How to Copy a RedNote Link
If downloads fail, the problem is usually the URL — not the tool. This guide covers how to copy a RedNote link the right way, including the common xhslink copy link flow and the two longer URL shapes you may see instead. Paste any of the three into our Xiaohongshu Video Downloader — full share text is fine. Step 1 on our Android and iOS tutorials ends here: once the clipboard holds a real note link, the rest of the save flow is just paste → Download.
Share → Copy Link (works on iPhone and Android)
- Open the public note. In the Xiaohongshu or RedNote app, open the video or image note you want to save. Private notes cannot produce a usable public share URL.
- Tap Share. Tap the Share button (arrow / share icon), usually near the bottom of the note or in the top-right menu.
- Copy Link (xhslink copy link). Choose Copy Link / Copy. Your clipboard will hold an xhslink.com short URL, a rednote.com link, or a full explore URL — often wrapped in share text with a title.
- Paste into the downloader. Open the Xiaohongshu Video Downloader homepage, paste the entire clipboard contents, and tap Download.
After you copy, continue with the Android guide (Chrome → Downloads) or the iOS guide (Safari → Files / Photos).
The 3 RedNote / Xiaohongshu link types
Copy Link does not always return the same host. All three below are valid when they are fresh and the note is public.
1. xhslink.com short link
The most common clipboard result after an xhslink copy link action looks like http://xhslink.com/o/… (sometimes https://). It is a short redirect that unwraps to the real note. You may also get a whole share card: note title, emoji, the short URL, and “Open in Xiaohongshu / RedNote.” Paste all of it — our parser pulls out the URL. Short links can expire or stop resolving after heavy resharing; if parse fails, open the note again and run Copy Link once more instead of editing the path by hand.
2. rednote.com full link
International / RedNote branding sometimes yields a rednote.com (or related) full link instead of xhslink. Treat it the same: it should point at a specific note, not a profile, search, or live room. If the share sheet offers both “Copy” and “Copy Link,” prefer Copy Link so you get the canonical note URL rather than plain caption text. This is still a standard answer to how to copy a RedNote link when the app is set to the global RedNote experience — our homepage accepts these URLs the same way as xhslink.
3. Explore / discovery page link
Desktop web, some share channels, and resolved redirects produce long URLs such as https://www.xiaohongshu.com/explore/… or /discovery/item/…. Good explore links usually include query params like xsec_token=… and sometimes xsec_source=…. Copy the full address bar or the complete shared string — stripping the token often breaks access even when the note ID looks correct. Bookmarking an old explore URL for days is risky; re-copy from Share when you download. If Safari or Chrome already expanded an xhslink into an explore URL, that expanded form is what you should paste.
What not to paste
A wrong clipboard string wastes a parse attempt. Stick to note-level share links from Copy Link; skip anything that only identifies a user or a topic feed.
- Bare note IDs with no URL
- Profile, hashtag, or live-room pages
- Screenshots of the note (we need a link, not an image)
- Days-old chat forwards that may no longer resolve
If Copy Link fails
Private or deleted notes cannot be shared publicly. Region limits and expired tokens need a fresh Copy Link from the app. On desktop web, the share UI can differ — the mobile app remains the most reliable place to get an xhslink or explore URL. If your keyboard paste inserts only the title with no URL, return to Share and tap Copy Link again; some OEMs clip the clipboard when switching apps. When the clipboard is ready, paste it on the homepage tool and tap Download — that completes Step 1 for both phone guides.