# Scrape YouTube Captions Text by Video URL

**Use case:** 

Get the caption text and timed caption lines of public YouTube videos from their URLs, with the caption language and whether the captions are creator-made or auto-generated. Captions are included in the per-video price, for videos up to 5 hours. Starts with one demo video.

## Input

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw"
  ],
  "includeCaptions": true,
  "captionLanguages": [
    "en"
  ],
  "channelTab": "videos",
  "maxItemsPerSource": 20,
  "maxItems": 100,
  "skipPreviouslyProcessed": false
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "url": {
    "label": "Source URL",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "title": {
    "label": "Title",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "caption_language": {
    "label": "Caption language",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "caption_kind": {
    "label": "Caption kind",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "caption_text": {
    "label": "Captions text",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "error": {
    "label": "Error",
    "format": "string"
  }
}
```

## How it works

### 1. Sign up on Apify or log in

The YouTube Video Scraper — Views, Likes, Tags & Captions Actor is ready to run with the inputs already set for "Scrape YouTube Captions Text by Video URL". [Sign up or log in](https://console.apify.com/create-task-from-example/mMEQG0mKoBnA2HgE1) and you'll land in Apify Console with a copy of this exact task.

### 2. Start the "Scrape YouTube Captions Text by Video URL" task

The YouTube Video Scraper — Views, Likes, Tags & Captions Actor will start running based on the input automatically. You can also change all the input fields, like youtube video urls, include captions text, and more, to match your specific use case.

### 3. Receive the "Scrape YouTube Captions Text by Video URL" output

Monitor the progress in real time. You will be notified as soon as your dataset is complete and ready for review. Each result includes data such as source url, title, caption language, and more.

### 4. Integrate into your workflow

The final output is delivered in JSON, CSV, or Excel format, ready to be plugged into your workflow. You can also [run the "Scrape YouTube Captions Text by Video URL" task via API](https://apify.com/andronixmd/youtube-scraper.md).

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [YouTube Video Scraper — Views, Likes, Tags & Captions](https://apify.com/andronixmd/youtube-scraper.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/andronixmd/youtube-scraper.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## How to integrate an Actor?

This Task's input is already configured above. Use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/andronixmd/youtube-scraper.md

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).