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About video file download links from the API

You can get direct links for video files from your account using the API. The video response object can contain several fields for accessing these files, including play, files, and download. This article explains what these fields are and how they should be used.

In this article:

What to know about video file download links from the API

  • To get direct video file links, you must send a request to the video's endpoint using an authentication token that has the public, private, and video_files scopes.
  • Links returned in all of these fields are HTTP 302 redirects to the actual video file location on one of our CDNs. 
    • The location of these files on our CDNs has a time-to-live and expires every few hours, so you must always use the redirect links exactly as provided.
  • HLS files for uploaded videos (excluding live videos) can be downloaded after the footage has been optimized and transcoded.

Understanding the 'play', 'files', and 'download' fields

When you request a video's metadata, the response can contain three distinct fields for accessing video files. Each serves a different purpose.

  • Play: These links are optimized for playback and expire after 24 hours, providing an added layer of security.
    • We recommend using the play field for third-party players. 
  • Files: The files field contains links and related metadata, such as the video’s dimensions and file size. These links do not expire.
    • Because they do not expire, these links are not recommended for use with third-party players.
  • Download: The download field contains expiring links (valid for 24 hours) to the video files, along with the expiration time for each link and related metadata. These links include headers that tell the web browser to download the file rather than play it in the browser.

Suggested next steps:

Read more from the Developer Guide at Vimeo API: Get a specific video, Vimeo API: Play response, and Vimeo API: Video response.

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