What is cobalt?
cobalt is an open-source media downloader. It supports a wide range of social media websites. No ads, tracking, or paywalls. It was created by imput.
What is an "instance"?
An instance is simply another "copy" of cobalt. Because cobalt is open source, anyone can start up their own instance. Each entry on the tracker is an instance of cobalt.
What is this tracker used for?
This site is used to track these instances. It uses a score system to determine which community instance (and official one) are the best. It allows users to use other instances if the official one goes offline or has issues.
The official instance sees a lot of traffic, so some services may be blocked. Using other instances until the official is fixed is the idea.
What is the difference between official and community instances?
Official instance is the main cobalt instance by the developers. This instance is cobalt.tools, and the API is api.cobalt.tools. All others on this list are community hosted and might have their own quirks.
What is the difference between API and frontend?
The frontend is the web app you see when you visit a cobalt instance. The API is another module that handles any download requests sent by the frontend. It does the processing and handling. When you enter a URL and download it, the frontend sends a request to the API, and it returns the media back.
Instance List
How do I read the instance list?
There's a few ways to see the instances, by the main list or by service.
By service: see what services work on what instances.
To use an instance, simply click the link under the instance column. Or, add their API URL (found on the instance page, click the score) here.
Why are some different colors on the list?
Colors are based on the score. The higher score of the instance, the more green it appears. The lower the score, the more red it appears.
I want to add/remove my instance!
If you want to be added/removed, ping @hyperdefined on the cobalt discord or create a pull request here.
