How do I extract a YouTube transcript?

Simply paste a YouTube video URL on our homepage and click 'Extract Transcript'. The full transcript with timestamps will appear instantly. You can then search, copy, or export it as SRT, VTT, or plain text.

Is YTTranscript.AI free to use?

Yes! Free users get 25 transcripts per month with 5 AI actions. Paid plans start at $9.99/month for 1,000 transcripts and 500 AI actions.

What export formats are supported?

We support Plain Text (.txt), SRT (SubRip subtitles), and VTT (Web Video Text Tracks) export formats. All formats include timestamps.

What AI features does YTTranscript.AI offer?

Our AI features include Summary, Mindmap, Q&A, Quiz, Flashcards, Study Guide, Blog Article, Clean Transcript, and Translation. These help you transform video content into actionable formats.

Can I extract transcripts in bulk?

Yes! Paid plans support bulk transcript extraction from entire YouTube playlists and channels. You can process hundreds of videos at once and export all transcripts.

What languages are supported?

We support 100+ languages. Our tool auto-detects available caption languages for each video, and you can also use AI translation to translate transcripts into any language.

YTTranscript.AI

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Extract Captions from YouTube Videos

Our caption extractor pulls captions directly from YouTube videos in seconds. Whether you need auto-generated captions or manually-added subtitles, we extract them all with perfect timing. Use for research, accessibility, content repurposing, and more.

Supports youtube.com, youtu.be, shorts, and embed links

99%

Coverage

Speed

100+

Languages

Free

To Start

How It Works

Find Your Video

Copy the YouTube video URL from your browser's address bar.

Extract Captions

Paste the URL above and click 'Extract Transcript'. Captions appear instantly.

Search & Export

Search through captions, copy specific sections, or export the full text in any format.

Features

All Caption Types

Extract both manual captions and auto-generated subtitles. We find every available caption track.

All Languages

Extract captions in any language the video supports. Search across all available caption tracks.

Search Captions

Search through extracted captions to find specific words, phrases, or topics instantly.

Export Options

Export captions as SRT, VTT, or plain text. All formats preserve timestamps.

AI Cleanup

AI-powered caption cleanup removes filler words, fixes punctuation, and formats for readability.

Instant Results

Captions extracted in under 3 seconds. No processing queues or waiting times.

Understanding YouTube Captions: Auto-Generated vs. Manual

YouTube provides two types of captions. Auto-generated captions are created by YouTube's speech recognition AI and are available on most videos in supported languages. They're surprisingly accurate — over 95% for clear speech — but can struggle with accents, technical jargon, and overlapping speakers. Manual captions are uploaded by the video creator or a professional captioner and are typically near-perfect. When you extract captions using our tool, we automatically detect which type is available and select the highest-quality track. You can see all available caption tracks and switch between them, including different languages and auto-generated vs. manual options.

Caption Extraction for Accessibility and Compliance

Video accessibility is both an ethical imperative and a legal requirement in many jurisdictions. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and similar regulations worldwide require text alternatives for video content. Extracting captions from YouTube videos is the fastest path to compliance. Our caption extractor provides clean, properly formatted text that can be published alongside videos as transcripts, embedded as closed captions in other video players, or provided as downloadable documents. For organizations managing large video libraries, bulk caption extraction can bring entire collections into compliance in hours rather than months.

How to Search Through Extracted YouTube Captions

One of the most powerful features of caption extraction is the ability to search through video content as text. After extracting captions, you can search for any word, name, phrase, or topic mentioned in the video. Each search result links to the exact timestamp where that word appears. This is invaluable for researchers analyzing interview content, journalists finding exact quotes, students locating specific topics in lectures, and anyone who needs to find a specific moment in a long video without scrubbing through the timeline manually. It transforms passive video watching into active, targeted content exploration.

Extracting Captions from YouTube: Technical Deep Dive

When you extract captions through our tool, the process involves several technical steps. First, we query YouTube's video page to identify all available caption tracks and their metadata (language, type, format). Next, we fetch the selected caption track's timed text data in JSON3 format, which contains individual caption segments with precise start times and durations. We then parse and format this data into clean, readable text with timestamps. The entire pipeline runs in seconds because we're retrieving existing data rather than performing speech recognition. This approach guarantees that the extracted captions exactly match what YouTube displays, with no accuracy loss from re-processing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it extract auto-generated captions?

Yes! We extract both manually uploaded captions and YouTube's auto-generated captions. Auto-generated captions are available for most YouTube videos.

Can I search through the captions?

Yes — once extracted, you can search for any word or phrase. Click any result to jump to that timestamp in the video.

What's the difference between captions and subtitles?

They're essentially the same — captions include spoken dialogue and sometimes sound effects, while subtitles typically only include dialogue. Our tool extracts both.

Is there a limit on video length?

No limit on video length. We've successfully extracted captions from 10+ hour videos.

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