# YouTube Transcript Scraper: Captions & Subtitles (`buy-it/youtube-transcript-scraper`) Actor

Get the transcript of any YouTube video from its URL or ID. Returns full text, optional timestamped segments, language, title and channel. Manual captions preferred over auto-generated. Export JSON, CSV or Excel, use the API, or schedule runs.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/buy-it/youtube-transcript-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Ioannis Kokkinis](https://apify.com/buy-it) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

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 examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

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`).

# README

## YouTube Transcript Scraper

Get the transcript (captions) of any YouTube video from its link or ID. Paste one video or thousands, and get clean text plus optional timestamped segments as JSON, CSV or Excel.

### What you get for each video

- Full transcript as one block of text, ready for search, summaries or AI tools
- Timestamped segments (start time and duration in seconds), optional
- Language, and whether the captions are auto-generated or written by a person
- Video title, channel name and ID, length and view count
- The list of all caption languages the video offers

### How to use it

1. Paste video links or IDs into **Videos**, one per line. Watch, youtu.be, Shorts, embed and live links work.
2. Set the **Preferred language** (default `en`). Manual captions are used before auto-generated ones.
3. Press **Start**, then download the results or read them through the API.

### Input

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Videos | Links or 11-character IDs |
| Preferred language | Language code such as `en`, `es`, `de` |
| Use another language if missing | Return the first available language instead of failing |
| Include timestamped segments | Turn off for text only |
| Maximum videos | Stop after this many transcripts |

### Output example

```json
{
  "videoId": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "title": "Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (Official Video) (4K Remaster)",
  "channel": "Rick Astley",
  "language": "en",
  "isAutoGenerated": false,
  "wordCount": 487,
  "transcriptText": "We're no strangers to love ...",
  "segments": [{ "start": 18.6, "duration": 3.2, "text": "We're no strangers to love" }]
}
```

### Pricing

You pay per transcript delivered, plus a tiny start fee. Videos without captions, private or removed videos are not charged. Set a maximum spend per run and the Actor stops when it is reached.

### Notes

- Only videos that have captions (manual or auto-generated) can return a transcript. Videos with captions turned off return an error, listed in the `FAILED_VIDEOS` record of the run's key-value store.
- The Actor reads publicly available caption data. Use transcripts in line with YouTube's terms and the rights of the video owners.

### Related actors

More scrapers from the same publisher:

- [YouTube Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/buy-it/youtube-comments-scraper) — Comments, likes and replies
- [YouTube Channel Videos Scraper](https://apify.com/buy-it/youtube-channel-videos-scraper) — Full video list for a channel
- [YouTube Channel Info Scraper](https://apify.com/buy-it/youtube-channel-info-scraper) — Subscribers, views, links and about
- [YouTube Search Scraper](https://apify.com/buy-it/youtube-search-scraper) — Search results by keyword
- [YouTube Playlist Scraper](https://apify.com/buy-it/youtube-playlist-scraper) — Every video in a playlist
- [YouTube Shorts Scraper](https://apify.com/buy-it/youtube-shorts-scraper) — Shorts list for a channel
- [YouTube Video Details Scraper](https://apify.com/buy-it/youtube-video-details-scraper) — Likes, views, tags and description
- [TikTok Profile Scraper](https://apify.com/buy-it/tiktok-profile-scraper) — Followers, likes, bio and avatar

# Actor input Schema

## `videoUrls` (type: `array`):

YouTube video links or 11-character video IDs, one per line. Watch, youtu.be, Shorts, embed and live links all work.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Language code of the transcript you want, for example en, es, de or fr. Manual captions in this language are used first, then auto-generated ones.

## `fallbackToAnyLanguage` (type: `boolean`):

If the video has no captions in the preferred language, return the first available language instead of nothing.

## `includeSegments` (type: `boolean`):

Add a list of segments with start time and duration in seconds next to the full text. Turn off for text only.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many videos with a transcript. Only videos with a transcript count and are charged.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "fallbackToAnyLanguage": true,
  "includeSegments": true,
  "maxItems": 100
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `transcripts` (type: `string`):

One row per video with the transcript. Download as JSON, CSV or Excel.

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "videoUrls": [
        "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("buy-it/youtube-transcript-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 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);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "videoUrls": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("buy-it/youtube-transcript-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU"
  ]
}' |
apify call buy-it/youtube-transcript-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,buy-it/youtube-transcript-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/GF2hG7WGGeyKPHGmN/builds/1ZnlHtWBSKpSG7jug/openapi.json