Free · no signup · no credit card
Free YouTube transcript tool
Paste a public YouTube URL. Get the spoken text as plain text — free, no API key, no signup.
Protected by Cloudflare Turnstile
What you get
Copy captions without the download dance
Skip downloader sites. Paste a URL, get the spoken text.
Live caption track
Public caption file for the URL — not a scraped screenshot.
Copy-ready plain text
Paste a URL, get spoken text. No ads, no signup.
Any share link
Watch URLs, youtu.be, Shorts, and embeds all resolve.
Caption tracks, not guesswork
Manual or auto captions — whichever YouTube exposes.
Quick start
How to get a YouTube transcript
Three steps from a video link to copyable captions.
- Step 1
Copy the YouTube URL
Grab a watch URL, youtu.be link, Shorts URL, or embed — anything with a public video ID.
- Step 2
Paste it above
Drop the URL in, complete the Turnstile check, and submit.
- Step 3
Copy the text
We flatten the caption track to plain text. Use it in docs, show notes, blog posts, or LLM prompts.
Use cases
What people use YouTube transcripts for
Captions unlock search, editing, and automation.
Show notes and blog posts
Turn uploads into articles, newsletters, or chapter outlines.
Quote checks and research
Find exact spoken claims without scrubbing the timeline.
Accessibility and SEO
Publish transcript text beside embedded video for indexing.
AI pipelines and products
Chunk segments for embeddings, or call the API for volume.
What you actually get
Captions, formats, and what you get back
Browser shortcut for YouTube. The API also covers TikTok and Instagram Reels. Read the transcript guide → Also try the free TikTok transcript generator.
Manual vs auto captions
YouTube doesn't label tracks. Pass language on the API when several exist.
When the video has no captions
Caption-disabled or music-only uploads can return no text — expected, not a bug.
Browser tool vs API response
Plain text here. API also returns transcript.segments with startMs/endMs.
Instagram Reels too
Reels: GET /v1/instagram/posts/transcript. TikTok has its own free tool here.
Fair use on a free page
Built for one-off YouTube transcripts, not automation
1 request per minute · 3 per hour · 10 per day per IP, gated by Cloudflare Turnstile — spot checks only, not batch jobs.
Need more than a handful a day? Create a free account and run the same lookup from the API — no Turnstile, no daily browser cap.
For when one-off isn't enough
Batch YouTube transcripts from code
Doing this for a list of videos? Create a free account and call the same transcript API from code — including videos with no caption track.
- Fetch URL lists with bounded concurrency
- Keep segments for timestamps; plainText for embeddings
- Chunk by sentence (~500 tokens) for RAG indexes
- Pair with channel/video listing endpoints
More free tools
Try another free tool
Try another free tool. Or browse all free tools.
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One question → one routed API lookup (1-credit routes).
Open toolFree Instagram Reel transcript tool
Reel URL → Instagram transcript text. Free, no signup.
Open tool
FAQ
YouTube transcript FAQ
How do I get a free YouTube transcript?
Paste a public YouTube URL into the tool above, complete the Turnstile check, and copy the plain-text captions.
Does this work on any YouTube video?
Any public video with a caption track. Private, members-only, or caption-disabled videos return no text.
What's the difference between manual and auto-generated captions?
YouTube does not label tracks as manual or auto — you get the best available file. Pass language on the API when several tracks exist.
Can I get a YouTube transcript with timestamps?
This page returns plain text. The API also returns transcript.segments with startMs and endMs.
Why is there a verification step?
Protected by Cloudflare Turnstile. Need volume? Sign up for 100 free API credits.
Can I transcribe Instagram Reels here?
No — Reels are API-only at GET /v1/instagram/posts/transcript.
How do I batch-fetch transcripts or feed a RAG pipeline?
Use the API with bounded concurrency. Keep segments for timestamps, plainText for embeddings. See the transcript guide for examples.
How is this different from the free downloader sites?
Live caption data — no ads, no scraper chain.
What URL formats are supported?
Watch URLs, youtu.be short links, Shorts, and embeds — anything with a public video ID.
Does the free YouTube transcript tool require an API key?
No — Turnstile only on this page. GET /v1/youtube/videos/transcript needs x-api-key from code.
Doing more than one video?
This page is for a quick paste. Create a free account to transcribe more videos — including ones with no captions — without the daily cap.