# Download videos from a website

> 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.

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

To download a video from a website, right-click it and choose Save video as. If that is blocked, paste the page’s link into a free video downloader, or open DevTools, choose Network, filter by Media and reload to find the MP4. Streams (.m3u8) need ffmpeg. YouTube, Vimeo and protected streams work differently.

Published: 2026-10-27

Updated: 2026-10-28

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

- Save video as works whenever the site plays its own MP4 or WebM file
- HLS streams arrive as a playlist of short pieces: ffmpeg joins them into one MP4
- YouTube, Vimeo and protected streams aren’t files you can save from the page
- The video belongs to the site’s owner: ask before you reuse it

## How to use it

1. **Try Save video as** Right-click the video. If the menu offers Save video as, that saves the MP4 or WebM file.
2. **Paste the link into a downloader** No menu? Paste the page’s link into Sitepeel’s free video downloader. It lists the video files the page loads.
3. **Or find it in DevTools** Open DevTools, choose Network, filter by Media, reload and play the video. Open the .mp4 request in a new tab.
4. **Convert a stream to MP4** For an .m3u8 playlist, copy its address and convert it with ffmpeg or VLC, as shown below.

## Which videos can you save?

How websites play video, and what you can save

| Kind | How it loads | Can you save it? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Background and product videos | A `<video>` with an MP4 or WebM file | Yes, as the file |
| HLS or DASH stream | An `.m3u8` or `.mpd` playlist of short pieces | Partly: save the playlist, then convert it |
| YouTube, Vimeo, social posts | The platform’s own player in an iframe | No: use the platform’s own download option |
| Protected (DRM) streams | Encrypted media for paid services | No |

Good to know: A `blob:` address in the video’s src means a script streams it. Look for the .m3u8 or .mpd request instead.

## What the asset extractor finds

Sitepeel opens the page and scrolls it so late videos load. It lists the videos in `<video>` tags, their other formats, videos named in the page’s data, and video files scripts load. Each one previews with sound and downloads through Sitepeel.

![The asset extractor’s video window plays an MP4 from framer.com, with its type, where it was found, its address and a Download button.](https://sitepeel.dev/images/guides/shots/asset-extractor-video.webp)

A video from framer.com in the free asset extractor: play it, then download the MP4.

- Streams show as a playlist with a note; the short pieces a player fetched may be listed too.
- Files over 60 MB download from the site itself: press Open original.

- [Video downloader: just the videos from any page, free](https://sitepeel.dev/free-tools/video-downloader/index.md)
- [Asset extractor: videos plus every image, SVG and font](https://sitepeel.dev/free-tools/asset-extractor/index.md)

## Download a video when right-click is blocked

Blocking the menu doesn’t hide the file: the browser still has to fetch it. Find it in DevTools:

- Open DevTools (F12), go to Network and choose the Media filter.
- Reload the page, then scroll to the video and play it.
- Look for .mp4 or .webm requests. For streams, choose All and type `m3u8` or `mpd`.
- In Elements, check the `<video>` tag and its `<source>` tags for a src.
- Right-click a request, choose Open in new tab, then save it from the player’s menu.

## YouTube and Vimeo: what to do instead

Their videos live on the platform and stream in pieces through its own player, so there is no file on the page to save. YouTube’s terms don’t allow downloading except where YouTube offers it. Use what each platform gives you:

- YouTube: save videos for offline viewing in the YouTube app with Premium
- Your own YouTube uploads: download them from YouTube Studio
- Vimeo: use the Download button when the owner has turned it on
- Anywhere else: ask the creator for the file

Good to know: The asset extractor lists these players under Embeds, with a link to the video, not a video file.

## Turn an HLS playlist into one MP4

An .m3u8 file is a short text list of video pieces. Give its address to ffmpeg, which fetches the pieces and joins them without re-encoding. In VLC, use Media > Convert / Save and paste the address on the Network tab.

Example: save-stream.sh

```
ffmpeg -i "https://example.com/video/playlist.m3u8" -c copy video.mp4
```

Watch out: Encrypted (DRM) streams won’t convert. Don’t try to get around that protection.

## Questions and answers

### How do I directly download a video from a website?

Right-click the video and choose Save video as. If there is no such option, paste the page’s link into a free video downloader, or find the .mp4 in DevTools: Network, the Media filter, then reload and play.

### How do I download a video from a site that doesn’t allow it?

If only right-click is blocked, use DevTools or a video downloader: the file is still public. Protected (DRM) streams and YouTube or Vimeo players have no file to save; use the platform’s own download option or ask the owner.

### How do I download videos from Chrome?

Right-click and choose Save video as. Otherwise press F12, open Network, choose Media, reload and play the video, then open the .mp4 request in a new tab and save it from the player’s menu.

### How do I download an m3u8 video?

Copy the playlist’s address, then run ffmpeg -i with that address and -c copy video.mp4, or open it in VLC with Media > Convert / Save. It only works for streams that aren’t encrypted.

### Can I use videos I download from a website?

Not without permission. They belong to the site’s owner or whoever made them. Use them for reference, or ask for a license before you reuse them.

## Further reading

- [MDN: the <video> element](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Elements/video)
- [Chrome DevTools: Network features reference](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools/network/reference)
- [FFmpeg documentation](https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html)
- [YouTube Terms of Service](https://www.youtube.com/static?template=terms)
- [YouTube Help: download your own videos](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/56100)
- [YouTube Help: Premium benefits, including offline downloads](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6308116)
- [Vimeo Help: downloading permissions on videos](https://help.vimeo.com/hc/en-us/articles/15059498665745-How-to-change-downloading-permissions-on-my-videos)

## Related pages

- [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.
- [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 3D models from a website](https://sitepeel.dev/guides/download-3d-models-from-website/index.md): Find and save the GLB, glTF, USDZ and Spline files a website loads, using Chrome DevTools or a free asset extractor, and learn what you may reuse.
- [Find larger website image sources](https://sitepeel.dev/guides/download-original-website-images/index.md): Get the larger image behind a website thumbnail: open the gallery view, check srcset and currentSrc, and know when the original isn’t public.