Video URL
Paste a link from YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or X and get the video as a file your workflow can use.
Overview
The Video URL node turns a social video link into a stored video file. Paste the link and the node fetches the video on its own — there is nothing to click for a TikTok, a Reel, a Short or any other short clip. The file lands in your library, and every downstream node (trim, captions, video analysis, motion transfer, video-to-video, …) receives that file, not the web page.
A direct link to a video file (.mp4, .webm, .mov, .avi) is also accepted. It is passed through as it is — nothing is downloaded.
Configuration
| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| URL | Text input | — | A video link from a supported platform, or a direct video file link |
| From / To | Time (1:30, 1:02:03 or seconds) |
0:00 – 1:00 |
Shown for a long YouTube video: the part to download |
Supported platforms: YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X/Twitter.
How a link is fetched
| Link | What happens |
|---|---|
| TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X | Downloads the whole video as soon as the link is pasted. |
| YouTube, shorter than 4 minutes | Downloads the whole video as soon as the link is pasted, at up to 1080p. |
| YouTube, 4 minutes or longer (or a length that could not be read) | The node shows the video’s length and asks: Download this part (From / To) or Download whole video. Nothing is downloaded until you choose. |
| YouTube live stream | Cannot be downloaded — try again after it ends. |
| Direct video file link | Passed through as it is. |
The clip you get for a chosen part may include a few extra seconds on each side — the cut follows the video’s keyframes. Use a Trim Video node after it when you need an exact cut.
After a YouTube video is downloaded you can fetch a different part of the same link from the node’s settings (Download a different part).
Running a workflow
Run never reads a link that was not fetched yet. If a Video URL node that feeds the run still has no file, Run downloads it first and then starts; you see the node’s own progress bar meanwhile, and Cancel on the message leaves the wait (the download itself carries on). Two cases stop the run with a message naming the node instead:
- a long YouTube video with no part chosen — choose one (or the whole video) and run again;
- a download that failed — the message says why.
Run only fetches what it needs:
- a Video URL node that is not connected to anything in the run is left alone;
- Transcribe, Suno Cover and Dubbing use the link’s sound, not its picture — a run where they are the only readers never waits for a video download, however long the video is.
Opening a workflow never starts a download. A node that was mid-download when the page was closed picks that same download back up if it is still running; otherwise it shows Download Video again.
Inputs & Outputs
Inputs: None (this is a source node)
Outputs:
- Video — the downloaded file (or the direct file link you pasted)
The node also fetches the link’s audio track in the background; Suno Cover and Transcribe use it when they are connected to this node.
When a download fails
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| The video came through without its sound | The source answered with a sound-less copy. Try again in a moment. If the video really has no sound, choose Download without sound. |
| This video is private | Ask the owner to make it public. |
| This video is age-restricted | It cannot be downloaded. |
| This video isn’t available in the region we download from | The source blocks it by location. |
| The connection dropped while downloading | Try again — the download may already be finished, and the retry picks it up. |
| Too many downloads are running at once | An account can run 4 downloads at a time. Wait for one to finish, then try again. |
| Couldn’t fetch this video | Check that the link opens in a private browser window. |
Hover the message to see the source’s own wording.
Common Use Cases
- Import a YouTube video, or a part of one, for re-editing, captions or analysis
- Download a TikTok or a Reel for a remix or a transformation
- Source a reference video for Motion Transfer
- Pull frames out of a social video for Image to Video
Tips
- For audio only from YouTube, use the Reference Audio node instead
- Only download videos you have the right to use
- The downloaded file counts toward your storage; delete it from the Library when you no longer need it
Building workflows through the API
A Video URL node outputs a real file only after the editor downloaded it — a workflow written through the API or by an agent carries just the link, and a run started from the API does not fetch it. To feed a social video into such a workflow, import it first with POST /v1/download-video (see API integration) and put the returned file URL in an Upload Video node, or in this node’s URL field — a direct file link passes through.