How to get the transcript of a YouTube video (free)

YouTube has a transcript built into every video with captions. Open the video, expand the description, and click Show transcript. A panel opens with the lines of the captions and a timestamp next to each one.

That's fine for reading. Copying the text, getting it on your phone, or saving a file takes a few more steps, so here's each way and when I'd use it.

How to see the transcript on a computer

This is YouTube's built-in way, and it's free. Here are the steps from YouTube's help page:

1. Open the video on youtube.com.
2. Expand the description under the video. You may need to click Show more (sometimes shown as ...more) first.
3. Look for Show transcript in the description and click it.
4. The transcript panel opens. Click any line to jump to that moment in the video.

How to copy the transcript text

1. If the transcript panel offers a timestamp option, switch it off before copying if you only want the words.
2. Click before the first line and drag to the end of the last one. Long transcripts take some scrolling.
3. Copy and paste it into Google Docs, Word, or Notes.

It works, but it's fiddly on a long video. You'll usually get one short line per caption instead of paragraphs.

How to switch the transcript language

If a video has captions in more than one language, the transcript panel has a language menu. You only get the languages the video has captions in.

How to get a YouTube transcript on your phone

On a phone, expand the description in the YouTube app and look for Show transcript. Tap any line to jump to that point.

If you can't select and copy the text in the app, you have two options:

• Use a transcript tool in your browser. Tap Share, copy the link, and paste it into a transcript tool (I built one, it's below).
• Request the desktop site. Open youtube.com in Safari or Chrome and switch to the desktop version from the browser menu. Then follow the computer steps. It's cramped, but it's worth a try.

The controls and copy behavior can vary by device. If you can't find Show transcript in the app and the video has captions, update the app or open the link on a computer.

The quickest way to copy a transcript

I built a free YouTube transcript tool for this, and you can use it without an account. It works with public videos that have English captions available. Paste a link and you get the captions as text. If timed captions are available, you can include timestamps that open that moment on YouTube. Then copy the text or download a .txt file.

You can try up to 20 requests in a 24-hour window. One thing worth knowing: failed requests count too. It works on phones as well, which gets around copying in the app. It reads captions that already exist, so if a video has no captions, it can't get a transcript either.

How to download the transcript of your own video

If it's your video, YouTube Studio lets you download the caption file itself. From YouTube's help page on editing captions:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. In the left menu, select Subtitles.
3. Click the video.
4. Click Edit next to the language you want.
5. Click Options and select Download subtitles.

You get a caption file with timings. Simple formats like .srt and .sbv open in any text editor.

While you're in there, fix the automatic captions. For an automatic track, YouTube has you choose Duplicate and edit first, then you can fix lines and publish. That improves the captions viewers read on YouTube. A third-party tool may use a different track or an older copy, so check its result separately.

Why there's no Show transcript button

If Show transcript isn't there, the captions may be unavailable, still processing, or unsupported for that video. The CC button on the player is a useful check, but it doesn't tell you everything.

These are the common reasons, from YouTube's automatic captions help page:

• It's a new upload. YouTube says automatic captions may not be ready right when a video is uploaded. Check back later.
• The language isn't supported. Automatic captions only cover certain languages.
• YouTube can't make out the speech. Poor sound, overlapping speakers, several languages at once, or a long silence at the start can all stop them.
• The video is too long. YouTube lists length as one of the reasons.
• It's a live stream. Live automatic captions have extra requirements, so a stream may not have them. Check YouTube's live-caption requirements if you're setting up your own stream.

If the CC button is there but Show transcript isn't, reload the page, make sure the description is fully expanded, or try a private window.

What if a video has no captions at all?

Then YouTube's panel and my tool can't help. Both read existing captions, and neither transcribes the audio.

• It's your video: add captions in YouTube Studio. You can type them, upload a file, or wait for automatic captions and fix them. YouTube's guide to adding captions covers each way. If you have the original recording, you can also run it through a speech-to-text tool, then check the text against the audio.
• It's someone else's video: ask the creator for a transcript, or take notes from the parts you need. Before you republish someone else's words, make sure you have permission to use them.

How accurate are YouTube transcripts?

Automatic captions can get words wrong, especially with background noise, accents, or unfamiliar pronunciation. YouTube says so on its help page.

Check names, numbers, and technical terms against the audio. Don't assume the punctuation or speaker labels are ready to publish.

Before you quote someone from a transcript, click the timestamp and listen to that line.

What to do with a transcript

People grab transcripts to find a quote, study a lecture, take notes, or reuse their own video somewhere else. If you're turning your own transcript into an article, here's how I'd edit it into a blog post.

FAQs about YouTube transcripts

Can I get a transcript of a YouTube Short?

Yes, if the Short has captions, YouTube's panel can show them. My tool can work with a public Short if English captions are available to it. It doesn't create captions from the audio.

Can I get a transcript of a private video?

Use an account with permission to manage it in YouTube Studio, then download the captions there. The public tool can't access private videos.

Which way should you use?

For reading, YouTube's Show transcript button is all you need. For copying the text, especially on a phone, paste the link into my free transcript tool instead. And if it's your own video and it has no captions, add them in YouTube Studio or transcribe your original recording.

Hope this helps!