How to Download Videos from Moodle (2026 Guide)

Moodle is the world's most widely deployed LMS, used by thousands of universities, schools, and training organizations — particularly in Europe, Australia, and Asia. Downloading videos from Moodle is more variable than other platforms because Moodle is open-source: each institution configures it differently, and video hosting can range from direct server uploads to third-party embeds from Kaltura, Vimeo, YouTube, or H5P.

Here's a practical guide covering every common Moodle video setup, with steps that actually work.

Types of Videos in Moodle

Identifying the video type determines which download method to use:

• Embedded MP4 (hosted on Moodle server): The easiest to download. Right-click the video → "Save video as" usually works directly.
• External MP4 (CDN-hosted): Looks like a direct embed but the file is on a separate server. Right-click may work; if not, use the page source method.
• Kaltura embed: Common at larger institutions. Uses HLS streaming — right-click won't work, need the extension or FFmpeg approach.
• YouTube or Vimeo embed: External content. Use YouTube Premium download, or browser extensions specific to those platforms.
• H5P interactive video: A standard MP4 or HLS wrapped in an interactive layer with quizzes. The underlying video can often be extracted.

Method 1 — Right-Click and Save

This works when the video is a plain MP4 hosted on the Moodle server or a standard web CDN.

1. Navigate to the Moodle page with the video
2. Right-click directly on the video player
3. Look for "Save video as" or "Download video" in the context menu
4. Click it and choose a save location

When this works: Plain MP4 files served from Moodle or standard HTTP servers.

When this doesn't work: If the context menu only shows "Inspect" and player controls, the video is streaming rather than a direct file. Move to Method 2 or 3.

Method 2 — Finding the Video URL in Page Source

For direct MP4 files that don't show a right-click option, you can find the URL in the page source:

1. Right-click anywhere on the page (not the video) → View Page Source
2. Press Ctrl+F to open Find, and search for .mp4
3. Find the full URL (starts with https:// and ends with .mp4)
4. Copy that URL and paste it into a new browser tab
5. The video opens — press Ctrl+S to save it

If you find a .m3u8 URL instead of .mp4, the video uses HLS streaming. See our HLS download guide for handling those.

If the URL contains authentication parameters (tokens, session IDs), the link may expire — act quickly after copying it.

Method 3 — Using Canvas Assistant for One-Click Download

Canvas Assistant handles all Moodle video types in the same workflow, regardless of whether they're direct MP4s, HLS streams, or Kaltura embeds.

1. Install Canvas Assistant from the Chrome Web Store
2. Navigate to the Moodle course page with the video
3. Start playing the video
4. Click the Canvas Assistant icon in your Chrome toolbar
5. Click Download next to the detected video
6. The video saves to your Downloads folder as an MP4

Since Canvas Assistant also works on Canvas LMS, Blackboard, and Panopto, you don't need separate tools if your courses span multiple platforms. For a full comparison of all LMS download methods, see our guide on watching lectures offline.

Downloading Moodle SCORM Packages with Video

SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) packages in Moodle often contain embedded video files alongside interactive exercises. These behave differently from regular course videos.

If you're a student, you generally can't download the SCORM package itself — it's uploaded by instructors and doesn't have a download link. However, the video content inside a SCORM package is typically a standard MP4 or HLS file. You can extract it using the page source method:

1. Open the SCORM activity in Moodle
2. Right-click inside the SCORM frame → View Frame Source (if available)
3. Search for .mp4 or .m3u8 in the source
4. Copy the URL and use the right-click or FFmpeg method to download

Canvas Assistant can also detect video playing inside SCORM iframes in many cases.

FAQ

Conclusion

Moodle video downloads vary by setup, but the approach is consistent: try right-click first for plain MP4s, use page source inspection for embedded direct files, and use Canvas Assistant for everything else — Kaltura streams, HLS, and videos with authentication tokens. Once you have the files, see our guide on transcribing lecture recordings to turn your downloaded videos into searchable study notes.