# Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper (`akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript`) Actor Extract accurate YouTube video transcripts and timestamped captions without an API key. Supports YouTube Shorts, live stream VODs, Premieres, embedded videos, and auto-generated subtitles in 100+ languages. Fast YouTube transcript extractor for SEO, AI, research, and content creation. - **URL**: https://apify.com/akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript.md - **Developed by:** [Akash Kumar Naik](https://apify.com/akash9078) (community) - **Categories:** Videos, SEO tools, Automation - **Stats:** 6 total users, 4 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 1 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing $10.00 / 1,000 transcripts This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper β€” Extract Transcripts from Any YouTube Video **Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper** is an Apify Actor that pulls full transcripts with timestamps from any YouTube video in seconds β€” no YouTube Data API key required, no OAuth, no quota limits. Just a YouTube URL in, clean structured JSON out. > πŸš€ **Try it now:** [Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper on Apify Store β†’](https://apify.com/akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript-scraper) Supports **100+ languages**, works with regular videos, Shorts, Premieres, live VODs, and embeds. Auto-generated and manual captions are both supported. --- ### What Is Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper? **Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper** is a cloud-based transcript API that converts YouTube video captions into structured plain-text JSON with optional timestamps. It accepts every standard YouTube URL format, bypasses the official API entirely, and delivers results in 3–5 seconds per video. Whether you're building an **AI training data pipeline**, ingesting transcripts into a **RAG system**, repurposing content, or conducting **YouTube SEO research** β€” this Actor gets you there without touching Google Cloud. #### βœ… What Can Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper Do? - πŸ“„ Extract **full transcripts** from any YouTube video with subtitles - πŸ• Get **timestamped transcripts** in `[MM:SS]` format for easy navigation - 🌍 Detect and retrieve captions in **100+ languages** - ⚑ Process videos in **3–5 seconds** per transcript - πŸ€– Access **auto-generated captions** β€” something the official YouTube Data API v3 cannot do - πŸ“¦ Return **structured JSON output** ready for databases, vector stores, and LLMs - πŸ” Handle **batch processing** of thousands of videos via the Apify API β€” no daily quota - πŸ”’ Use **residential proxy rotation** to avoid YouTube IP blocks automatically - πŸ”— Accept every YouTube URL format: `youtube.com/watch`, `youtu.be`, `shorts/`, `live/`, `embed/`, and bare video IDs --- ### Why Use Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper Instead of the YouTube Data API? | Capability | Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper | YouTube Data API v3 | |---|---|---| | API Key Required | ❌ No | βœ… Yes | | Daily Quota | ♾️ Unlimited | ⚠️ 10,000 units/day | | Auto-Generated Captions | βœ… Yes | ❌ No | | Manual Captions | βœ… Yes | βœ… Limited | | Setup Complexity | URL in β†’ JSON out | OAuth + GCP project | | Batch Processing | βœ… Unlimited | ⚠️ Quota-limited | | Cost Model | Pay per transcript | Free quota + paid overflow | **Bottom line:** The YouTube Data API v3 doesn't expose auto-generated captions, restricts daily usage to 10,000 quota units, and requires OAuth setup. Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper skips all of that and gives you clean transcript data for any video β€” at scale. --- ### What Data Does Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper Return? | Field | Type | Description | |---|---|---| | `success` | boolean | Whether transcript extraction was successful | | `video_id` | string | Parsed YouTube video ID | | `video_url` | string | Canonical YouTube watch URL | | `video_title` | string | Full video title | | `transcript` | string | Complete plain-text transcript | | `transcript_segments` | array | Structured segments with start, duration, and text | | `error` | string | Error message if extraction failed | --- ### How to Extract a YouTube Transcript in 3 Steps 1. **Open the Actor** β€” Go to [Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper on Apify Store](https://apify.com/akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript-scraper) and click **Try for free** 2. **Paste your YouTube URL** β€” Enter any YouTube URL (video, Short, Premiere, embed) into the `videoUrl` field 3. **Run and download** β€” Click **Start** and get a clean JSON transcript within seconds. Export to CSV, JSON, or push directly to your pipeline > πŸ’‘ **No coding required.** Run directly in the Apify Console UI. Use the **API or SDK** to automate at scale. --- ### Use Cases for Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper #### πŸ€– AI, ML & NLP Pipelines - **LLM Training Data** β€” build high-quality text corpora from YouTube content at scale - **RAG Pipeline Ingestion** β€” chunk and embed transcripts into Pinecone, Weaviate, or Chroma for semantic search - **Sentiment & Topic Analysis** β€” process large transcript volumes for NLP research - **AI Content Generation** β€” feed transcripts to LLMs for summarization, Q&A, and repurposing #### ✍️ Content Creation & Marketing - **Content Repurposing** β€” convert YouTube videos into blog posts, newsletters, and social captions - **YouTube SEO Research** β€” extract transcript text to surface keywords competitors rank for in video search - **Video Summarization** β€” auto-generate descriptions and show notes using LLMs #### 🏒 Business & Accessibility - **Accessibility Compliance** β€” produce ADA and WCAG 2.1 compliant transcripts - **Internal Knowledge Base** β€” convert training videos and webinars into searchable documentation - **Competitive Intelligence** β€” analyze industry YouTube channels at scale #### πŸ‘¨β€πŸ’» Developers & Automation - **REST API Integration** β€” simple POST request, JSON response, no SDK required - **Workflow Automation** β€” connect with n8n, Make (Integromat), Zapier, or Activepieces - **Scheduled Channel Monitoring** β€” use Apify's built-in scheduler to track new uploads automatically --- ### How Much Does It Cost to Extract YouTube Transcripts? Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper uses **pay-per-event pricing** β€” you only pay for successful extractions. | Event | Price | When Charged | |---|---|---| | `transcript` | $0.01 | Successfully extracted a YouTube video transcript | **Cost per video: $0.01** | Volume | Estimated Cost | |---|---| | 10 transcripts | ~$0.10 | | 100 transcripts | ~$1.00 | | 1,000 transcripts | ~$10.00 | | 10,000 transcripts | ~$100 | > 🎁 New Apify accounts receive **free credits** β€” test Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper before you commit. --- ### Input Parameters | Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description | |---|---|---|---|---| | `videoUrl` | string | βœ… Yes | `https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ` | YouTube URL or bare 11-character video ID | #### Supported YouTube URL Formats ```` https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO\_ID https://youtu.be/VIDEO\_ID https://youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO\_ID https://youtube.com/live/VIDEO\_ID https://youtube.com/embed/VIDEO\_ID VIDEO\_ID (bare 11-character ID) ```` #### Example Input ```json { "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ" } ```` *** ### Output Schema The Actor returns a structured JSON object for each video with both plain text and timestamped transcripts. #### Default Output ```json { "success": true, "video_id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ", "video_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ", "video_title": "Example Video Title", "transcript": "Full transcript text extracted from the video...", "transcript_segments": [ { "start": "0.000", "dur": "4.640", "text": "Introduction text here" }, { "start": "4.640", "dur": "3.200", "text": "Next segment text" } ] } ``` *** ### API Integration #### cURL ```bash curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript-scraper/runs" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \ -d '{"videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ"}' ``` #### Python ```python import requests response = requests.post( 'https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript-scraper/runs', headers={'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN'}, json={'videoUrl': 'https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ'} ) print(response.json()) ``` #### Node.js ```javascript const { ApifyClient } = require('apify-client'); const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' }); const run = await client.actor('akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript-scraper').call({ videoUrl: 'https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ' }); console.log(run.defaultDatasetId); ``` *** ### Integrations Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper works seamlessly with the full Apify platform ecosystem: **AI / ML Platforms:** OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, LangChain, LlamaIndex, Pinecone, Chroma, Weaviate **Automation Tools:** n8n, Make (Integromat), Zapier, Activepieces **Data Platforms:** Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion, BigQuery **Apify Platform Features:** - πŸ“… **Scheduling** β€” run extractions on a cron schedule automatically - πŸ“Š **Monitoring** β€” track run history, success rates, and errors in the Apify Console - πŸ”— **Webhooks** β€” trigger downstream workflows when transcripts are ready - πŸ—‚οΈ **Dataset storage** β€” results saved to Apify's cloud storage, downloadable as JSON or CSV - πŸ”— **Actor chaining** β€” combine with YouTube Channel Video Scraper to build full pipeline workflows *** ### Limitations - Videos must have captions enabled (manual or auto-generated). Videos with no captions at all cannot be extracted. - Live streams currently in progress are not supported β€” completed VODs work correctly - Private and age-restricted videos are not supported - Unlisted videos are accessible if you have the direct URL *** ### FAQ #### Does Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper support auto-generated captions? **Yes.** Both manual (human-written) and YouTube's auto-generated captions are fully supported. Auto-generated captions are not accessible via the official YouTube Data API v3 β€” this Actor fills that gap. #### Which languages are supported for transcript extraction? **All languages** present in a video's caption tracks. The Actor auto-detects the best available language. #### Can I extract YouTube transcripts in bulk? **Yes.** Use the Apify API or SDK to submit multiple video URLs in sequence or in parallel. There are no daily quota limits β€” extract thousands of transcripts per day. #### How fast is YouTube transcript extraction? **3–5 seconds** per video on average, depending on transcript length and server load. Bulk runs benefit from Apify's parallel compute scaling. #### Does Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper work with YouTube Shorts? **Yes.** All standard Shorts URLs (`youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID`) are fully supported. #### Is this a free YouTube transcript extractor? The Actor uses pay-per-event pricing at **~$0.0105 per video**. New Apify accounts get free platform credits, so you can extract transcripts for free to start. #### Can I use this as a YouTube Transcript API without an API key? **Yes.** Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper requires only an Apify API token β€” no YouTube Data API key, no Google Cloud project, no OAuth flow. #### How does this compare to other YouTube caption extractors? Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper uses Apify's residential proxy network with automatic session-based IP rotation, which makes it far more reliable than open-source scripts that break when YouTube changes its response format. It also runs in the cloud β€” no local setup needed. *** ### Support - **Issues & feedback:** [Actor page on Apify Store](https://apify.com/akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript-scraper) - **Community:** [Apify Discord](https://discord.com/invite/jyEM2PRvMU) - **Full documentation:** See the Input Schema tab on the Actor page *** *Built and maintained by [akash9078](https://apify.com/akash9078) on the Apify platform.* # Actor input Schema ## `videoUrl` (type: `string`): YouTube video URL or 11-character video ID. Supports all URL formats: youtube.com/watch?v=, youtu.be/, youtube.com/shorts/, youtube.com/live/, embed/. ## Actor input object example ```json { "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/qMquIcJWZag" } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `transcripts` (type: `string`): Extracted transcripts with video metadata, including plain text and timestamped transcripts # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/qMquIcJWZag" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`πŸ’Ύ Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // πŸ“š Want to learn more πŸ“–? Go to β†’ https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/qMquIcJWZag" } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("πŸ’Ύ Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # πŸ“š Want to learn more πŸ“–? Go to β†’ https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/qMquIcJWZag" }' | apify call akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=akash9078/fast-youtube-transcript", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Fast YouTube Transcript Scraper", "description": "Extract accurate YouTube video transcripts and timestamped captions without an API key. Supports YouTube Shorts, live stream VODs, Premieres, embedded videos, and auto-generated subtitles in 100+ languages. Fast YouTube transcript extractor for SEO, AI, research, and content creation.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "8bzFv2hz1jicd087w" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/akash9078~fast-youtube-transcript/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-akash9078-fast-youtube-transcript", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/akash9078~fast-youtube-transcript/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-akash9078-fast-youtube-transcript", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/akash9078~fast-youtube-transcript/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-akash9078-fast-youtube-transcript", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "videoUrl" ], "properties": { "videoUrl": { "title": "Video URL", "pattern": "^(https?://)?(www\\.)?(youtube\\.com/(watch\\?v=|embed/|v/|shorts/|live/)|youtu\\.be/|m\\.youtube\\.com/watch\\?v=)?[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{11}.*$|^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]{11}$", "type": "string", "description": "YouTube video URL or 11-character video ID. Supports all URL formats: youtube.com/watch?v=, youtu.be/, youtube.com/shorts/, youtube.com/live/, embed/.", "default": "https://youtu.be/qMquIcJWZag" } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```