diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index a1064ae0..bcf94efe 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -2030,11 +2030,15 @@ Description
 extractor.twitter.cards
 -----------------------
 Type
-    ``bool``
+    ``bool`` or ``string``
 Default
-    ``false``
+    ``true``
 Description
-    Fetch media from `Cards <https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-for-websites/cards/overview/abouts-cards>`__.
+    Controls how to handle `Twitter Cards <https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-for-websites/cards/overview/abouts-cards>`__.
+
+    * ``false``: Ignore cards
+    * ``true``: Download image content from supported cards
+    * ``"ytdl"``: Additionally download video content from unsupported cards using `youtube-dl`_
 
 
 extractor.twitter.conversations
diff --git a/docs/gallery-dl.conf b/docs/gallery-dl.conf
index 8e7ff6db..30be8402 100644
--- a/docs/gallery-dl.conf
+++ b/docs/gallery-dl.conf
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@
         {
             "username": null,
             "password": null,
-            "cards": false,
+            "cards": true,
             "conversations": false,
             "pinned": false,
             "quoted": false,
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/twitter.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/twitter.py
index 02df711a..00d443e2 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/twitter.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/twitter.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class TwitterExtractor(Extractor):
         self.pinned = self.config("pinned", False)
         self.quoted = self.config("quoted", False)
         self.videos = self.config("videos", True)
-        self.cards = self.config("cards", False)
+        self.cards = self.config("cards", True)
         self._user_cache = {}
         self._init_sizes()
 
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class TwitterExtractor(Extractor):
                     tweet, data["media_entities"].values(), files)
                 return
 
-        if self.videos:
+        if self.cards == "ytdl":
             url = "ytdl:{}/i/web/status/{}".format(self.root, tweet["id_str"])
             files.append({"url": url})