> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Format Selection

> Master yt-dlp's powerful format selection system to download exactly the quality and format you need

By default, yt-dlp tries to download the best available quality. This is generally equivalent to using `-f bestvideo*+bestaudio/best`. However, you have granular control over which formats to download.

## Basic Format Selection

The general syntax for format selection is `-f FORMAT` (or `--format FORMAT`) where `FORMAT` is a selector expression.

### Simple Format Codes

The simplest case is requesting a specific format by its code:

```bash theme={null}
# Download format with code 22
yt-dlp -f 22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

# List all available formats for a video
yt-dlp -F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
```

<Note>
  Format codes are extractor-specific and may vary between different video sites.
</Note>

### File Extension Selection

You can download by file extension to get the best quality format of that type:

```bash theme={null}
# Download best quality WebM format
yt-dlp -f webm https://example.com/video

# Download best quality MP4 format
yt-dlp -f mp4 https://example.com/video
```

Supported extensions: `3gp`, `aac`, `flv`, `m4a`, `mp3`, `mp4`, `ogg`, `wav`, `webm`

## Special Format Selectors

yt-dlp provides special names to select particular formats:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Best Quality">
    * `b`, `best` - Best quality format with both video and audio
    * `bv`, `bestvideo` - Best video-only format
    * `ba`, `bestaudio` - Best audio-only format
    * `b*`, `best*` - Best format that contains either video or audio
    * `bv*`, `bestvideo*` - Best format that contains video (may include audio)
    * `ba*`, `bestaudio*` - Best format that contains audio (may include video)

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Download and merge best video + best audio
    yt-dlp -f "bestvideo+bestaudio" URL

    # Download best combined format
    yt-dlp -f "best" URL
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Worst Quality">
    * `w`, `worst` - Worst quality format with both video and audio
    * `wv`, `worstvideo` - Worst video-only format
    * `wa`, `worstaudio` - Worst audio-only format
    * `w*`, `worst*` - Worst format that contains either video or audio

    <Info>
      Instead of using `worst`, consider using `-S +size,+br,+res,+fps` to get the smallest filesize while maintaining better control over quality.
    </Info>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="All Formats">
    * `all` - Select all formats separately
    * `mergeall` - Select and merge all formats (requires `--audio-multistreams` and/or `--video-multistreams`)

    ```bash theme={null}
    # Download all available formats
    yt-dlp -f all URL
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Format Selection by Preference

Specify multiple formats in order of preference using slashes:

```bash theme={null}
# Try format 22, then 17, then 18
yt-dlp -f 22/17/18 URL

# Try best mp4, otherwise best format
yt-dlp -f "bv*[ext=mp4]+ba[ext=m4a]/b[ext=mp4] / bv*+ba/b" URL
```

### Downloading Multiple Formats

Use commas to download several formats of the same video:

```bash theme={null}
# Download formats 22, 17, and 18
yt-dlp -f 22,17,18 URL

# Download best video and best audio separately
yt-dlp -f "bv,ba" -o "%(title)s.f%(format_id)s.%(ext)s" URL
```

### Merging Formats

Merge video and audio using the `+` operator (requires ffmpeg):

```bash theme={null}
# Merge best video-only and best audio-only formats
yt-dlp -f "bestvideo+bestaudio" URL

# Merge specific formats
yt-dlp -f "136+140" URL
```

## Filtering Formats

Filter formats by putting conditions in brackets:

### Numeric Filters

Available numeric fields with comparisons `<`, `<=`, `>`, `>=`, `=`, `!=`:

* `filesize` - Number of bytes (if known)
* `filesize_approx` - Estimated number of bytes
* `width` - Video width
* `height` - Video height
* `tbr` - Total bitrate in kbps
* `abr` - Audio bitrate in kbps
* `vbr` - Video bitrate in kbps
* `fps` - Frame rate
* `audio_channels` - Number of audio channels

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Example: Height Filter theme={null}
  # Download best format with max 720p height
  yt-dlp -f "best[height<=720]" URL
  ```

  ```bash Example: Filesize Filter theme={null}
  # Download only if filesize > 10MB
  yt-dlp -f "[filesize>10M]" URL
  ```

  ```bash Example: Bitrate Filter theme={null}
  # Download video with bitrate > 500kbps, up to 720p
  yt-dlp -f "bv[height<=?720][tbr>500]" URL
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  The `?` after an operator includes formats where the value is unknown. For example, `[height<=?720]` includes videos up to 720p AND videos where height is not known.
</Note>

### String Filters

Available string fields with comparisons `=`, `^=` (starts with), `$=` (ends with), `*=` (contains), `~=` (regex):

* `ext` - File extension
* `acodec` - Audio codec name
* `vcodec` - Video codec name
* `container` - Container format
* `protocol` - Download protocol
* `language` - Language code
* `format_id` - Format identifier

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Example: Codec Filter theme={null}
  # Download h264 or h265 video
  yt-dlp -f "(bv*[vcodec~='^((he|a)vc|h26[45])']+ba) / (bv*+ba/b)" URL
  ```

  ```bash Example: Protocol Filter theme={null}
  # Download via HTTP/HTTPS only
  yt-dlp -f "(bv*+ba/b)[protocol^=http][protocol!*=dash]" URL
  ```

  ```bash Example: Extension Filter theme={null}
  # Download MP4 or WebM with height < 480p
  yt-dlp -f "(mp4,webm)[height<480]" URL
  ```
</CodeGroup>

### Combining Filters

Use parentheses to group filters:

```bash theme={null}
# Complex filter example
yt-dlp -f "((bv*[fps>30]/bv*)[height<=720]/(wv*[fps>30]/wv*)) + ba" URL
```

## Sorting Formats

Change quality criteria using `-S` (`--format-sort`):

### Available Sort Fields

* `quality` - Quality of the format
* `res` - Video resolution (smallest dimension)
* `fps` - Frame rate
* `hdr` - Dynamic range (`DV` > `HDR12` > `HDR10+` > `HDR10` > `HLG` > `SDR`)
* `codec` - Video/audio codec preference
* `size` - Filesize (exact or approximate)
* `br` - Bitrate (total/video/audio)
* `asr` - Audio sample rate
* `proto` - Protocol preference
* `ext` - File extension preference
* `lang` - Language preference

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Resolution">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Download with smallest resolution
    yt-dlp -S "+res" URL

    # Prefer <= 720p, but no larger
    yt-dlp -S "res:720" URL

    # Prefer closest to 480p
    yt-dlp -S "res~480" URL
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Filesize">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Download smallest file
    yt-dlp -S "+size,+br" URL

    # Prefer closest to 50MB
    yt-dlp -f "b" -S "filesize~50M" URL

    # Largest file under 50MB
    yt-dlp -f "b" -S "filesize:50M" URL
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Codec">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Prefer h264 video codec
    yt-dlp -S "codec:h264" URL

    # Prefer h264 video and m4a audio
    yt-dlp -S "+codec:avc:m4a" URL

    # Best extension (mp4 > mov > webm...)
    yt-dlp -S "ext" URL
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Protocol">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Prefer HTTPS over other protocols
    yt-dlp -S "proto" URL

    # Combined sort: resolution, then fps, then codec
    yt-dlp -S "res:720,fps,codec" URL
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Sort Order

* Fields are sorted in **descending** order by default
* Prefix with `+` to reverse to ascending order
* Suffix with `:VALUE` to prefer values up to that limit
* Suffix with `~VALUE` to prefer values closest to that limit

```bash theme={null}
# Prefer larger videos but no bigger than 720p
yt-dlp -S "res:720" URL

# Prefer smallest resolution
yt-dlp -S "+res" URL
```

## Practical Examples

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash Best Quality Download theme={null}
  # Download and merge best video + best audio
  yt-dlp -f "bv+ba/b" URL

  # Or simply (default behavior)
  yt-dlp URL
  ```

  ```bash 720p Maximum theme={null}
  # Best quality up to 720p
  yt-dlp -S "height:720" URL

  # Alternative using filters
  yt-dlp -f "bv*[height<=720]+ba/b[height<=720] / wv*+ba/w" URL
  ```

  ```bash Audio Only theme={null}
  # Extract best audio
  yt-dlp -f "ba" -x --audio-format mp3 URL

  # Using preset alias
  yt-dlp -t mp3 URL
  ```

  ```bash Smallest File theme={null}
  # Download smallest video
  yt-dlp -S "+size,+br,+res,+fps" URL

  # Best quality under 50MB
  yt-dlp -f "b[filesize<50M] / w" URL
  ```

  ```bash Specific Codec theme={null}
  # Prefer h264 video, fallback to any
  yt-dlp -f "bv*[vcodec~='^(avc|h264)']+ba / bv*+ba" URL

  # Sort by codec preference
  yt-dlp -S "codec:h264" URL
  ```

  ```bash Multiple Audio Streams theme={null}
  # Download video with 2 best audio tracks
  yt-dlp -f "bv*+ba+ba.2" --audio-multistreams URL
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Interactive Selection

Use `-f -` to interactively choose the format for each video:

```bash theme={null}
yt-dlp -f - URL
```

## Common Patterns

### YouTube Best Quality

```bash theme={null}
# Default (recommended)
yt-dlp URL

# Explicit format selection
yt-dlp -f "bv*+ba/b" URL
```

### Save Bandwidth

```bash theme={null}
# 480p or lower
yt-dlp -S "res:480" URL

# Smallest possible file
yt-dlp -S "+size" URL
```

### Archive Quality

```bash theme={null}
# Best available, prefer free formats
yt-dlp --prefer-free-formats -S "ext" URL

# Best with specific codec
yt-dlp -S "vcodec:h265,acodec:opus" URL
```