Coursera Downloader — Coming Soon (Browser Extension)
Save Coursera video lectures as MP4 files for offline study directly from your browser. This extension is currently in development and has not been released yet.
Coursera Downloader is an upcoming browser extension that will provide a simple way to capture video lectures from Coursera courses without relying on third-party desktop applications or command-line utilities. It is being built around the browser-based course player so you can export lectures, module videos, and supplementary video content while working through your enrolled courses.
- Capture Coursera video lectures from the course player during playback
- Save individual lectures or batch-download entire module video sets
- Export videos as standard MP4 files for offline viewing and study
- Handle browser-based playback flows without extra desktop software
- Designed for Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Firefox, and other Chromium browsers
Status
This extension is not yet available for download. Development is in progress and a release date has not been announced. Sign up below to get notified when it launches.
:bell: Get notified when this launches: Join the waitlist
Links
- :hourglass_flowing_sand: Waitlist: Coming Soon — Sign Up
- :question: Help center: SERP Help
- :bulb: Request features: GitHub Issues
Preview
Coursera Downloader hero image
Table of Contents
- Why Coursera Downloader
- Planned Features
- How It Will Work
- Expected Formats
- Who It's For
- Use Cases We're Building For
- FAQ
- License
- Notes
- About Coursera
Why Coursera Downloader
Coursera delivers video lectures through an adaptive streaming player embedded in its course pages. There is no built-in option to download lectures as standalone video files for offline playback outside the platform. While the Coursera mobile app allows limited offline access, those downloads are locked inside the app and cannot be transferred, organized, or played in a standard video player.
Coursera Downloader is being designed to sit inside the browser and work alongside the Coursera course player. The goal is to detect video playback on a course page, let you select which lectures to save, and produce a standard MP4 file that you can store on your machine, load onto a tablet, or organize into your own study library independent of a Coursera subscription or internet connection.
Planned Features
- Video capture from Coursera's course player during active lecture playback
- Individual lecture download and full module batch export support
- Resolution selection so you can choose between smaller files and higher quality
- Automatic file naming based on course title, module, and lecture name
- Subtitle track extraction where available alongside the video
- Download queue for stacking multiple lectures without waiting between each one
- Browser-native workflow with no external software dependencies
- Cross-browser compatibility targeting Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Firefox
How It Will Work
- Install the extension once it is released.
- Open Coursera in your browser and sign in to your account.
- Navigate to the course, specialization, or module containing the lectures you want.
- Open a lecture page so the browser loads the video player.
- Open the extension popup to see the detected video source.
- Select the lecture or lectures you want to export.
- Choose your preferred resolution if multiple quality options are available.
- Start the download and save the MP4 file to your local machine.
Expected Formats
- Input: Coursera adaptive video streams (HLS / DASH delivered through the course player)
- Output: MP4 (H.264 video with AAC audio)
Exported files will be saved as standard MP4 files compatible with virtually every media player, phone, tablet, and video editing application. Subtitle tracks, when available, will be saved as separate SRT files alongside the video.
Who It's For
- Students enrolled in Coursera courses who want offline access to video lectures
- Lifelong learners building a personal library of educational content
- Professionals completing certificate programs who need to review material on the go
- Researchers saving lecture content for reference and citation purposes
- Users in areas with unreliable internet who need dependable offline study materials
Use Cases We're Building For
- Download a full week of lectures before a flight or commute with limited connectivity
- Archive course videos from a specialization before your subscription period ends
- Build an organized local study library sorted by course, module, and topic
- Save specific lectures for repeated review during exam preparation
- Keep backup copies of professional development course content for future reference
Security & Scope
- Operates only on the page the user intentionally opens in the active browser tab
- Detects supported playback sources only for user-initiated downloads or exports
- Does not execute page instructions, shell commands, or arbitrary scripts from page content
- Does not follow unrelated links or perform actions outside the active workflow
- Limits support to the named platform, approved embedded contexts, and user-authorized sessions when required
FAQ
When will Coursera Downloader be released? A release date has not been set. Sign up at the waitlist link above to be notified as soon as it is available.
Will it work with the Coursera mobile app? No. This extension is built for the Coursera website in the browser, not the iOS or Android application.
What video quality will it support? Quality options will depend on what Coursera's player makes available for a given lecture, which can vary by course and account type.
Will it save subtitles along with the video? The plan is to extract subtitle tracks where Coursera provides them and save them as SRT files alongside the downloaded MP4.
Is it free? Pricing details will be announced closer to launch. SERP extensions typically include a free trial period.
Can I download all lectures in a course at once? Module-level batch export is a planned feature, though the exact workflow will depend on browser limitations and how Coursera structures its video delivery.
License
This repository is distributed under the proprietary SERP Apps license in the LICENSE file. Review that file before copying, modifying, or redistributing any part of this project.
Notes
- This extension is in development and is not available for download yet
- Only download content you are enrolled in or have explicit permission to save
- Video quality will depend on the source stream exposed by Coursera's course player
- Coursera platform changes may affect functionality once released
- An active Coursera account and internet connection will be required for capture
About Coursera
Coursera is a major online learning platform offering courses, specializations, professional certificates, and full degree programs from leading universities and companies worldwide. Courses typically include video lectures, quizzes, peer-graded assignments, and discussion forums. The platform streams lecture videos through its browser-based course player but does not provide a built-in option to save those videos as standalone files. Coursera Downloader is being built to bridge that gap for enrolled learners who want local MP4 copies of lectures for offline study and review.