Free YouTube Transcript Generator
Paste a YouTube link and get the full transcript with timestamps in seconds. Copy it, download it, or pull it through the API.
Your result appears here. Free, with no sign-up.
How to use the YouTube Transcript Generator
- 1Copy the link of the YouTube video from the address bar or the Share button.
- 2Paste it into the box above and press Get transcript.
- 3Read the timestamped transcript, then copy the text or download it as a .txt file.
What you get
- Full transcript as plain text
- A timestamp on every line
- Transcript language and whether it was auto-generated
- Video title, channel and length
- View count and publish date
- Every caption language available on the video
What is the YouTube Transcript Generator?
A YouTube transcript is the text of everything said in a video, split into short lines that each carry the moment they are spoken. This tool reads the caption track YouTube already holds for the video and returns it as clean text, so you get the words without watching, pausing and typing.
It works on regular videos, Shorts and finished live streams, with captions written by the uploader or generated automatically by YouTube. Alongside the transcript you get the video title, channel, length and view count, so the text always comes with its source.
What people use it for
Summarize with AI
Paste the transcript into ChatGPT or Claude to get a summary, key points or study notes from an hour-long video in a minute.
Repurpose content
Turn a video into a blog post, newsletter, thread or show notes without transcribing a single word by hand.
Quote and cite
Find the exact sentence you need with its timestamp, ready to quote in an article, a paper or a clip.
Get YouTube data through the API
This tool runs on the Bridgly YouTube API. Call /youtube/get-video from your own code to get the same data as JSON, with no limit on how often you run it.
/youtube/get-video
curl -X POST "https://api.bridgly.app/youtube/get-video" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $BRIDGLY_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"}'YouTube Transcript Generator FAQ
How do I get the transcript of a YouTube video?
Paste the video link into the box at the top of this page and press Get transcript. The full text appears with a timestamp on each line, and you can copy it or download it as a text file.
Does it work on videos without captions?
The tool reads the caption track YouTube holds for the video. Most videos have one, because YouTube generates captions automatically. A video with captions turned off or with no speech has no transcript to return.
Can I get transcripts in other languages?
This page returns the default caption track of the video and lists every other language available. The API lets you request any listed language by its code.
Does it work for YouTube Shorts and live streams?
Yes. Shorts links, youtu.be links, embed links and finished live streams all work, as does a bare 11-character video ID.
Is the YouTube Transcript Generator free?
Yes. The YouTube Transcript Generator is free to use with no sign-up, no credit card and no browser extension to install. You only complete a quick check that you are human.
Is there a limit on how many times I can use it?
Each free tool allows a handful of runs per hour and per day from the same network, which keeps it fast for everyone. A free Bridgly account removes the limit and starts with 100 credits.
Can I get this data through an API?
Yes. This tool runs on the Bridgly YouTube API. The /youtube/get-video endpoint returns the same data as JSON, and is also available through the TypeScript SDK, the CLI and an MCP server for AI agents.
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