Source settings

Configure sources

Applies to 2026.10.20. Open a source and choose Edit to change its profile, metadata, availability and download choices. Use Advanced editing mode for additional fields.

For choosing new sources, see Browse and URL intake and subscription import. For date and deletion behavior, use retention and protection.

• Add one YouTube video as a source.
• Index playlists before choosing which items to download.
• Start, pause, stop, and delete sources from their management views.
• Route each source to a selected folder with template-aware paths.
• Create channel, playlist, and individual-video sources through the same source workflow.
• Choose Automatic, Channel, Playlist, or Video when creating a source. Automatic keeps existing URL detection. An explicit type is checked against the URL instead of being silently converted.
• Lock a source name or description so automated metadata refresh cannot overwrite it.
• Set a custom source poster from a local JPEG, PNG, or WebP upload or a public HTTP(S) URL.
• Configure source-specific media profiles, cookie behavior, YouTube player client, and download controls.
• Choose whether a source downloads public/unlisted media and members-only media. Private media is always blocked.
• Keep manually selected playlist items separate from automatically monitored media.

Source type

On Sources > New Source, set Source Type before the URL:

• Automatic inspects the URL the same way earlier Pinchflat-ngx releases did.
• Channel, Playlist, and Video require a URL that resolves to that type. A mismatch is rejected.
• Video sources are indexed once and Fast Indexing is disabled automatically.

The selected type is form state. The stored type is still the inspected collection type (channel, playlist, or video).

Metadata locks

On Edit Source, name and description refresh from fetched metadata unless you lock the field. A locked field can still be edited and saved on that form; the lock only blocks automated refreshes. Unlocking does not immediately restore the last fetched value.

Custom posters

On Edit Source, under Custom Source Poster:

• Upload a JPEG, PNG, or WebP file (decoded image, up to 10 MB), or
• Provide a public HTTP(S) URL. Redirects and private addresses are blocked.

The custom image is used in the source header and poster grid until you remove it. Fetched artwork returns after removal.

Availability policies

On Edit Source, under Downloading Options:

• Download Public and Unlisted Media applies to media yt-dlp reports as public or unlisted.
• Download Members-only Media applies to subscriber-only, premium-only, and media that requires authentication. Cookies are usually required; Pinchflat-ngx does not turn cookies on automatically.
• Private media is never downloaded.

Missing or unknown availability stays eligible so incomplete metadata does not stop indexing. Existing sources keep both policy toggles enabled unless you change them. Blocked items show as prevented by policy, not as ordinary download failures.

YouTube player client

YouTube Player Client on the source form overrides yt-dlp's player-client selection for that source. Default sends no override.

Some clients cannot be combined with cookies. The form warns when Web Creator needs All Operations cookies, and when Android, iOS, or TV Simply require cookies disabled. Save is rejected if that combination is invalid.

Source library views

On Sources, use Table or Poster grid. Filters, sort, and pagination stay shared. The grid choice is for the current page session; a full reload returns to the table.

Open a source to see counts for Downloaded, Pending, Failed, Prevented, and Skipped. Media lists on that page are grouped by upload year. The newest year starts expanded.

Change several sources

Use bulk source management for page-scoped Pause/Resume, profile assignment and reviewed cutoff updates. These actions do not rewrite existing media files.

All feature guides

Shorts output template override

Available in 2026.10.20 via #153.

In the source's Advanced settings, set Shorts output path template override (optional) to choose a dedicated path for that source's YouTube Shorts. Leave it blank to inherit the Media Profile's Shorts template. If neither Shorts field is set, Shorts use the primary source override or profile template. See download settings for an example, path precedence and existing-file behavior. Saving does not move files, but later re-downloads and quality upgrades can relocate them and remove their old copies after successful replacement.

Video names and output paths

Available in 2026.10.20 via #155.

Single-video intake initially creates a generated name. Indexing replaces an unchanged, unlocked generated name with the video title before queueing the first download, even with source artwork disabled. This uses metadata already fetched during indexing. Re-indexing can also resolve an existing unchanged placeholder.

Locks and edits committed during a fetch are preserved. Ordinary unlocked standalone-video names can still follow later metadata refreshes; lock a custom name to keep it fixed. Missing metadata leaves the generated name in place.

Source names used in paths are literal filename components: directory separators, reserved characters and controls become underscores, and template expressions inside names are not evaluated. Put folder nesting and expressions in the output path template. Templates escaping the media root are rejected.

Saving settings does not move existing downloads. Future downloads use the resolved name and selected output template; a later re-download or quality upgrade can relocate a file after a successful replacement. See download recovery.