottie-from-website/index.md): Save the Lottie JSON, .lottie and Rive files a website plays, with a free asset extractor or Chrome DevTools, then play them and check the license.
- [Download videos from a website](https://sitepeel.dev/guides/download-video-from-website/index.md): Download a video from a website four ways: Save video as, a free video downloader, Chrome DevTools or ffmpeg for streams. Plus what to do for YouTube and Vimeo.
- [Save WebP images as JPG or PNG](https://sitepeel.dev/guides/save-webp-as-jpg/index.md): Save a WebP or AVIF image from a website as JPG or PNG: convert it in Paint, Photos or Preview, ask the site for a JPG, or convert a whole folder at once.
- [Extract website images](https://sitepeel.dev/guides/extract-images-from-website/index.md): Download a website’s images, SVGs and videos, choose the right size and see why some files won’t download. Online or with Sitepeel for Chrome.