Alexis Kestler
Have you ever found an amazing video on Vimeo, only to realize it‘s marked as private so you can‘t directly download it?
I‘ve been there too, and it can be so frustrating!
But don‘t worry my friend, in this guide I‘m going to show you how to easily save any private Vimeo video to your computer as an MP4 file.
As a fellow video lover and streaming enthusiast, I‘ve picked up a few handy tricks over the years for finding and downloading videos from sites like Vimeo.
And I‘m excited to share them with you today!
Here‘s a quick peek at what I‘ll cover:
- Why Vimeo Doesn‘t Let You Download Private Videos
- When You Might Want to Download a Private Video
- Step-by-Step Guide to Downloading Private Vimeo Videos
- How to Use Inspect Element and Find the Hidden Video URL
- Pro Tips and Troubleshooting Advice
- Answering Your FAQs About Vimeo Downloads
By the end, you‘ll be a pro at finding and saving any private Vimeo video to watch offline later.
Let‘s get started!
Why Vimeo Doesn‘t Let You Download Private Videos
First, let‘s talk about why Vimeo doesn‘t offer downloading for private videos.
As you probably know, Vimeo focuses more on high-quality original video content compared to YouTube. It tends to attract professionals like filmmakers, creatives, businesses, etc.
Vimeo offers advanced privacy controls so users can choose whether to make their videos:
- Public – anyone can view and download
- Private – only accessible via a direct link
- Password Protected – must enter a password to view
This allows creators to share videos privately while maintaining full control.
According to Vimeo themselves:
"Vimeo empowers video creators to decide how and when their videos are viewed, downloaded and shared."
For public videos, Vimeo displays a clear "Download" button below the video player, making it easy to save a copy.
But for private videos, there is no download button or option.
Vimeo intentionally restricts downloading private videos to respect the video owner‘s privacy settings and prevent piracy.
But…
When You Might Want to Download a Private Vimeo Video
While Vimeo‘s stance makes sense, there are still good reasons you might want to download a private video, like:
- Archiving or backing up a special video – maybe your friend shared a private video of your wedding day dance and you want to save a copy
- Reusing footage for a project – if a colleague shared private b-roll and you need a clip for an edit
- Watching offline when you don‘t have internet
- Sharing a copy with someone who can‘t access the private link
My friend, the good news is – even though Vimeo won‘t let you directly download private videos, there is a handy workaround using some simple web inspector tricks.
Let me walk you through it step-by-step…
Step-by-Step Guide to Downloading Private Vimeo Videos
The key to downloading private Vimeo videos is using your web browser‘s inspect tool to view the hidden video URL, and then saving that file.
Here are the 6 key steps:
Step 1: Inspect the Vimeo page
First, navigate to the private Vimeo video page and pull up the inspector tool:
- On Google Chrome – right click, choose "Inspect"
- On Firefox – right click, choose "Inspect Element"
- On Safari – Show Develop menu, click "Inspect Element"
This opens the inspector panel and lets you view the code behind the page.
Step 2: Play the video
On the Vimeo page, play the video for at least 10-15 seconds.
This ensures the full video file loads in the page assets, which we‘ll need to access next.
Step 3: Go to Network and search "player"
In the inspector tool, click the "Network" tab. This shows all files loaded on the page.
Search for "player" to filter for just the video player files.
Step 4: Refresh and open the first file
This small extra step is key:
First, refresh the full Vimeo page to reload all assets.
Then go back to Network, and open the first file that appears at the top.
Step 5: Save the file as a .txt
Right click on the file code and choose "Save as".
Save it as a .txt file so you can search through it easily later.
Step 6: Find and copy the .mp4 URL
Open the .txt in a text editor. Search for "mp4" to find the video file link.
Copy the full .mp4 video URL.
Step 7: Paste URL to download
Paste the MP4 URL in your browser to open the video file, then right click and choose "Save Video As" to download locally! 🎉
And that‘s it! With these 7 steps you can now easily save any private Vimeo video.
Next I‘ll explain what‘s happening behind the scenes and share some pro tips.
How to Use Inspect Element and Find the Hidden Video URL
Inspecting the page and viewing the Network requests lets you see behind the scenes to find where the private video URL is hidden.
Here‘s a more in-depth look at what‘s happening in each step:
Use Inspect to View Page Assets
The "Inspect Element" tool built into every major browser lets you see the code and files that make up a web page.
When you load a Vimeo video, your browser makes a request to the Vimeo servers to get the page code, video player, video file, and more.
The inspect tool lets you see all these assets your browser loaded from the server.
Play the Video to Trigger File Load
Simply opening the Vimeo page won‘t always load the full video file yet.
Playing the video for 10+ seconds triggers your browser to request and cache the video file locally so it‘s ready when you play.
This ensures the full video URL gets loaded, so we can find it in the next steps.
Search Network for "Player"
The Network tab shows every file loaded on the page. This can be 100+ requests!
Searching for "player" filters out everything except the main video player JavaScript file.
This is where we‘ll find the video URL reference.
Refresh to Get Complete URL
Before refreshing, the video URL returned may only be a partial, temporary link.
Refreshing causes all assets to reload, giving you the full complete video URL you can use to download the file.
Save as .txt to Search Code
Saving the page code as a .txt file makes it easy to search through everything using CTRL/CMD + F rather than sifting through code.
Find .mp4 URL to Download
Finally, inside the text document you can search for "mp4" to quickly find the video file URL.
This direct link to the .mp4 file can then be used to download the video.
And that‘s how inspecting the page lets you access the private video URL that Vimeo hides from public view!
Next I‘ll share some pro tips.
Pro Tips and Troubleshooting Advice
After using this process to download tons of Vimeo videos over the years, I‘ve picked up a few tips and tricks along the way.
Here are some pro suggestions:
-
Use Google Chrome – Chrome has the best inspect tools built-in. Firefox works too. Avoid Safari.
-
Try different quality links – You may find multiple versions of the video available, like 1080p HD or 720p.
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Check the URL expiration – Some links expire after a certain time. Download sooner rather than later.
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Paste video URL in VLC – If you have trouble downloading, try opening the MP4 URL in VLC media player instead.
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Use a downloading extension – Browser extensions like Video DownloadHelper can automate this process.
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Don‘t download videos you don‘t own! – Respect copyright and only use these steps for videos you have rights to use.
And here are some troubleshooting tips in case you run into problems:
-
Play video longer – If you can‘t find the URL, play the video for 30+ sec to trigger the full file load.
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Refresh before searching – Be sure to refresh so the complete URL loads.
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Check URL format – The video URL should start with "https" and end with ".mp4".
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Try a different browser – Switch to Chrome or Firefox if Safari gives you issues.
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Use a different PC/network – Corporate networks may block video downloads.
Let me know if any issues come up! I‘m always happy to help out.
Next I‘ll answer some common questions about downloading Vimeo videos.
Answering Your FAQs About Vimeo Downloads
I know you might still have some questions about finding and downloading private Vimeo videos. Here are answers to some common FAQs:
Is downloading videos from Vimeo illegal?
Vimeo‘s Terms of Service prohibit downloading videos you don‘t own the rights to. However, downloading your own private videos to archive or share offline is perfectly legal.
What video formats are available?
Most Vimeo videos are available in MP4 format. But you may also find WebM, MKV, or MOV files depending on the video source. MP4s work best for compatibility.
Does this work for password protected videos?
Yes! As long as you have the password to view the video, this inspection method can locate and download password protected videos too.
What about subscription only videos?
If you subscribe to access the video, this can work. But downloading may be restricted by your subscription terms. Always check the fine print first.
Could I get in trouble for this?
As long as you only download private videos you have permission to access, there should be no issues. Do NOT download videos you don‘t own rights to.
Are there easier ways to do this?
A few browser extensions like Video DownloadHelper can automate finding and downloading Vimeo videos. But you still have to inspect the page source.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help explain these tools and tricks.
The most important rule is to respect content creators and only download videos you have permission to use.
Now Go Enjoy Those Private Videos!
And there you have it my friend! Now you can easily locate and download any private video from Vimeo.
Just use the simple inspection steps to find the hidden video URL, and save it right to your computer.
You‘ll be watching, sharing and enjoying private Vimeo videos in no time. 😎
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any trouble downloading your favorite private videos. I‘m always happy to help fellow video lovers out.
Keep streaming and enjoying all that amazing content!
