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https://github.com/ruslanlap/powertoysrun-videodownloader

PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader is a plugin for Microsoft PowerToys Run that allows you to quickly download videos from various platforms (primarily YouTube) directly from your PowerToys Run interface. Simply type dl followed by a video URL to get started.
https://github.com/ruslanlap/powertoysrun-videodownloader

dotnet powershell-script powertoys powertoys-run powertoys-run-plugin windows windows-10 windows-11 windows-forms

Last synced: 5 months ago
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PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader is a plugin for Microsoft PowerToys Run that allows you to quickly download videos from various platforms (primarily YouTube) directly from your PowerToys Run interface. Simply type dl followed by a video URL to get started.

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          
# 🎥 Video Downloader for PowerToys Run






![Demo](assets/demo-videodownloader.gif)



**Download videos from YouTube and 1000+ sites directly from your keyboard**



[![Latest Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader?style=for-the-badge&color=50FA7B&labelColor=282A36)](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/releases/latest)

[![Total Downloads](https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/total?style=for-the-badge&color=6272A4&labelColor=282A36)](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/releases)

[![Build Status](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/build-and-release.yml?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=282A36)](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/actions)

[![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-FFB86C.svg?style=for-the-badge&labelColor=282A36)](LICENSE)



[![PowerToys](https://img.shields.io/badge/PowerToys-v0.75+-8BE9FD?style=flat-square&labelColor=282A36)](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys)

[![.NET](https://img.shields.io/badge/.NET-9.0-FF79C6?style=flat-square&labelColor=282A36)](https://dotnet.microsoft.com)

[![Platform](https://img.shields.io/badge/Platform-Windows%2010%2B-8BE9FD?style=flat-square&labelColor=282A36)](https://www.microsoft.com/windows)

[![Architecture](https://img.shields.io/badge/Arch-x64%20%7C%20ARM64-FFB86C?style=flat-square&labelColor=282A36)](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/releases)

[![Awesome](https://awesome.re/mentioned-badge.svg)](https://github.com/hlaueriksson/awesome-powertoys-run-plugins)



[🚀 Quick Install](#-installation) · [📖 Usage Guide](#-usage) · [⚙️ Configuration](#️-configuration) · [❓ FAQ](#-faq)



---



### 📥 Download Latest Release






[![Download for x64](https://img.shields.io/badge/Download-x64%20-50FA7B?style=for-the-badge&logo=windows&logoColor=white)](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/releases/latest/download/VideoDownloader-1.0.12-x64.zip)

[![Download for ARM64](https://img.shields.io/badge/Download-ARM64%20-50FA7B?style=for-the-badge&logo=windows&logoColor=white)](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/releases/latest/download/VideoDownloader-1.0.12-ARM64.zip)



**Latest Version: v1.0.12** | [View All Releases](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/releases)









---



## ⚡ Overview



**VideoDownloader** seamlessly integrates video downloading into PowerToys Run. Type `dl` followed by any video URL and download instantly—no browser, no extra tools, just pure productivity.



- **Action Keyword:** `dl`

- **Platforms:** YouTube, Vimeo, and [1000+ sites](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/blob/master/supportedsites.md)

- **Architectures:** x64 & ARM64

- **Requirements:** Windows 10/11, PowerToys v0.75+



> ⚠️ **Educational purposes only.** Respect copyright laws and platform terms of service. This tool doesn't bypass DRM or paid content restrictions.



---



## ✨ Features



- ⚡ **One-Command Downloads** – Type URL, hit Enter, done

- 🎬 **Multiple Formats** – MP4 video, MP3 audio, various qualities

- 📊 **Format Preview** – View all available qualities before downloading

- 🎨 **Theme-Aware** – Auto-adapts to dark/light system theme

- 📂 **Custom Locations** – Save to any folder you choose

- 🔄 **Auto-Updates** – yt-dlp auto-downloaded and managed

- 📝 **Subtitle Support** – Download with captions when needed

- 🚀 **No Dependencies** – Everything bundled, zero config



---



## 🚀 Installation



### Quick Install



1. **Download** the latest release:

    - [x64 Release](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/releases/latest/download/VideoDownloader-1.0.12-x64.zip)

    - [ARM64 Release](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/releases/latest/download/VideoDownloader-1.0.12-ARM64.zip)



2. **Extract** to:



    ```

    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys\PowerToys Run\Plugins\

    ```



3. **Restart** PowerToys (right-click tray icon → Exit, then relaunch)



4. **Test** by pressing `Alt+Space` and typing `dl`



### Manual Build



```bash

git clone https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader.git

cd PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader

dotnet restore

dotnet build -c Release

```



Output: `VideoDownloader/bin/Release/net9.0-windows10.0.22621.0/`



---



## 📚 Usage



### Basic Download



```

dl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

```



### Available Options



| Command                       | Description                 |

| ----------------------------- | --------------------------- |

| `dl [URL]`                    | Download best quality video |

| Select "Audio Only (MP3)"     | Extract audio as MP3        |

| Select "Video Information"    | Preview available formats   |

| Select "Open Download Folder" | Open downloads location     |



### Examples






| ![Demo 1](assets/demo1.png) | ![Demo 2](assets/demo2.png) | ![Demo 3](assets/demo3.png) |

| :-------------------------: | :-------------------------: | :-------------------------: |

|       Basic download        |      Audio extraction       |      Format selection       |






---



## ⚙️ Configuration



Access via: **PowerToys Settings → Run → Plugins → Video Downloader**



### Settings



- **Action Keyword** – Change from default `dl`

- **Download Location** – Set custom save folder

- **Default Format** – Video (MP4) or Audio (MP3)

- **Quality Preference** – Best, 1080p, 720p, etc.

- **Auto-Open Folder** – Open location after download



---



## 🛠️ Building from Source



### Prerequisites



- [.NET 9.0 SDK](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/9.0)

- [Visual Studio 2022](https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/) (or Rider/VS Code)

- [PowerToys](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys) installed



### Build



```bash

# Clone repo

git clone https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader.git

cd PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader



# Restore and build

dotnet restore

dotnet build -c Release



# Package for distribution

cd VideoDownloader

dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained false

```



### Project Structure



```

PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/

├── VideoDownloader/

│   └── Community.PowerToys.Run.Plugin.VideoDownloader/

│       ├── Main.cs                    # Plugin entry point

│       ├── VideoDownloadService.cs    # Core download logic

│       └── plugin.json                # Plugin metadata

├── tests/                             # Unit tests

├── assets/                            # Icons, demos, screenshots

├── .github/workflows/                 # CI/CD automation

└── README.md

```



---



## ❓ FAQ



Which sites are supported?



YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, TikTok, and [1000+ more](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/blob/master/supportedsites.md) via yt-dlp.



Can I download 4K videos?



Yes, if the source provides 4K and your download location has sufficient space.



Does it work with playlists?



Yes, paste a playlist URL and it'll download all videos sequentially.



Is it legal?



Downloading copyrighted content without permission violates most platforms' ToS. Use responsibly and only for content you have rights to download.



Plugin not showing up?



1. Verify extraction to `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\PowerToys\PowerToys Run\Plugins\`

2. Ensure folder name matches: `Community.PowerToys.Run.Plugin.VideoDownloader`

3. Restart PowerToys completely (Exit from tray)

4. Check PowerToys Settings → Run → Plugins → Enable "Video Downloader"



Download fails with "yt-dlp not found"?



The plugin auto-downloads yt-dlp on first use. Ensure internet connectivity and try again.



How do I update yt-dlp?



The plugin checks for yt-dlp updates automatically. You can manually update by deleting the yt-dlp binary from the plugin folder—it'll re-download latest on next use.



---



## 🛠️ Troubleshooting



| Issue                    | Solution                                                      |

| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- |

| **Plugin not appearing** | Extract to correct folder, restart PowerToys                  |

| **Download hangs**       | Check internet connection, try different quality              |

| **"Video unavailable"**  | Site may block downloads or require login                     |

| **Slow downloads**       | Try lower quality or check bandwidth                          |

| **yt-dlp errors**        | Delete `yt-dlp.exe` from plugin folder to trigger re-download |



Still stuck? [Open an issue](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/issues) with:



- Video URL

- Error message

- Screenshot



---



## 📝 Changelog



### v1.0.12 (Latest)



- 🐛 Fixed filename formatting - now preserves spaces instead of replacing with underscores

- ✨ Filenames now match native yt-dlp behavior while remaining Windows-compatible



### v1.0.11



- ✨ Added subtitle download option

- ⚡ Improved download speed

- 🐛 Fixed metadata handling



### v1.0.8



- ✅ PowerToys Run compliance (PTRUN1301, PTRUN1303, etc.)

- 📦 SHA256 checksums for releases

- 🔧 ARM64 build fixes



[Full changelog](VideoDownloader/Community.PowerToys.Run.Plugin.VideoDownloader/CHANGELOG.md)



---



## 🙏 Acknowledgements



Built with:



- [Microsoft PowerToys](https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys) – Extensible launcher framework

- [yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp) – Universal video downloader

- [YoutubeExplode](https://github.com/Tyrrrz/YoutubeExplode) – YouTube metadata parsing



Special thanks to all [contributors](https://github.com/ruslanlap/PowerToysRun-VideoDownloader/graphs/contributors) and users!



---



## 📄 License



MIT License – see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.



---



## ☕ Support



Enjoying this plugin? Support development:



[![Buy Me A Coffee](https://img.shields.io/badge/Buy%20Me%20A%20Coffee-☕-FFDD00?style=for-the-badge&logo=buy-me-a-coffee&logoColor=black)](https://ruslanlap.github.io/ruslanlap_buymeacoffe/)



---






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Made with ❤️ by [ruslanlap](https://github.com/ruslanlap)