goyt

A self-hosted, cross-platform web interface for yt-dlp, written in Go. Download video and audio from any site yt-dlp supports, with ffmpeg handling merging and optional re-encoding.

Features

Multi-format downloads: MP4, MKV, WebM, AVI video and MP3, M4A, WAV, FLAC audio
Fast by default: Video is remuxed into the chosen container without re-encoding; optional H.264 + AAC transcode for older devices
Terminal-inspired web UI: Single dark theme, JetBrains Mono, responsive and mobile-friendly
Concurrent downloads: Configurable worker pool (1-10) with queue management
Live progress: Real-time download and ffmpeg processing progress per item
Queue controls: Pause, resume, cancel, retry, and bulk clear of queued/completed/failed items
Playlist handling: Automatic playlist detection with whole-playlist or first-video options
In-browser playback: Stream completed video/audio in a built-in player
Duplicate detection: Skips items already queued or already present on disk, with a clear notice
Cookies support: Optional Netscape cookies.txt for sites needing login (one file, multiple domains)
Checksum-verified auto-updates: yt-dlp is downloaded and updated automatically, with SHA-256 verification before install
Optional password gate: PBKDF2-hashed web UI login with signed session cookies
Secure defaults: Binds to loopback (127.0.0.1) by default; auto-cleanup of old completed files
Configurable: Settings via config file, CLI flags, or environment variables
Cross-platform binaries: Tagged releases build Linux, macOS, and Windows (amd64 + arm64)
Tested: Go unit tests plus a Puppeteer UI test suite

Quick Start

Prerequisites

ffmpeg: Installed and on the system PATH (or set ffmpeg_path). On Windows, if ffmpeg is missing, goyt offers to download a SHA-256-verified build from gyan.dev on first run; on other systems it exits and asks you to install ffmpeg, then restart.
Python 3.9+ (Linux only): the Linux yt-dlp build is the Python zipapp and needs Python at runtime. The macOS and Windows builds are standalone and do not. The Docker image already includes Python.
A JavaScript runtime (for YouTube): yt-dlp must run JavaScript to solve YouTube's nsig challenge. Without one, YouTube returns only image (storyboard) formats and downloads fail with "Requested format is not available". Install Deno (used automatically when present) or Node.js 22+ (goyt enables it with --js-runtimes node). Most other sites do not need this.
Go 1.26+: For building from source
Node.js 18+: For building CSS assets (separate from the runtime above; Node 22+ also satisfies the YouTube JavaScript-runtime requirement)

Installation

Option 1: Pre-built Binaries

Download the latest release for your platform from the Releases section.

Option 2: Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/bradsec/goyt.git
cd goyt
npm install && npm run build
./goyt

npm run build compiles the CSS, copies fonts, and builds the binary with all assets (HTML, CSS, JS, fonts, icons) embedded, so the resulting goyt binary is self-contained.

First Run

The application automatically downloads yt-dlp on first startup (needs internet). If ffmpeg is missing, Windows users are offered an automatic download; other platforms must install ffmpeg manually.
Access the web interface at http://localhost:3000.
Configure settings as needed via the web UI.

Command Line Options

./goyt [options]

Options:
  -port int        Port to run the server on (overrides config file)
  -bind string     Address to bind to, e.g. 0.0.0.0 for all interfaces (overrides config file)
  -config string   Path to configuration file (default "config.json")

Subcommands:
  ./goyt setpass    # set or change the web UI password
  ./goyt clearpass  # remove the web UI password

Examples:
  ./goyt -port 3000              # Run on port 3000
  ./goyt -bind 0.0.0.0           # Expose on all interfaces (LAN access)
  ./goyt -config myconfig.json   # Use custom config file

# Environment Variables
export GOYT_PORT=3000            # Set port via environment
export GOYT_BIND=0.0.0.0         # Set bind address via environment
export WEBUI_PASSWORD=secret     # Enable the login gate without setpass

Configuration

The application creates a config.json file on first run with default settings:

{
  "download_path": "./downloads",
  "max_concurrent_downloads": 3,
  "yt_dlp_path": "./assets/yt-dlp/yt-dlp",
  "ffmpeg_path": "ffmpeg",
  "cookies_file_path": "",
  "bind_address": "127.0.0.1",
  "port": 3000,
  "default_video_format": "mp4",
  "default_audio_format": "mp3",
  "default_video_quality": "1080p",
  "verbose_logging": false,
  "completed_file_expiry_hours": 72,
  "enable_hardware_acceleration": false,
  "optimize_for_low_power": false,
  "reencode_for_compatibility": false,
  "playlist_load_timeout_seconds": 180,
  "download_start_timeout_seconds": 60
}

Configuration Options

download_path: Directory for downloaded files
max_concurrent_downloads: Number of simultaneous downloads (1-10)
yt_dlp_path: Path to yt-dlp binary (auto-managed)
ffmpeg_path: Path to ffmpeg binary
cookies_file_path: Optional Netscape-format cookies.txt passed to yt-dlp for sites that need a login or block anonymous access. One file holds entries for multiple domains; yt-dlp sends only the cookies matching the URL being downloaded, and the file is applied to both downloads and URL validation. You can set this path (handy for a Docker volume or manual drop-in) or upload a file from Settings → Cookies file (Upload / Remove, with a status line). Uploads are written to this path when set, otherwise to cookies.txt next to config.json. In Docker, set this to a persisted location (for example /app/downloads/cookies.txt) so the file survives container recreation
bind_address: Network interface to listen on. Defaults to 127.0.0.1 (loopback only). Set to 0.0.0.0 to allow LAN access; put it behind a reverse proxy with auth/TLS when exposed
port: Web server port
verbose_logging: Enable detailed logging
completed_file_expiry_hours: Auto-cleanup completed downloads after N hours (0 = never)
enable_hardware_acceleration: Use hardware-accelerated encoding when re-encoding (if available)
optimize_for_low_power: Optimize for battery-powered devices
reencode_for_compatibility: Conditionally re-encode video to H.264 + AAC for older devices. Off by default, so downloads keep the exact format you select (each download is remuxed into the chosen container by stream copy, no transcode). When enabled, any download that is not already H.264 + AAC is transcoded to H.264 + AAC afterwards; this overrides the codecs of a non-MP4 format, so it will not keep its native codecs. Codecs are detected with ffprobe. Audio extraction is unaffected. Completed downloads display a codec badge (e.g., "H.264 · AAC") showing the actual video and audio codecs, with a per-video Convert button to transcode a single file to H.264 + AAC (MP4) on demand; the button hides once a file is already H.264 + AAC
playlist_load_timeout_seconds: Time to wait for a playlist to load (10-1800, default 180). Raise on slow networks or for very large playlists
download_start_timeout_seconds: Time to wait fetching video info before a download starts (10-1800, default 60). Raise on slow networks

Saving settings with a yt_dlp_path or ffmpeg_path that does not resolve (on disk or via PATH) is allowed but surfaces a non-blocking warning in the UI. The webui_password_hash and session_secret fields are managed by the setpass/clearpass subcommands; do not edit them by hand.

Web UI Password (Optional)

By default the web interface is open with no login required.

Setting a password

Run the setpass subcommand. It prompts for a password with hidden input and stores a PBKDF2 hash (never plaintext) plus a session secret in config.json. Restart goyt for the change to take effect. The hash and secret live in config.json, so they persist across rebuilds and restarts.

./goyt setpass    # set or change the password
./goyt clearpass  # remove the password (re-opens the UI)

When a password is set, all pages and API endpoints require a valid session except the login and health endpoints.

Containers and headless setups

Set the WEBUI_PASSWORD environment variable. It overrides the stored hash and enables the login gate without running setpass:

WEBUI_PASSWORD=yourpassword ./goyt

Sessions and TLS

Sessions use an HttpOnly cookie with a 7-day expiry. For remote access, terminate TLS at a reverse proxy so the cookie is transmitted securely.

API Endpoints

Core Operations

GET /api/config - Get current configuration
POST /api/config - Update configuration
GET /api/downloads - List all downloads
POST /api/downloads - Start a new download
POST /api/downloads/playlist - Start playlist download
POST /api/downloads/first-video - Download first video from playlist
POST /api/validate - Validate URL and detect playlists

Download Management

DELETE /api/downloads/{id} - Remove a download
POST /api/downloads/{id}/cancel - Cancel active download
POST /api/downloads/{id}/pause - Pause download
POST /api/downloads/{id}/resume - Resume paused download
POST /api/downloads/{id}/retry - Retry failed download
GET /api/downloads/{id}/download - Download completed file
GET /api/downloads/{id}/stream - Stream completed file (in-browser player)

Bulk Operations

POST /api/downloads/clear-queued - Clear all queued downloads
POST /api/downloads/delete-completed - Delete all completed downloads
POST /api/downloads/clear-failed - Clear all failed downloads

System

GET /api/yt-dlp/version - Check for yt-dlp updates
POST /api/yt-dlp/update - Update yt-dlp
GET /api/versions - Get current yt-dlp and ffmpeg versions

Testing

Run the complete test suite:

# Run all tests (Go + UI)
npm test

# Run only Go tests
go test ./...

# Run only UI tests (requires a server running on localhost:3000)
npm run test-ui

The UI test suite uses Puppeteer to check:

Page loading and the ASCII banner header
Form fields and submit-button validation
Settings panel and its fields
Download status sections and empty state
Responsive layout (no horizontal overflow on mobile)
API connectivity and absence of console errors

Production Deployment

Recommended baseline: 512MB+ RAM, 1GB+ disk for downloads, ffmpeg installed and on PATH, and a reverse proxy for TLS. Tune max_concurrent_downloads to your bandwidth and set completed_file_expiry_hours to manage storage.

Quick Production Setup

Build for production:
```
npm run build-production
```

Set environment variables:

export GOYT_PORT=3000
export GOYT_BIND=0.0.0.0

Run with a systemd service:

sudo systemctl enable goyt
sudo systemctl start goyt

Systemd Service (Linux)

[Unit]
Description=goyt video downloader
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=goyt
WorkingDirectory=/opt/goyt
ExecStart=/opt/goyt/goyt -config /etc/goyt/config.json
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save as /etc/systemd/system/goyt.service, then sudo systemctl daemon-reload.

Reverse Proxy (nginx)

Terminate TLS at the proxy and forward to goyt (bound to 127.0.0.1):

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

Docker

A multi-stage Dockerfile builds the CSS assets and Go binary, then ships a small Alpine runtime with ffmpeg, python3 (required by the yt-dlp zipapp), deno (JavaScript runtime for YouTube's nsig challenge), and ca-certificates. The container runs as a non-root user, binds to 0.0.0.0 so the published port is reachable, and includes a /health healthcheck. yt-dlp is downloaded and checksum-verified on first start.

Docker Compose (recommended)

docker compose up -d --build

Then open http://localhost:3000. Saved files land in ./downloads on the host; the auto-downloaded yt-dlp binary persists in the ytdlp volume across container recreates.

Password and sessions in Docker

Use the WEBUI_PASSWORD environment variable to set the web UI password in a container: uncomment it in docker-compose.yml (or pass -e WEBUI_PASSWORD=... to docker run). It enables the login gate without setpass and needs no persisted file.

The setpass subcommand is the native (non-container) method; in a container it requires docker exec -it and only persists if config.json is bind-mounted. By default config.json is not persisted, so the auto-generated session_secret is regenerated on each restart, which logs users out (they can log back in). To keep login and sessions stable across restarts, bind-mount the config file:

    volumes:
      - ./downloads:/app/downloads
      - ./config.json:/app/config.json
      - ytdlp:/app/assets/yt-dlp

Plain Docker

docker build -t goyt .
docker run -d --name goyt \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -v "$(pwd)/downloads:/app/downloads" \
  -v goyt-ytdlp:/app/assets/yt-dlp \
  goyt

To enable the login gate, also set -e WEBUI_PASSWORD=yourpass. To keep sessions stable across restarts, bind-mount the config file as well with -v "$(pwd)/config.json:/app/config.json".

Troubleshooting

Port already in use: change port in config.json, or use -port / GOYT_PORT.
Permission denied: ensure the binary is executable (chmod +x goyt).
yt-dlp update fails on startup: check internet access and that GitHub is reachable; the existing binary in ./assets/yt-dlp/ is still used if the update cannot be fetched.
Downloads fail: confirm ffmpeg is installed and on PATH (ffmpeg -version); failed downloads now report yt-dlp's own error text.

Logs go to stdout/stderr; enable verbose_logging in config.json for detail.

Development

Project Structure

goyt/
├── cmd/goyt/           # Main application entry point and CLI banner
├── internal/
│   ├── api/            # HTTP handlers, middleware, and routing
│   ├── config/         # Configuration management
│   ├── core/           # Download engine and yt-dlp integration
│   ├── manager/        # Download queue management
│   ├── ui/             # Web UI templates and embedded assets
│   └── utils/          # Shared utilities
├── tests/              # Test suites
├── docs/               # Documentation
└── scripts/            # Build and deployment scripts

Frontend Assets

The UI is styled with Tailwind CSS v4 (CSS-first config in input.css), compiled to internal/ui/assets/css/main.css. Static assets are embedded into the Go binary via go:embed, so rebuild the binary after changing CSS, JS, or images. Run npm run build-css (or watch-css) before go build; npm run build chains them in the correct order.

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes
Run tests: npm test
Submit a pull request

Acknowledgements

goyt is a web front end and would not exist without these projects:

yt-dlp - the download engine that does the actual work (Unlicense). goyt downloads and updates the yt-dlp binary at runtime; it is not bundled or modified.
FFmpeg - media muxing, conversion, and transcoding (LGPL/GPL). Provided by the user's system, not bundled.
Deno - JavaScript runtime yt-dlp uses to solve YouTube's nsig challenge (MIT). Provided by the user's system or the Docker image, not bundled. Node.js 22+ works as an alternative.
JetBrains Mono - the typeface used throughout the UI, by JetBrains (SIL Open Font License 1.1).
Tailwind CSS - styling (MIT).
Go - language and standard library (BSD-3-Clause).

Each dependency is the property of its respective authors and remains under its own license. The ASCII banner and UI design are original to this project.

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

Note: yt-dlp and FFmpeg are separate programs with their own licenses (yt-dlp is Unlicense; FFmpeg is LGPL/GPL depending on build). goyt invokes them as external tools and does not distribute them.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
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.github/workflows		.github/workflows
cmd/goyt		cmd/goyt
internal		internal
scripts		scripts
tests/ui		tests/ui
.dockerignore		.dockerignore
.gitignore		.gitignore
.golangci.yml		.golangci.yml
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
Dockerfile		Dockerfile
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
docker-compose.yml		docker-compose.yml
go.mod		go.mod
go.sum		go.sum
input.css		input.css
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json

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