# YouTube Transcript Scraper (`datacortex/youtube-transcript-scraper`) Actor

YouTube transcripts by video ID or URL: full text, language, manual or auto captions, word count, and timestamped lines.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/datacortex/youtube-transcript-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [datacortex](https://apify.com/datacortex) (community)
- **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

YouTube transcripts by video ID or URL: full text, language, manual or auto captions, word count, and timestamped lines.

For AI builders, researchers, marketers, and content teams who need what a video says as text. Every run tells you plainly what worked and what did not: no silent empty runs.

### What you can do with it

- **AI and RAG:** feed `text` to an LLM to summarize, tag, or answer questions about videos. Use `segments` to cite the exact second.
- **Content repurposing:** turn talks, podcasts, and tutorials into blog posts, notes, or social posts.
- **Research at scale:** collect what a list of videos says and search it by keyword.
- **Translations and subtitles:** pick any of the video's caption languages (`availableLanguages`) and export timed lines.

### What you get

| Field | What it is | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `input` | The video ID or URL you submitted. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc |
| `type` | transcript or error. | transcript |
| `videoId` | 11-character YouTube video ID. | UF8uR6Z6KLc |
| `url` | Watch URL of the video. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc |
| `language` | Language code of the transcript in this row. | en |
| `captionType` | manual (written by the uploader) or auto (generated from speech). | manual |
| `isFallbackLanguage` | True when the requested language was missing and another track was used. | false |
| `availableLanguages` | Every language code the video has captions in. | \[ar, …] |
| `text` | Full transcript as one plain-text string. | This program is brought to you by Stanford University. Please visit u… |
| `wordCount` | Number of words in text. | 2298 |
| `characterCount` | Number of characters in text. | 12131 |
| `segmentCount` | Number of timed caption lines. | 244 |
| `durationSeconds` | End time of the last caption line, in seconds. Close to the video length. | 903.76 |
| `segments` | Caption lines with start and end in seconds. Empty when Include timestamps is off. | \[{"start": 7.47, "end": 10.369, "text": "This prog…, …] |

Examples come from a real run. Every row has every field; a value the page did not show is `null`, never guessed.

One row per video. Every caption language the video has is checked; you choose which one is saved.

### How to use it

1. Click **Try for free** (or **Start**) on this page.
2. Enter one video ID or URL per line in the first field. The form is prefilled with a working example.
3. Optional: set **Max results** and the other options.
4. Click **Start**. Open the **Output** tab, or export JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML.

#### Example input

```json
{
  "videos": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc"
  ],
  "language": "en"
}
```

#### Example output

One real row from a run on 23 October 2026 (long values shortened here):

```json
{
  "input": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc",
  "type": "transcript",
  "videoId": "UF8uR6Z6KLc",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc",
  "language": "en",
  "captionType": "manual",
  "isFallbackLanguage": false,
  "availableLanguages": [
    "ar",
    "en",
    "es",
    "…"
  ],
  "text": "This program is brought to you by Stanford University. Please visit us at stanford.edu Thank You. I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from…",
  "wordCount": 2298,
  "characterCount": 12131,
  "segmentCount": 244,
  "durationSeconds": 903.76,
  "segments": [
    {
      "start": 7.47,
      "end": 10.369,
      "text": "This program is brought to you by Stanford University."
    },
    {
      "start": 10.47,
      "end": 14.443,
      "text": "Please visit us at stanford.edu"
    },
    {
      "start": 22.492,
      "end": 30.019,
      "text": "Thank You. I am honored to be with you today at your commencement"
    },
    "…"
  ]
}
```

### Pricing

Pay per result: **$3.00 per 1,000 rows**, plus **$0.001** per run start. No subscription.

| Event | When | Price |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Actor start | Once per run (per GB of memory; the default 256 MB counts as one) | $0.001 |
| Result row | Each row saved to the dataset | $0.003 |

| Example | Rows | Cost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 videos | 10 | $0.001 + $0.03 = **$0.031** |
| 100 videos | 100 | $0.001 + $0.30 = **$0.301** |
| 1,000 videos | 1,000 | $0.001 + $3.00 = **$3.001** |

- Retries after a bot check or a temporary error cost you nothing. You pay only for rows saved.
- An input that fails after all retries saves one error row (one row charge), so you can see what failed and why.
- Set **Max total charge per run** in the run options. The Actor stops cleanly at that limit and keeps every row saved so far.

### What you can count on

- **Same columns on every row.** Missing values are `null`, so spreadsheets and databases never break.
- **No silent failures.** An input that fails gets an error row with `errorCode` and a plain-language `errorMessage`. The other inputs keep running.
- **A clear run summary.** The run status says how many results were saved, how many inputs failed, and why. The same numbers are saved as the `RUN_SUMMARY` record in the run's key-value store, for automations.
- **Automatic retries.** Bot checks and temporary errors are retried with a fresh request before an input counts as failed.
- **Limits respected.** **Max results** and your spending limit stop the run cleanly.

### Use it from code, automations, and AI agents

**API** (returns the rows when the run finishes):

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/datacortex~youtube-transcript-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"videos": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc"], "language": "en"}'
```

**Python** (`pip install apify-client`):

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_API_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("datacortex/youtube-transcript-scraper").call(run_input={"videos": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc"], "language": "en"})
for row in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(row)
```

**JavaScript** (`npm install apify-client`):

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_API_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('datacortex/youtube-transcript-scraper').call({"videos": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc"], "language": "en"});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
```

**No-code:** connect the Actor in Make, Zapier, n8n, or Google Sheets through Apify's integrations, or add a webhook to get notified when a run finishes.

**AI agents (MCP):** add `https://mcp.apify.com?tools=datacortex/youtube-transcript-scraper` to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client. The agent can call this Actor as a tool with the same input as above.

### Limitations

- Only videos with captions (written by the uploader or generated by YouTube) have a transcript. Videos with no captions get an error row with `no_transcript`.
- Auto captions have no punctuation and can mishear names. `captionType` tells you which kind you got.
- When the requested language is missing, the video's own language is used and `isFallbackLanguage` is true. Turn on **Only the requested language** to get an error row instead.
- Private, members-only, and deleted videos have no transcript.

### FAQ

**What do I enter?**
A video ID like `UF8uR6Z6KLc`, or any watch, Shorts, youtu.be, embed, or live URL.

**How do I get a transcript in Spanish?**
Set **Language** to `es`. It also matches regional tracks like `es-ES` or `es-419`. `availableLanguages` lists every language the video has.

**Are manual or auto captions better?**
Manual captions, written by the uploader, are usually more accurate. By default the Actor takes manual captions first and auto captions when there are none.

**Can I get only the text, without timestamps?**
Yes. Turn off **Include timestamps**. `text` and the counts stay; `segments` is left empty.

**What does an error row mean?**
It marks an input that failed after retries. `errorCode` is short (`blocked`, `empty_result`, `not_available`, `http_404`, or `invalid_...` for a bad ID or URL) and `errorMessage` says what to do. Remove error rows with a filter on `type`.

**Can I run it on a schedule?**
Yes. Create a task with your input in Apify Console, then add a schedule (for example every day at 8:00).

**Is it legal to collect this data?**
The Actor reads public pages that anyone can open without logging in. You are responsible for how you use the data, including copyright, personal data rules such as GDPR, and the site's terms. If you are not sure, ask a lawyer.

### Related Actors

- [YouTube Metadata Scraper](https://apify.com/datacortex/youtube-metadata-scraper): Full metadata for YouTube videos by ID or URL.
- [YouTube Search Scraper](https://apify.com/datacortex/youtube-search-scraper): YouTube search results by keyword.
- [YouTube Channel Scraper](https://apify.com/datacortex/youtube-channel-scraper): Latest videos from any YouTube channel plus the channel profile.

### Support

Found a problem or need a field? Open an issue on the **Issues** tab. Include the run ID and one input that shows the problem. We read every issue.

# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/datacortex/youtube-transcript-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `videos` (type: `array`):

One video per line. Accepts a bare 11-character ID (`UF8uR6Z6KLc`) or a watch / Shorts / youtu.be / embed / live URL.

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

Language code of the transcript you want, such as `en`, `es`, `de`, or `pt-BR`. `en` also matches `en-GB`. If the video has no track in this language, the video's own language is used and `isFallbackLanguage` is true.

## `captionType` (type: `string`):

Manual captions are written by the uploader and are usually more accurate. Auto captions are generated by YouTube from speech.

## `strictLanguage` (type: `boolean`):

Save an error row instead of a transcript in another language when the video has no track in **Language**.

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

Add `segments`: every caption line with start and end time in seconds. Turn off for smaller rows when you only need the text.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many dataset rows. Leave empty to keep every video.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "videos": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "captionType": "any",
  "strictLanguage": false,
  "includeSegments": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

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

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "videos": [
        "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("datacortex/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 = { "videos": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("datacortex/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 '{
  "videos": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc"
  ]
}' |
apify call datacortex/youtube-transcript-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,datacortex/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/R2pJp6TKFVjuJCj4P/builds/KN7XDYCxbZRPOKQre/openapi.json