How to Download All Your Vimeo Videos When There's No Bulk Button
What exporting a Vimeo library means
Exporting a Vimeo library means downloading every video file in your account together with its details (title, description, tags, privacy and folder) so you can keep it or move it somewhere else. People usually do it for one of three reasons: moving to another platform like YouTube, keeping a backup they control, or cancelling a plan.
Don't leave it until the last week of your plan. Vimeo itself recommends keeping your own copies of your originals, because source files can be deleted if your subscription ends, and they may not be recoverable.
Check 3 things before you download anything
- Your plan. Paid plans can download every video in the account. The Free plan can't download your own videos.
- Whether your originals still exist. Vimeo only keeps the original upload when "Keep source video files" is turned on in your upload defaults. It only applies to videos uploaded after you turn it on. Otherwise you can still download Vimeo's highest-quality encoded version.
- Disk space. A library of HD and 4K originals adds up fast. Check the total storage used in your Vimeo account and make sure the destination has room.
Option 1: download each video from its settings page
- Go to your Vimeo library and open the video's settings page.
- Open the options menu and choose Download.
- Pick the version you want: the original file if it's listed, or the highest quality.
- Save the file with a clear name, and copy its title and description into a spreadsheet.
At a couple of minutes per video for downloading, naming and copying details, 100 videos is most of a day. Past that point the clicking and naming become the real job.
Option 2: export everything in one run with the Vimeo API
For developers, the API is the only way to pull everything in one run:
- Create an app in Vimeo's developer area and generate an access token with permission to read your private videos.
- Page through your videos and save each one's ID, name, description, tags, privacy, upload date and folder or showcase.
- Request each video's download links and fetch the largest or source file.
- Write a manifest (CSV or JSON) that maps each file to its details. You'll need it to rebuild the library anywhere else.
Two things to plan for: the download links expire after 24 hours, so request them just before you download, and big files need retries so a dropped connection doesn't leave half-finished files.
Option 3: skip the export and move straight to the new platform
If you're exporting to move platforms, it's faster to skip the middle step. With a VideoDL migration we pull your originals from Vimeo and rebuild them on the new platform, with titles, thumbnails, captions and order kept, or deliver the files and a metadata sheet to your own cloud storage. You get a free sample first.
Save the details, not just the files
A folder of files named 12345678.mp4 is hard to use later. For each video, keep:
- Title, description and tags
- Thumbnail image and caption files
- Privacy setting and which folder or showcase it belonged to
- Original upload date and the old Vimeo URL, so you can update links later
Only export videos you own
This guide is about exporting your own library. Vimeo's terms don't allow tools that get around a creator's download settings, and Vimeo warns that some exporters ask for permissions that could let them edit or delete your videos. Only give access to a tool or service you trust, and only for the account you're moving.
FAQ
Can I download all my Vimeo videos at once?
Not from the Vimeo website. There's no bulk download option, so each video is downloaded from its own settings page. To export a whole library at once, use the Vimeo API or a migration service.
Can I download my videos on the Vimeo Free plan?
No. Downloading your own videos needs a paid plan. On a paid plan you can download every video in your account.
How do I get the original file I uploaded?
Vimeo keeps the original only if “Keep source video files” was turned on before you uploaded. If it was, the original appears as a download option. If not, download the highest-quality version Vimeo offers.
Why do my Vimeo API download links stop working?
Download links from the Vimeo API expire after 24 hours. Request fresh links right before you download each file.
What should I save besides the video files?
Save each video's title, description, tags, thumbnail, captions, privacy setting, folder and original URL. You'll need them to rebuild the library on another platform.
Export or move your whole Vimeo library
We pull your originals and rebuild them on the new platform, or deliver them to your cloud with a full metadata sheet. Free sample first.
See video migration →