One post, many files
Tumblr posts are albums in disguise. A single post can bundle a video, a dozen photos, GIFs and an audio track — and the good stuff is often buried in a reblog chain. Unlike Twitter or Instagram, there is no single "the video"; a Tumblr-aware downloader returns every media file attached to the post, sorted so the video comes first.
Copy the permalink, not the feed URL
The link that works is the post's own permalink — the one that opens just that post with its timestamp. Links copied from the dashboard feed while scrolling often point at the blog index instead, and the downloader has nothing to resolve. On desktop: click the post's timestamp or share arrow and copy that URL.
- Open the post on its own page (click its notes or timestamp).
- Copy the URL from the address bar or share menu.
- Paste it into the downloader — you'll get the video plus every image in the post.
- Grab audio posts the same way; they come down as MP3/M4A files.
GIFs, audio and reblogs
Tumblr GIFs are real GIF files, not disguised MP4s, so they download exactly as posted. Audio posts resolve to their uploaded file. Content added by reblogs carries the reblog source in the post data — if the media lives three reblogs deep, the downloader follows the chain to find it. If a reblog removed the original media, there is nothing left to fetch.
What a real GIF costs
Because Tumblr serves actual GIF files, the size of what you save is set by the format rather than by the tool. We encoded one 8-second clip at 540 pixels wide and 12 frames per second — ordinary GIF settings — then the same frames as H.264.
- GIF, 540 px, 12 fps, 8 seconds — 10.32 MB
- The same frames as H.264, same size, same frame rate — 0.54 MB
- 19 times the bytes for identical motion
That is what a format costs when every frame is an indexed bitmap and nothing the eye will not miss can be thrown away. It is also why GIF stays a short-clip format: past a few seconds the file stops being practical to send. Keep the GIF when the file has to be a GIF, and keep the MP4 for everything else.
Keep the attribution
Tumblr culture runs on credit: posts carry the chain of everyone who touched them. When you save and reshare something, keep the original poster's name attached. It costs nothing and it's the difference between sharing and taking.
Getting the right link every time
The single most common failure is pasting a dashboard or tag-page URL instead of the post permalink. The permalink is the URL that opens just that post — reached by clicking its timestamp or the 'permalink' item in the share menu. If the downloader returns the blog's front page instead of media, you copied the wrong link.
What a Tumblr-aware download returns
Because a post is an album, a good downloader returns every attached file, not just the first. Expect the video plus all photos, any GIFs, and audio posts as separate files. They're typically delivered in the original upload format — videos as MP4, GIFs as .gif, audio as MP3 or M4A.
- Video → MP4.
- Animated GIF → .gif (real GIF, not MP4).
- Audio post → MP3/M4A.
- Photos → JPEG/PNG.
Reblogs, chains and missing media
Media often lives several reblogs deep. A capable downloader follows the reblog chain to locate the original file; if a reblog stripped the media, there's simply nothing to fetch and the tool will report it honestly rather than returning a blank. This is why some posts download fully and others return less than you see.
Troubleshooting
- 'No media found': you pasted a tag or blog URL, not a permalink.
- Partial result: the post bundled more than one media type; check all files.
- GIF came as MP4? That post used a video, not a true GIF.
- Login prompt? The post is from a protected blog and isn't public.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I download an entire blog? Bulk scraping breaches Tumblr's ToS; stick to individual posts.
- Are GIFs really GIFs? Yes, Tumblr serves real GIF files.
- Do downloads keep attribution? The file doesn't, so credit the poster manually when resharing.
- Why did I get extras? The post was an album with multiple files.