How to turn a YouTube video into a blog post

If you make YouTube videos, a lot of them would make good blog posts too. To turn one into a post, get the transcript, rewrite it as an article with headings, and embed the video at the top.

You can do the rewriting yourself, with ChatGPT, or with a converter that does it in one step. In this post, I'll show you all three and the tradeoffs of each. Let's get into it.

Which videos make good blog posts?

Not every upload needs a written version. The best ones are videos people would also search for in Google:

• How-tos and tutorials. "How to photograph the Northern Lights with your phone" turns into numbered steps.
• Reviews and comparisons. Readers want the verdict, the specs, and the price in something they can skim.
• Explainers and lists. "5 mistakes people make on their first trip to Japan" almost writes itself.
• Interviews and talks. These work if you pull out the best points instead of printing every word.

Vlogs, reactions, and anything you have to see make thin posts. I'd start with your most useful videos, not your newest.

First, get the transcript

If you're writing the post yourself or using ChatGPT, get the transcript first. Open the video's description and look for Show transcript, or use my free transcript tool for public videos with English captions. If you're using a converter that takes the YouTube link, it handles this step for you. Here's the full transcript guide if you get stuck.

If it's your video, fix the automatic captions in YouTube Studio first. Check names, numbers, and technical terms against the audio.

Option 1: Write the post by hand

This gives you the most control, and it usually takes the longest.

1. Paste the transcript into a doc and watch the video with it open.
2. Write down the one question the video answers. That's your title.
3. List the main points in the order you made them. Those are your headings.
4. Under each heading, write a few short paragraphs in your own words. Don't edit the transcript line by line, since spoken sentences ("so, um, basically") never read right on a page. Write it fresh and use the transcript to check what you said.
5. Add what the video shows but doesn't say: product names, measurements, links, and the settings on screen.
6. Write a two or three sentence intro that answers the title's question right away.

You're doing the outlining, writing, and editing yourself, but you don't need to pay for a converter.

Option 2: Use ChatGPT (or Claude, or Gemini)

It's usually faster, but it needs more editing than people expect.

1. Get the transcript as plain text, with timestamps off.
2. Copy the prompt below, add your notes and the transcript where it says, and paste it into ChatGPT.
3. Read the draft against the video. Check every name, number, and claim.
4. Rewrite the intro and anything that doesn't sound like you.
5. Copy it into your blog editor and fix the formatting.

Here's a prompt to start from:

Turn this YouTube video transcript into a blog post.

- Write as me, the creator, in first person. Keep my opinions and examples.
- Title: the question the video answers, under 60 characters.
- Open with 2-3 sentences that answer that question directly.
- Use ## headings for each main point, in the order I made them.
- Short paragraphs. Numbered steps for anything I walk through.
- Use only the transcript and my notes. Don't add statistics, quotes, or claims, and don't guess missing details.
- Cut filler, repeats, and "smash that subscribe button" lines.
- No stock opening line and no closing summary that repeats the post.

Extra notes from the video:
[paste on-screen names, settings, measurements, or links]

Transcript:
[paste here]

What to watch for:

• It can invent details or leave points out. OpenAI says ChatGPT can get things wrong or make them up. Ask it to stay within the transcript, then check the draft against the video.
• It sounds like a chatbot unless you tell it how you talk. Paste in a post you wrote and say "write like this". That helps set the direction, but it doesn't replace editing.
• Long transcripts can get squeezed. If a section ends up as one paragraph, paste the transcript in two parts and ask for one section at a time.

ChatGPT's free tier has usage limits, but it's fine for the occasional post.

Option 3: Use a YouTube to blog converter

I built a free YouTube to blog converter that does the transcript and the writing in one step.

1. Copy the video's link from YouTube.
2. Paste it into the converter on the homepage.
3. Wait for the draft. You get a full post: headline, intro, sections in the order you made your points, and a takeaway.
4. Edit anything right on the page.
5. Copy the post into WordPress or any blog editor.

It uses the transcript to draft the post, but it can still miss or compress a point. Check that the draft covers the whole video, especially the later sections.

It only works on public videos with English captions. You get 3 posts every 48 hours without an account, or 8 with a free account.

Which method should you use?

How much editing is left depends on the video and the draft. For one big video, I'd write it by hand. For a quick first draft, a converter saves time, and you can spend that time editing.

If you want a hosted blog for future uploads, that's what I built channel blogs for. Automatic posts are optional and limited by your plan. Eligible videos need an available transcript, Shorts and long live streams are skipped by default, and you can review drafts before they go live.

How to make the post better than a transcript

A blog post is for someone who found it in Google and wants an answer fast. Whatever method you use, these are the changes that matter:

1. Title it like a search. "How to photograph the Northern Lights with your phone" beats "Chasing auroras (finally!)". Your video title can stay clever.
2. Answer in the first lines. Put the verdict or the short version first. Details after.
3. Cut the spoken stuff. Greetings, sponsor reads, "let me know in the comments", and the same point made three times.
4. Add what was on screen. Lists, measurements, product names, prices, and links. This is often the most useful part, and it's missing from the transcript.
5. Embed the video at the top. On a computer, YouTube's Share menu has an Embed option for videos that allow embedding. In WordPress, you can also paste the video link into a YouTube block.
6. Add a screenshot or two from the video.
7. Link to your other posts. If you mention a past video, link to its post.

Here's a made-up example of the kind of edit I mean:

Spoken: "So, um, open Settings, then go to that Export tab."
Written: "Open Settings and select Export."

If the speaker says "click here", check the video and name the button. Don't guess.

Should you just publish the transcript?

Not on its own. A wall of speech is hard to read and doesn't answer anything quickly. A cleaned-up transcript under a proper post is fine for people who want every word, but most readers come for the article.

Will Google penalize an AI-written blog post?

Not for using AI on its own. Google's guidance on using generative AI says AI can help with writing, and AI-made pages still have to meet its usual Search Essentials and spam policies. It also says to fact-check them.

Publishing lots of pages that add no value may violate those spam policies. Starting with your own video doesn't remove the need to make the article accurate and useful.

Where should the post go?

If you already have a blog on WordPress or somewhere else, paste it there. If you don't have a site yet, here's my take on whether YouTubers need a website.

Where to start

Start with one useful video and pick the method that fits your time. Whichever you use, read the post against the video before you publish it.