# cobalt

A browser tool that saves video, audio, photos and GIFs from public posts on social and video sites when you paste a link, with no ads or accounts.

- Category: Image, video and PDF tools · by imput (imputnet)
- Website: https://cobalt.tools/
- Live data: no
- Checked on the official pages: 2026-10-23

## API

- Official API: yes, docs https://github.com/imputnet/cobalt/blob/main/docs/api.md
- Key needed: yes
- Price: Free; limits: Public instances such as api.cobalt.tools are not for other projects without explicit permission; host your own instance or ask an instance owner for access (API key or Turnstile-issued JWT).
- Formats: json

## Data and license

- License: AGPL-3.0 (code); cobalt terms (official instance) (https://cobalt.tools/about/terms); covers AGPL covers the source code; downloaded media keeps the rights of its creator and platform, and the user is responsible for its use
- Commercial use unclear
- Credit: not stated
- Embedding unclear
- Quote (api_official): "cobalt's main processing endpoint" (https://github.com/imputnet/cobalt/blob/main/docs/api.md)
- Quote (api_key): "hosted api instances (such as `api.cobalt.tools`) use bot protection and are **not** intended to be used in other projects without explicit permission." (https://github.com/imputnet/cobalt/blob/main/docs/api.md)
- Quote (license_code): "unless specified otherwise, the remainder of this repository is licensed under AGPL-3.0" (https://github.com/imputnet/cobalt)
- Quote (user_responsibility): "you (end user) are responsible for what you do with our tools, how you use and distribute resulting content." (https://cobalt.tools/about/terms)
- Quote (source_terms): "make sure you don't violate any terms or licenses." (https://cobalt.tools/about/terms)
- Quote (credit): "always credit original creators." (https://cobalt.tools/about/terms)
- Quote (liability): "we take zero liability for what the saved content is used for." (https://cobalt.tools/about/terms)
- Quote (not_piracy): "cobalt is in no way a piracy tool and cannot be used as such." (https://github.com/imputnet/cobalt)
- Quote (public_only): "it can only download free & publicly accessible content." (https://github.com/imputnet/cobalt)
- Quote (retention): "everything is handled in RAM and permanently purged once the tunnel is completed." (https://cobalt.tools/about/terms)
- Quote (privacy): "we have no downloading logs and cannot identify anyone." (https://cobalt.tools/about/terms)
- Quote (instance_scope): "these terms are applicable only when using the official cobalt instance." (https://cobalt.tools/about/terms)
- Quote (no_ads): "no ads, trackers, paywalls, or other nonsense." (https://cobalt.tools/about/general)

## Rules for an agent

- No hosted public API for third parties: self-host the AGPL-3.0 repo (github.com/imputnet/cobalt, docs/run-an-instance.md) and POST {"url": ...} as JSON to your instance; no npm/PyPI client is published by the maker. Content is proxied in RAM, nothing is stored; terms put copyright and platform-ToS compliance on the user.
- Do not call api.cobalt.tools or other public instances from your app without the owner's explicit permission
- Only save content you have rights to use; respect the source platform's terms and credit the original creator
- If you modify and serve the code to users, AGPL-3.0 requires publishing your source

Human page: https://agentgid.com/resources/cobalt/
Source: AgentGid (agentgid.com). Facts are quoted from the site's own pages; check the license page before you ship.