A browser extension that automatically saves YouTube and social videos to a searchable local library before they disappear
YouTube channels go dark without warning, videos get deleted silently, and the only real solution today is yt-dlp, a CLI tool that shuts out everyone who can't use a terminal. A browser extension that sits in the background, auto-queues videos from channels and playlists you follow, routes downloads to a local backend, and gives you a searchable offline library would eliminate the gap between the power of yt-dlp and the accessibility non-technical users need. The product connects a one-click browser install to a lightweight local server, handling scheduling, metadata indexing, and search across your personal archive without touching any cloud storage.
Demand Breakdown
Social Proof 2 sources
Gap Assessment
4 tools exist (yt-dlp, Tube Archivist, starchive, Pinchflat) but gaps remain: Requires terminal knowledge, no browser integration, no scheduling UI, no searchable library, completely inaccessible to non-technical users; No browser extension for one-click save, requires Docker self-hosting with significant setup overhead, no support for Instagram/TikTok/X, no passive background archiving from browsing sessions.
Features7 agent-ready prompts
Competitive LandscapeFREE
| Product | Does | Missing |
|---|---|---|
| yt-dlp | Downloads YouTube and social videos via CLI with enormous format/quality control and 100k+ GitHub stars showing dominant mindshare among technical users | Requires terminal knowledge, no browser integration, no scheduling UI, no searchable library, completely inaccessible to non-technical users |
| Tube Archivist | Self-hosted YouTube archiver with a web UI, channel/playlist subscription management, Elasticsearch-backed search, and Jellyfin integration with ~15k GitHub stars | No browser extension for one-click save, requires Docker self-hosting with significant setup overhead, no support for Instagram/TikTok/X, no passive background archiving from browsing sessions |
| starchive | Early-stage browser extension plus local backend proof-of-concept covering YouTube and Instagram with 252 stars and 213 HN points | No polished UX, no search/library UI, no scheduling, no active development or commercial wrapper, proof-of-concept only |
| Pinchflat | Lightweight self-hosted YouTube archiver built on yt-dlp with channel/playlist sync and automatic downloads | No browser extension, no social platforms beyond YouTube, requires self-hosting, no searchable offline library UI, no passive capture from browsing |
Leads68BUILDER
Sign in to unlock full access.