How to Get and Download YouTube Video Transcripts

YouTube can show a text transcript for many videos. It is built from the video's captions, either uploaded by the creator or generated automatically by YouTube. This guide covers how to open a transcript, how to save its text, and what you can download from your own channel.

Before you start

YouTube creates and stores transcripts on its own servers, so nothing is processed on your computer. The transcript panel only displays text that already exists for the video. If the video has no captions, there is no transcript to open.

• A video with captions. Look for the CC button in the player. Creators can also turn captions off or never add them.
• The desktop site or the current mobile app. Labels and menu positions change between versions and regions, so the wording you see may differ slightly from this guide.
• For caption file downloads, owner or manager access to the channel in YouTube Studio. Viewers cannot download caption files for other people's videos from YouTube itself.
• A plain text editor or document app if you want to keep the text.

Some third-party websites and browser extensions offer to fetch transcripts for any video. Before you use one, check what data it collects and where it sends the text, and check whether the video owner's terms allow reuse. Do not assume a tool keeps your files private just because it says so.

Step-by-step instructions

Open a transcript on desktop

• Open the video in a browser.
• Below the player, expand the description by selecting "more".
• Scroll to the end of the description and choose "Show transcript". The transcript opens in a side panel next to the video.
• Select any line to jump to that point in the video.
• If several languages are available, use the language selector at the bottom of the panel to switch between them.

Copy the transcript text

YouTube has no download button for viewers, but you can copy the text from the transcript panel. To get clean text, first hide the timestamps from the panel's three-dot menu (the option is usually called "Toggle timestamps"). Then click and drag from the first line to the last, copy, and paste into a text editor. Long transcripts may need to be scrolled while you select. Turning timestamps back on afterward only changes the display, not the video.

Open a transcript in the mobile app

In the YouTube app, tap the video title or description to open the details panel and look for "Show transcript". Mobile versions differ, and some do not offer the option. Copying long passages on a phone is also unreliable, so use a desktop browser if you need the full text.

Download caption files for your own videos

• Sign in to YouTube Studio with an account that owns or manages the channel.
• Open the Subtitles section and select the video.
• Find the language track you want. Published captions and automatic captions may appear as separate entries.
• Open that track's options menu and choose the download option.
• Pick a caption format if you are asked to. Studio commonly offers formats such as SRT, VTT or SBV, which keep the timing information. Check which formats your version actually lists.

Downloading a caption file does not change the published captions, so you can repeat it whenever you like. To edit the text, change it in Studio or edit a copy of the downloaded file, then upload it as a new track. Keep the original file in case you need to go back.

Check the output

• Compare a few lines with the audio at different points in the video to see whether the text matches what is said.
• Check that the language you copied or downloaded is the one you need. Auto-translated tracks can differ from the original speech.
• In a downloaded caption file, make sure each cue has a start and end time and that the text appears where you expect it.
• If you copied text with timestamps hidden, look for missing passages caused by stopping the selection too early or scrolling too fast.
• Automatic transcripts usually lack punctuation, speaker labels and proper capitalization, and they often get names and technical terms wrong. Proofread before quoting or publishing them.

Automatic caption accuracy depends mostly on the audio: background noise, overlapping speakers, music and low recording levels all reduce it. A higher video resolution, frame rate or bitrate does not improve the transcript. Creators get better automatic captions from clear, well-recorded audio at the capture source.

Common problems and next steps

"Show transcript" is missing: the video may have no captions, the creator may have disabled them, or automatic captions may not be ready yet. Automatic captions can take time to appear after upload and are not produced for every language or for every video. Check whether the CC button works in the player. If it does not, there is no transcript to show.

Can you get transcripts for any video? Only where captions exist. If they do not, the only option is to make your own transcript with a speech-to-text tool. For videos you did not create, make sure you have the right to do so, and check whether that tool processes audio on your device or uploads it to a service.

No download option for a video: caption file downloads in YouTube Studio are limited to channels you manage. As a viewer, copy the text from the transcript panel instead. If you need timing information, ask the creator for the caption file.

The transcript is inaccurate: on your own videos, edit the automatic captions in YouTube Studio or upload a corrected caption file. On other people's videos, you can only correct your own copy of the text.

Live streams and Shorts: transcripts for live streams may only appear after the stream ends and is processed. Shorts and some mobile layouts may not show a transcript option at all. Opening the same video in a desktop browser is the most reliable next step.