How to Copy Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Pinterest Video Links Correctly (2026)

Video download tools process links by fetching the content from the platform's public servers. The URL is the key — it tells the tool exactly which piece of content to retrieve. A wrong, incomplete, or expired URL means the tool has no way to find the content, regardless of how well it works in general.

Common link problems that cause failures:

• Truncated links: URLs copied from notifications or small text fields sometimes get cut off, producing a link that points to nothing
• Session-specific parameters: Some links include user-specific tokens (like ?igshid=) that expire — these can cause failures when the token is no longer valid
• Redirected links: Links copied from DMs often go through a redirect URL rather than pointing directly to the content
• Wrong format: Some platforms generate different URL formats for the same video depending on how you access it — not all formats work with download tools

The simplest rule: always copy links directly from the post using the platform's official Share → Copy Link button. Do not copy from browser address bars on mobile, from messages, or from notification previews.

For Reels (Mobile App)

1. Open the Instagram app and navigate to the Reel.
2. Tap the Share button (the paper airplane icon below the Reel).
3. Tap Copy link from the share sheet.
4. Paste into Instagram Reels Downloader.

For Standard Posts (Mobile App)

1. Open the post you want to download.
2. Tap the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top right corner of the post.
3. Tap Copy link.
4. Paste into Instagram Video Downloader.

On Desktop

1. Open instagram.com and navigate to the post.
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the post.
3. Click Copy link.

What the link should look like:
Reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/[11-character ID]/
Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/[11-character ID]/

Tip: If your link ends with ?igshid=... or ?utm_source=..., try removing everything from the ? onward and using only the base URL. The base URL alone always works.

On Mobile App

1. Open TikTok and find the video you want to download.
2. Tap the Share button — the right-pointing arrow on the right side of the screen.
3. In the share sheet, tap Copy link.
4. Paste into TikTok Video Downloader.

On TikTok Web

1. Open tiktok.com and navigate to the video.
2. Click the Share icon below the video (same arrow icon as mobile).
3. Click Copy link.
4. Alternatively, copy the URL directly from the browser address bar — TikTok web URLs work well with download tools.

What TikTok links look like:
https://www.tiktok.com/@username/video/[long number]
Short links: https://vm.tiktok.com/[short code] — both formats work.

Common TikTok link mistake: Copying a link from TikTok DMs often produces a shortened link with an expiry token. Always copy fresh from the video itself.

From Facebook Mobile App

1. Open the video post in the Facebook app.
2. Tap the three dots (⋯) at the top right of the post.
3. Tap Copy link to post.
4. Paste into Facebook Video Downloader.

For Facebook Reels

1. While watching the Reel, tap Share.
2. Tap Copy link.
3. Paste into Facebook Video Downloader.

From Facebook Web on Desktop

1. Click on the video to open it on its own page.
2. Copy the URL from the browser address bar. Make sure it contains facebook.com/watch or facebook.com/reel or is an fb.watch link.

Important Facebook-specific note: Facebook links from the News Feed (when you scroll, not when you click into the post) often include extra parameters. Always click into the post to get the clean, stable URL before copying.

From Pinterest Mobile App

1. Open the Pin you want to download.
2. Tap the Share button (the upward arrow).
3. Tap Copy link.
4. Paste into Pinterest Downloader.

From Pinterest Web

1. Click on the Pin to open it in its full view.
2. Copy the URL from the browser address bar. Pinterest Pin URLs are in the format: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/[long number]/

pin.it short links also work: When you share a Pin from the mobile app and select a messaging option, Pinterest generates a pin.it/[short code] link. These short links work correctly with MediaDrop's Pinterest Downloader.

Regardless of the platform, these habits will prevent almost every link-related download failure:

• Always use Share → Copy Link from within the platform app. This consistently produces the cleanest, most reliable URL.
• Copy the link immediately before pasting it. Do not copy a link and come back to it hours later — some platform-generated links include tokens that expire.
• Do not edit the link. Paste it exactly as copied — do not add spaces, remove characters, or modify the URL in any way.
• Test first with the incognito window trick. Before downloading, paste the link into an incognito browser window without logging in. If the content loads, the link is correct and the content is publicly accessible.
• Use the right tool for the right platform. Use the dedicated MediaDrop tool for each platform rather than trying to use a generic tool for all platforms.

Before pasting any link into a download tool, there is a reliable test that tells you immediately whether the link will work. Open a private browsing or incognito window in your browser — in Chrome this is Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows or Cmd+Shift+N on Mac; in Safari it is Cmd+Shift+N. Paste the video link into the address bar and press Enter.

What you see tells you everything:

• The video loads and plays: The link is valid and the content is publicly accessible. It should work with any download tool.
• You are redirected to a login page: The content requires authentication. No download tool can access it — the content is private regardless of how correct the link looks.
• You see an error or blank page: The content has been deleted, expired, or the URL is broken. Nothing can retrieve it.

This test works because an incognito window has no login cookies — it accesses the URL exactly the way a download tool does. If the content does not load without being logged in, no tool will be able to download it.

This single habit prevents the majority of wasted attempts and confusing error messages. Always run this check before concluding that a download tool is broken — in most cases, the tool is working correctly and the content itself is the issue. Read Why Video Links Do Not Work for a complete breakdown of every failure type and its fix.

Why does my link work in the browser but fail in the download tool?
The most common cause is that you are logged into the platform in your browser, which lets you see content that is not actually public. The download tool accesses the URL without any login. Use the incognito window test — if the video loads without logging in, the link will work. If it does not load in incognito, the content is private.

Do short links like vm.tiktok.com and pin.it work?
Yes. TikTok short links (vm.tiktok.com) and Pinterest short links (pin.it) are fully supported. You do not need to expand them to full URLs first — paste them directly into the MediaDrop tool.

Why do links expire?
Some platforms add session tokens or time-limited parameters to URLs shared via DMs or notifications. These tokens expire after minutes or hours. The solution is always to go back to the original post and copy a fresh link using Share → Copy Link. A freshly copied link from the platform's share function does not have expiry parameters.

What if the link looks correct but still fails?
Try removing any query parameters — everything from the first ? onward. For example, change instagram.com/reel/ABC123/?igshid=xyz to instagram.com/reel/ABC123/. The clean base URL is the most reliable format for all download tools on all platforms.

Can I paste the same link into multiple tools?
Yes. The same link can be used in different MediaDrop tools. For example, you could paste a TikTok link into TikTok Video Downloader to get the MP4, then paste the same link into TikTok Audio Downloader to extract the MP3 separately.

Getting the right link is the single most important step in the download process. The platforms themselves generate the correct link format automatically when you use their Share → Copy Link function — you just need to use that function rather than alternatives like copying from the address bar or from messages.

When a download fails, your first action should always be to go back to the original post, copy the link fresh using the official share button, and try again. This single step resolves the majority of download failures.

Use the platform-specific guides in this article for your exact scenario, and read Why Video Links Do Not Work for help with any remaining issues.