Guide · Troubleshooting
Video link not downloading? Causes and fixes
What each NoBsDL error message means, and what you can do about it — from private videos to file-size limits.
First check: open the link in a private browser window. If you can't watch the video there without logging in, NoBsDL can't download it either.
The link itself
"This URL is not supported"
The link isn't to a single public video on a supported site. Paste the video's own page, not a profile, channel, search page or login page.
It's a channel or search link
Open one video and copy its link. For a whole YouTube playlist, use the playlist downloader.
A shortened share link fails
Some short links (for example TikTok's vm. links) don't always resolve. Open it in a browser first and copy the full video address.
The video is embedded on another site
Paste the original site's video page, not the page that embeds it.
The video isn't public
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Private, restricted or requires login | The owner limited who can watch it | Nothing on our side — only public videos work |
| Members-only or age-restricted (YouTube) | YouTube requires a signed-in account | These can't be downloaded here |
| Unavailable, region-blocked or deleted | The source no longer serves it at that link | Check the link still plays; find a working copy |
| Uses DRM protection | The stream is encrypted by the site | DRM-protected video can't be downloaded |
Live streams
- Hasn't started yet: try again once it's live, or after it ends.
- Just ended: YouTube needs a little time to finalise the replay. Try again shortly.
- Still live: active streams work only in limited cases. A finished replay works like a normal video.
Size and usage limits
| Message | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| File too large for the free limit | Free video files go up to 500MB, MP3 up to 100MB | Pick a lower resolution or 128 kbps MP3, or use Supporter access (2GB) |
| "You already have 3 downloads in progress" | Up to three downloads run at once per connection | Wait for one to finish |
| "Too many lookups in a short time" | Many different links were looked up quickly | Wait the number of seconds shown, then retry |
| Free limit of downloads per hour reached | Free downloads are capped per hour per connection | Try again later — the message says when |
| "This exact format is not available anymore" | The source changed its formats since the lookup | Pick another quality or look the link up again |
Temporary problems
Messages like "YouTube is temporarily limiting requests from our servers", "the source platform timed out" or "the download was interrupted" are short-lived. Wait a few minutes and try the same link again.
On a phone, keep the page open until the download starts. Closing the tab while the file is being prepared means starting again.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a video play for me but not download?
You may be logged in to that site. NoBsDL can only download publicly available videos, so private, members-only and login-only videos don't work.
Why is only one quality listed?
NoBsDL lists only what the source serves. Some videos are uploaded in a single quality, and some sites serve one combined file.
Why is there no MP3 option?
The media may have no sound, or audio couldn't be extracted from that link.
Start over: paste a link · download a video from a link