Where Is the yt-dlp Config File?
yt-dlp config file locations on Windows, macOS and Linux plus the portable config next to the binary.
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yt-dlp reads options from config files so common flags survive between runs. A portable config next to the binary wins, then user-level files, then system ones.
Each line holds one option exactly as the CLI takes it. Start with output templates and rate limits there and the command line gets much shorter.
Where yt-dlp stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\yt-dlp\config
User-level config; a yt-dlp.conf next to the binary overrides it, and both config and config.txt spellings are read. Keep one canonical file to avoid precedence surprises.
~/Library/Application Support/yt-dlp/config
Same one-option-per-line format as other platforms. Portable yt-dlp.conf beside the binary takes precedence.
~/.config/yt-dlp/config
User config following XDG conventions, with /etc/yt-dlp.conf as the system-wide fallback. The executable's directory config overrides both.
Frequently asked questions
What goes inside the yt-dlp config file?
One CLI option per line, like -o followed by your output template on the next token. Comment lines start with #.
Why is yt-dlp ignoring my config?
A higher-precedence file usually shadows it: portable config beats user config beats system config. Check each level for a stray file.
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