Reddit video downloader

How this Reddit video downloader works

Paste a Reddit post URL (reddit.com/r/…/comments/… or v.redd.it/…). We read the post JSON and pull Reddit-hosted video only: secure_media.reddit_video fallback_url (MP4, often video without audio), plus HLS/DASH URLs, height, duration, and GIF flags. YouTube and Vimeo links are refused with a message to open them there — we don't strip other sites' players.

How downloading works

1. 1

   Read post metadata

   GET /api/tools/video returns title, subreddit, dimensions, video_url, and audio_url when DASH audio exists.

2. 2

   Proxy the file

   GET /api/tools/video/file streams the MP4 with Content-Disposition so the browser saves it. v.redd.it blocks some hotlink contexts, so the proxy matters. 60s timeout, ~200MB cap, strict 10/10min IP limit.

3. 3

   Sound

   Reddit splits audio (DASH_audio.mp4). If ffmpeg exists on the server we can mux; otherwise you get Video + Audio buttons and a note that mux is unavailable. No ffmpeg dependency is required.

Who this is for

• Researchers archiving public clips they have a right to keep.
• Editors grabbing their own uploads for re-cuts.
• Anyone previewing before they cite a thread.

Limits

Personal use of public Reddit-hosted media only. Respect the poster, the subreddit rules, and copyright. Private, deleted, and non-video posts return a plain error, never a stack trace.