"Requested format is not available" error: what it means and how to fix it

If you try to download and see "requested format is not available" (or *"el formato solicitado no está disponible"*), it means the tool asked for a specific quality or format that that video doesn't offer, or that its format list is outdated. It's not that the video can't be downloaded: it's that something that doesn't exist for it was requested. Here's why it happens and how to fix it with PullVid.

This is a specific case of a failed download. If your problem is broader, see the general guide on why I can't download a video.

What "requested format is not available" means

Every video is published in a specific set of qualities and formats (for example 1080p, 720p, 360p, or audio only). When a downloader tries to grab a combination that video doesn't have — a resolution that doesn't exist, a format the platform no longer serves — the platform replies with "format not available". The fault is in the request, not the video.

Why it happens

• The tool asks for a fixed format that this particular video doesn't offer (for example, it demands 1080p on a video that only reaches 720p).
• The tool's format list is outdated: platforms often change how they serve video, and an old downloader keeps asking for formats that no longer exist. This is a common reason downloaders stop working.
• That video only offers certain qualities: not every video is in 4K or 1080p; many only have low resolutions, and asking for more returns the error.

How to fix it

The fix is almost always to ask for a format that does exist for that video. Pick a different quality from the list, use an up-to-date tool that reads the video's real formats on each download, and try again. To understand which quality suits you in each case, see the guide on best video formats and quality.

With PullVid you pick from the real list

PullVid doesn't impose a fixed format: when you paste the link, it detects and shows the formats that video actually offers at that moment, and you pick from that list. Because you always choose among what really exists, the "format not available" error practically never appears. And since detection happens on every download, it doesn't carry over old lists of formats that no longer work.

If it still fails

If it still fails after choosing an available quality, try to retry (sometimes it's a one-off platform glitch) or pick a lower resolution. If the problem persists across many videos at once and not just one, it's probably not the format but a platform change the tool hasn't caught up with yet.