zuptalo/tailscaled-yt-dlp repository overview

⁠Tailscaled yt-dlp

A containerized YouTube/video downloader that routes all traffic through Tailscale VPN. Perfect for downloading geo-restricted content or maintaining privacy by using a specific exit node.

⁠What it does

• Downloads videos using yt-dlp with full format support
• Routes traffic through your Tailscale/Headscale VPN network
• Persistent container - stays running so you can exec into it
• Auto-configured cookies and user-agent for platform authentication
• Geo-bypass content restrictions using your exit node location

⁠Quick Start

1. Create docker-compose.yml:

services:
  tailscaled-yt-dlp:
    image: zuptalo/tailscaled-yt-dlp:latest
    container_name: tailscaled-yt-dlp
    restart: always
    cap_add: [NET_ADMIN]
    devices: [/dev/net/tun]
    volumes:
      - ./downloads:/downloads
      - ./cookies.txt:/downloads/cookies.txt
      - ./tailscale-state:/var/lib/tailscale
    environment:
      - HEADSCALE_URL=https://your-headscale-server.com
      - HEADSCALE_AUTHKEY=your-auth-key
      - EXIT_NODE=your-exit-node-tailscale-ip
    tty: true
    stdin_open: true

1. Add cookies.txt (export from browser using "Get cookies.txt" extension)

2. Run:

docker-compose up -d
docker exec -it tailscaled-yt-dlp bash
yt-dlp "https://your-supported-video-url"

⁠Requirements

• Tailscale/Headscale setup with auth key and exit node
• cookies.txt file (Netscape format) for platform authentication
• TUN/TAP support on host system

⁠Use Cases

• Download geo-restricted content by appearing from exit node location
• Maintain privacy/anonymity when downloading
• Consistent network path for reliable downloads
• Bypass regional blocks or rate limits

Built on: ghcr.io/jauderho/yt-dlp:latest + Tailscale