Requirements
uvx(comes withuv) — used to runyt-dlpwithout installing it- Imgur Client ID stored in the macOS keychain under service name
imgur-api
Getting a new Imgur Client ID
Register a new application at https://api.imgur.com/oauth2/addclient
Choose "OAuth 2 authorization without a callback URL" as the authorization type.
The Client ID is shown immediately after registration — no secret is needed for anonymous uploads.
Installing the Client ID in the keychain
Store the Client ID in the macOS keychain using the service name imgur-api:
security add-generic-password -s imgur-api -a "$USER" -w "your_client_id_here"
To verify it was stored correctly:
security find-generic-password -s imgur-api -w
To update an existing entry:
security add-generic-password -U -s imgur-api -a "$USER" -w "your_client_id_here"
Social to Imgur Workflow
When the user shares a social media URL (Instagram, Facebook, or any yt-dlp-supported platform) and wants a permanent image URL, follow these steps.
Step 1: Get the thumbnail URL
uvx yt-dlp --get-thumbnail "<post_url>"
Save the output — it is the expiring CDN URL for the cover image.
Step 2: Download the image
Generate a random temp filename:
mktemp /tmp/social_XXXXXX.jpg
Use the path it returns for all subsequent steps.
curl -sL "<thumbnail_url>" -o "<tempfile>"
Verify it is a JPEG:
file "<tempfile>"
If the file is not a JPEG, stop and tell the user what file type was returned.
Step 3: Upload to Imgur
Fetch the Client ID from the macOS keychain:
security find-generic-password -s imgur-api -w
If the command fails, stop and tell the user to add the Client ID to the keychain:
security add-generic-password -s imgur-api -a "$USER" -w "your_client_id_here"
Upload:
curl -s -X POST -H "Authorization: Client-ID <client_id>" -F "image=@<tempfile>" https://api.imgur.com/3/image
Step 4: Extract and return the URL
Parse the JSON response and extract the link field.
Print the permanent Imgur URL to the user.
If the upload fails, show the full API response so the user can debug.