YOUTUBE GUIDE · WEB · BETA

How to copy a YouTube Short link on desktop web

Four steps — copy the Shorts URL from your browser, paste on SMDownloader, preview and save.

How to copy a YouTube Short link on desktop — step by step

  1. 01

    Open the YouTube Short in your browser

    Go to youtube.com in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge and open the public Short you want to save. The address bar should show /shorts/ or watch?v= with a single video — not a channel, playlist, or search page.

  2. 02

    Copy the address bar URL

    Click the browser address bar, select the full URL, and copy it with Ctrl+C (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+C (Mac). Shorts links often look like https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID.

  3. 03

    Confirm the video link shape

    Paste the exact video URL — not a channel, search, or playlist page. For watch?v=… links, keep the v=VIDEO_ID parameter — only remove extra tracking params like si= or feature= if you trim the URL. For /shorts/… and youtu.be/… links, paste as copied.

  4. 04

    Paste on www.smdownloader.com

    Open www.smdownloader.com in a new tab, paste the copied YouTube URL into the download field, and click Download. Preview the Short before you save — YouTube support is Beta and coverage is narrower than our stable platforms.

YouTube is Beta on SMDownloader

Coverage is narrower than our stable platforms. Some Shorts, live replays, or rights-managed uploads may not return a file. Long-form watch pages sometimes work when the video is publicly embeddable — always check the preview before you save. Live streams are not supported.

Example URLs

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_IDhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_IDhttps://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID

Short URL vs channel or playlist URL

To save one Short, paste a youtube.com/shorts/…, watch?v=…, or youtu.be/… URL for a single public video. Channel home pages, playlists, and search results are not supported on the paste field — open the Short first, then copy the address bar link.

Common questions

How do I copy a YouTube Short link on desktop web?

Open the public Short on youtube.com in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge, copy the full address bar URL with Ctrl+C or Cmd+C, paste on www.smdownloader.com, and click Download to preview and save — YouTube support is Beta.

What URL do I paste in a youtube shorts downloader?

Copy a public youtube.com/shorts/…, watch?v=…, or youtu.be/… URL from your browser bar, paste it into the downloader field on www.smdownloader.com, then click Download and check the preview before you save.

What does a youtube.com/shorts URL look like?

A Shorts link uses https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID. Channel, playlist, and search URLs are valid YouTube links but are not supported on the SMDownloader paste field — open the Short first, then copy the address bar link.

Do youtube.com/shorts/, watch?v=, and youtu.be/ links all work?

Often yes for public, embeddable Shorts and some watch pages. Paste whichever URL your browser shows. Live streams, age-gated videos, and rights-managed uploads often fail — always preview on SMDownloader before you save.

Can I copy a link from a private or age-gated YouTube video?

No. The Short must be public and playable without signing in. Test in an incognito window — if YouTube asks you to log in or verify age, the copied URL will not work on www.smdownloader.com.

What if I use the mobile app instead?

On iPhone or Android, use Share → Copy link in the YouTube app. See our mobile copy-link guide at /guides/youtube/how-to-copy-youtube-short-link-on-mobile for step-by-step instructions.

Does Beta YouTube support long-form videos and live streams?

This guide focuses on Shorts. Some public watch?v= and youtu.be/ links may preview, but long-form coverage is inconsistent and live streams are not supported. Always check the preview before you save.

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