Create a Downloader
Create a downloader
Section titled “Create a downloader”Downloaders are the right tool when you want Cove to ingest new media from supported sources.
When a downloader is the right fit
Section titled “When a downloader is the right fit”Build a downloader when the workflow is:
- start from a source URL or source page
- fetch media into the library
- place the result into Cove’s normal organization and metadata workflow
If the workflow starts with an item that already exists in Cove and you mainly want metadata, build a scraper instead.
Design goals
Section titled “Design goals”A good downloader should:
- match supported sources clearly
- write media into the expected library flow
- cooperate with later metadata and provenance workflows
- fail clearly when a URL is unsupported or the source changes
Implementation flow
Section titled “Implementation flow”- Define which sources or URL patterns the downloader supports.
- Decide what the downloader should fetch directly and what later workflows should enrich.
- Test intake on a small safe sample first.
- Verify the new items appear in Cove the same way manually added media would.
- Package the downloader through the same broader extension story as other installable capabilities.
Local testing focus
Section titled “Local testing focus”Verify:
- source matching
- download success and failure behavior
- placement into the library
- interaction with scans and generated media
- handoff into scraper or metadata-server workflows when appropriate
Practical boundary
Section titled “Practical boundary”Keep the downloader’s job clear: intake first, enrichment second. The best implementations leave the library in a good state for the rest of Cove’s metadata tools instead of trying to collapse every workflow into one step.