Moodle Downloader

Overview

The semester ends, your student account gets deactivated, and suddenly you cannot revisit the lecture recordings you need for board exams, certification prep, or continued study. Universities and training programs rarely warn you before revoking Moodle access, and once it is gone, the videos are gone too.

This extension makes sure you keep what matters. Open any course page on your university, school, or company Moodle site, and it automatically finds every video lecture and downloadable file on the page. Click to save individual lectures or queue up an entire course section for batch download. Files save at original quality and the extension handles connection hiccups with automatic retry so you do not have to babysit anything.

It works on any Moodle site worldwide, regardless of the version, theme, or who hosts it. Your school's custom setup does not matter. The extension detects content the same way every time. All processing happens in your browser with zero data sent anywhere else, so your study habits stay private.

Why It Exists

• Study university lectures offline when campus WiFi is unreliable or unavailable
• Build a local archive of course materials across multiple semesters
• Access training content from corporate or government Moodle instances during travel
• Keep lecture recordings and course files after the semester ends and access is revoked

Key Features

• Download video lectures from any Moodle LMS instance worldwide
• Support for Moodle's built-in media player, YouTube embeds, and Vimeo embeds
• Detect and save file resources including PDFs and documents from course sections
• Works across Moodle versions 3.x and 4.x with any installed theme
• Batch queue multiple course sections for sequential download
• Automatic retry with resume capability on connection drops
• Smart scanner identifies all downloadable content on course pages
• Download progress bar with file size and speed indicators
• Zero telemetry or external data collection for student privacy
• Compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers

How It Works

• Install the extension: Add Moodle Downloader to your browser and pin it to your toolbar for quick access during study sessions.
• Open your Moodle course: Navigate to any course page on your university, school, or organization's Moodle LMS while logged in.
• Download lectures and files: Click the download button to save video lectures and file resources. Queue multiple course sections for sequential batch download.
• Study offline: Videos and documents save to your local drive, organized for offline access even after the semester ends.

Reviews

• Works perfectly with university Moodle installations (5/5): My university uses Moodle 4.x and the professors upload recorded lectures as video resources. This extension grabs them reliably and I can study on the bus without mobile data. - Lucas Fernandez
• Great for medical training on Moodle (4.9/5): I am a nursing student and our clinical training videos are on our hospital's Moodle system. Being able to download and review procedures offline before shifts has been incredibly helpful. - Hannah Reeves
• Solved our corporate Moodle offline training problem (4.8/5): Our company runs Moodle for compliance training across 40 countries. I downloaded the entire compliance video library so field offices with poor internet can still complete their training. - Arjun Krishnamurthy

Platform Support

Browsers

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Edge

Operating Systems

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux

Supported Content

• Video lectures from any Moodle LMS instance worldwide
• Moodle built-in media player, YouTube, and Vimeo embeds
• PDF documents and file resources from course sections
• Moodle versions 3.x and 4.x with any installed theme

Not Supported

• Safari and mobile browsers
• Interactive quizzes, forums, wikis, and assignment submissions
• Moodle mobile app integration
• Content you do not have access to as a logged-in student

Privacy and Permissions

Supported regions: Worldwide.

Limitations:

• Only downloads video lectures and file resources, not interactive Moodle activities.
• Quizzes, forums, wikis, and assignment submission forms cannot be downloaded.
• You must be logged in with access to the course content.
• Works through the Moodle web interface, not the Moodle mobile app.
• Safari and mobile browsers are not supported.
• Desktop browser extension only — compatible with any standard Moodle installation.
• External links redirecting to separate platforms may require downloading from that platform directly.

Permissions:

• activeTab: Required to scan the current Moodle course page for embedded video players and file resource links.
• downloads: Needed to save video and document files to your local downloads folder.
• storage: Used to save download preferences including default folder location and batch queue state.

FAQ

Does it work with my university's Moodle site?

Yes. The extension is compatible with any standard Moodle installation regardless of the institution, hosting provider, or Moodle version. It detects content through Moodle's standard page structure.

Can I download recorded Zoom or Teams lectures posted on Moodle?

If the lecture recording is embedded as a video on a Moodle page or linked as a downloadable file resource, the extension can detect and download it. External links that redirect to separate platforms may require you to download from that platform directly.

Does it download Moodle quizzes and assignments?

The extension focuses on video and file resources. Interactive Moodle activities like quizzes, forums, wikis, and assignment submission forms are browser-rendered and cannot be downloaded as files.

Will my institution know I used a downloader?

The extension operates within your existing browser session and downloads content from URLs already accessible to you as a logged-in student. It does not make unusual API calls or generate abnormal traffic patterns.

Does it work with Moodle mobile or the Moodle app?

The extension is a desktop browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. It works through the Moodle web interface, not the Moodle mobile app.

Is this legal?

DISCLAIMER: We are not attorneys and do not offer legal advice. Laws vary by country and platform. For any legal question please consult a qualified legal professional.

We give you full control over download speeds because we believe users should decide how they use their software.

That said, here are a few widely accepted best practices for safe, responsible downloading:

• Only download content you created, own, or have explicit permission from the rights holder to access.

• Protect your personal data by respecting platform rules and rate limits with reasonable download speeds to avoid automated abuse systems putting your account at risk.

• Protect your privacy by using a reputable VPN for IP protection before initiating downloads — this is the VPN we recommend & use.