How to Find the Direct URL of Any Image or Video (Browser DevTools Guide)

Every picture and video you see on a web page is a separate file with its own address (URL). Usually the browser hides that address from you. Knowing how to find it is useful in many everyday situations: reporting a broken image, checking which size a site really serves, crediting a photo correctly, or testing whether a video file plays outside the page. This guide shows the reliable methods in every major browser.

Method 1: Right-click → copy address

For a normal photo, right-click it and choose Copy image address (Chrome, Edge), Copy Image Link (Firefox) or Copy Image Address (Safari). Paste it into a new tab to see the file on its own.

This fails in three common cases:

• the image is a CSS background, so the menu shows no image options;
• a transparent layer, slider or link sits on top of the picture, so you right-click the wrong element;
• the site uses srcset, so the copied address is just one of several sizes (see our responsive images guide).

For videos, right-clicking often shows the player's own menu. Some players allow Copy video address, but for streamed video that address usually starts with blob:, which only exists inside that tab and can't be opened elsewhere.

Method 2: Inspect the element

1. Right-click the image or video and choose Inspect. Developer tools open with the element highlighted.
2. Look for src, srcset, data-src or poster attributes. Hovering over an address shows a preview; right-click it to open or copy it.
3. If the highlighted element is a div, check the Styles panel on the right for a background-image: url(...) rule.
4. If a layer is on top, look at the elements just above or below the highlighted one in the tree. The image is usually one or two levels away.

Inspect shows the page as it is now, after scripts have run, which makes it more accurate than viewing the original source.

Method 3: The Network tab (the most reliable)

The Network tab lists every file the page requests. Nothing can hide from it, which is why developers rely on it.

1. Press F12 (or Cmd + Option + I on a Mac) and open the Network tab.
2. Tick Disable cache and reload the page, so every file is requested again.
3. Click the Img or Media filter. For streamed video, type m3u8 or mpd into the filter box instead.
4. Scroll the page and play the video. New files appear in the list as they load.
5. Click a row to see a preview and its headers. Right-click → Copy → Copy URL or Open in new tab.

Click the Size column to sort files from largest to smallest. The biggest image is often the original, highest-quality version. This is also the first step of a page-speed audit.

Method 4: Firefox Page Info

Firefox has a handy built-in list. Press Ctrl + I (Cmd + I on a Mac), or right-click an empty area of the page and choose View Page Info, then open the Media tab. It lists images and background images with their addresses, sizes and alt text, and you can save several at once. It doesn't catch streams, but it's quick for galleries.

On a phone

Mobile browsers have no developer tools, but you still have options. Long-press an image and choose Copy image link or Open image in new tab. For anything harder, use a desktop computer, or use our extractor, which works in mobile browsers: paste the page URL and it lists the media found in the page source.

Method 5: Let an extractor collect them

When you need more than a few addresses, collecting them by hand is slow. Our free extractor reads the page and lists every image, video, audio file and stream address it finds, with filters, previews and a one-click list of links. For pages that load media with JavaScript, its bookmarklet reads the same list of requests that the Network tab shows.

Why some video addresses start with “blob:”

A blob: address means the video player built the video in memory from many small pieces, usually an HLS or DASH stream. The blob itself can't be copied or downloaded. To find the real source, look in the Network tab for a .m3u8 or .mpd playlist request. Our guide What is an M3U8 file? explains how these streams work.

Key takeaways

• Right-click works for simple images; Inspect handles backgrounds and overlays.
• The Network tab is the source of truth: every file the page loads appears there.
• Sort by size to find the original, highest-quality file.
• blob: video means a stream; look for the playlist instead.
• A visible URL is not a licence. Check the rights before reusing anything.