Gallery links and direct files
A gallery or post link looks like imgur.com and a short id, sometimes with /gallery/ or /a/ for an album. A direct file looks like i.imgur.com, ends in jpg, png, gif, or mp4, and is already the file. Both are accepted. The direct file is the simpler case: there is nothing to unpack.
A comment permalink and a user profile are not the image. If someone sent you a link that opens the whole comment thread, use the image address itself. Search results and the front page are lists, not one post.
Why a GIF often saves as MP4
Imgur's GIFV format is a silent video wearing a GIF's name. The file the site actually serves is usually an MP4. Saving that MP4 is the accurate download. Converting it back into a huge GIF would add nothing but size. If a true GIF file is what the link points at, you get the GIF.
Still images are not recompressed here. You get the bytes the public link points at. A blurry upload stays blurry. We do not run an enhancer, and we do not strip captions that were baked into the picture by whoever uploaded it.
Albums, removed posts, and privacy
Album links list each image or video in order. Save the items you need. There is no single zip of the album, because the public page exposes separate files. A very long album is still one item at a time.
Deleted posts and links that Imgur has removed return nothing. Private or hidden images that require an account are out of scope. This page does not log in to Imgur. If a content warning blocks the file unless you are signed in, the download fails rather than bypassing that gate.
How to save an Imgur file
Step 1
Copy the image, video, or album link
Use the imgur.com post, an /a/ album link, or a direct i.imgur.com file. Skip profiles and search pages.
Step 2
Paste it above
Press Download. One image returns one file. An album returns one card per item. GIFV previews as video.
Step 3
Save the file you see
Still images save as images. GIFV and video posts save as MP4 when that is the file Imgur serves.
Images, GIFV, video, and albums
JPG, PNG, GIF
Still images, and true GIFs when the link is actually a GIF.
MP4
Video posts and GIFV clips, which Imgur serves as video.
Albums
Each public item is listed separately. No automatic zip.
Albums, GIFV, and removed posts
Can I download a hidden image?
No. The link has to load without an Imgur login.
Why did a GIF become a video?
GIFV is an MP4. That is the file Imgur hosts, so that is the file you save.
Do you compress the image again?
No. You get the public file as published.
Can I download a whole profile?
No. Paste one post, one album, or one direct file.