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Installation

SendToKodi is not in the official Kodi add-on repository, so you install it from the SendToKodi repository. The repository is itself a tiny add-on; once it is installed, Kodi finds SendToKodi in Install from repository and keeps it up to date automatically.

Requirements

  • Kodi 19 (Matrix) or newer: Kodi 19, 20 (Nexus) and 21 (Omega) are supported. Older releases use Python 2 and cannot run the add-on.
  • A platform yt-dlp runs on: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, LibreELEC and CoreELEC all work. On Android, Kodi's bundled Python runs yt-dlp as well.
  • Internet access from the Kodi device: the add-on downloads yt-dlp and, for YouTube, the Deno JavaScript runtime on first use (see First start).
  • Dependencies (installed automatically by Kodi): script.module.inputstreamhelper for the adaptive streaming checks and script.module.requests.

InputStream Adaptive

Adaptive streams (DASH and HLS, used by YouTube and most large sites) play through Kodi's InputStream Adaptive add-on. It comes with Kodi on Windows, macOS, Android, LibreELEC and CoreELEC; some Linux distributions package it separately (kodi-inputstream-adaptive). Settings → Adaptive → Check if my Kodi supports adaptive streaming confirms it is available and enables it when needed.

  1. Download the repository ZIP to a place your Kodi device can reach (a USB stick, a network share or the device itself): repository.sendtokodi-1.0.0.zip
  2. In Kodi, allow installation from unknown sources once: Settings → System → Add-ons → Unknown sources.
  3. Go to Add-ons → Install from zip file, pick the downloaded ZIP and confirm. Kodi reports SendToKodi Repository add-on installed.
  4. Go to Add-ons → Install from repository → SendToKodi Repository → Video add-ons → SendToKodi and choose Install. Kodi installs the dependencies with it.

From now on Kodi updates SendToKodi together with its other add-ons. If you turned off automatic add-on updates, new versions appear under Add-ons → My add-ons → Video add-ons → SendToKodi → Update.

Reference: Add-on manager in the Kodi wiki.

Install a release ZIP by hand

Every GitHub release also carries the add-on as plugin.video.sendtokodi-<version>.zip. Install it with Add-ons → Install from zip file. Kodi installs the dependencies from its own repository. Without the SendToKodi repository you have to install future versions the same way, so the repository above is the better choice for everyday use.

First start

The add-on keeps its own copy of yt-dlp and, when needed, of the Deno JavaScript runtime, in its data folder. On the first playback, or when you open the settings for the first time:

  • yt-dlp is downloaded from the latest yt-dlp release. If Auto-update yt-dlp is off, the add-on asks once whether to download it.
  • Deno is downloaded from the Deno releases when the JavaScript runtime mode is auto or deno. YouTube requires a JavaScript runtime since 2025, so leave this enabled unless your platform cannot run Deno (see ARMv7 devices).

Both downloads happen once; afterwards the add-on checks for updates every six hours in the background. You can see the installed versions and trigger updates in the settings.

The companion apps

The add-on receives links; something else has to send them. Install at least one of these, all described in Usage:

Device App Install
Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera SendToKodi browser extension Chrome Web Store, Edge Add-ons
Firefox SendToKodi browser extension Mozilla Add-ons
Android Kore, the official Kodi remote Google Play
iPhone, iPad, Mac Apple Shortcut SendToKodi-OSX.shortcut

The browser extension and the Shortcut talk to Kodi over its web server, so turn on Allow remote control via HTTP in Settings → Services → Control and set a username and password. Kore uses the same setting.

Updating

With the SendToKodi repository installed, Kodi updates the add-on on its own. Updates of yt-dlp and Deno are independent of add-on updates: the add-on fetches them itself (see Settings). A website that stopped playing is usually fixed by a new yt-dlp version, not by a new add-on version, so check Settings → yt-dlp → Update yt-dlp now first.

Uninstalling

Add-ons → My add-ons → Video add-ons → SendToKodi → Uninstall. Kodi asks whether to delete the add-on's settings and data as well; answering Yes also removes the downloaded yt-dlp and Deno versions, the downloaded media and the subtitle cache. The folders are listed in How it works if you want to remove them by hand.