Export cookies.txt for yt-dlp, curl and wget.
Sign in in your browser, export a Netscape-format cookies file, and hand it to the command line.
Export
- Sign in to the site in your browser and open JarFlip on that tab.
- Press Export, choose cookies.txt and pick what to include: This site, A jar or Selected.
- Save the file (for example
example.com.cookies.txt).
Use it
# yt-dlp yt-dlp --cookies example.com.cookies.txt "https://example.com/watch?v=…" # curl curl -b example.com.cookies.txt https://example.com/account # wget wget --load-cookies example.com.cookies.txt https://example.com/account
The file starts with the # Netscape HTTP Cookie File header those tools expect. HttpOnly cookies are written with the #HttpOnly_ prefix, and session cookies get an expiry of 0. The format can’t store SameSite or partition keys, so those are dropped — use JarFlip JSON when you need them kept.
Keep it safe
A cookies file is a login. Anyone with it can act as you until the session expires. Store it outside your repository, don’t paste it into bug reports, and delete it when you’re done. Use an account you can afford to rotate for automated downloads.
Questions
Why not use yt-dlp’s --cookies-from-browser?+
That works when yt-dlp can read your browser profile directly. An exported cookies.txt is useful on a server, in a container, or when the browser keeps its cookies encrypted in a way yt-dlp can’t read.
Which cookies does it export?+
The cookies for the current site — or a saved jar, or just the ones you select — in the Netscape cookies.txt format that curl, wget and yt-dlp read.
Is it safe to share the file?+
No. It contains live session cookies. Don’t paste it into issues or chats, and delete it when you’re done.