YouTube Transcript Extractor — Captions & Timestamps

Extract available YouTube transcripts and captions with timestamps, languages, metadata, and text exports for research or RAG workflows.

What this actor does

Extract available YouTube transcripts and captions with timestamps, languages, metadata, and text exports for research or RAG workflows. The actor is configured for public or user-supplied sources, evidence-backed output rows, capped runs, and KVS summaries for blocked, empty, duplicate, or capped work.

What you can use it for

• Build repeatable youtube transcript extractor datasets for analysis and automation.
• Export records with source URLs, evidence fields, and run summaries.
• Run buyer-ready tasks for: Extract a transcript from a YouTube URL; Export timestamped captions for analysis; Collect transcripts from a small video list.

Search-intent terms: youtube transcript extractor, youtube captions, video transcript, captions scraper, transcript API, video to text.

Inputs

The input schema supports the actor's source fields plus cost and quality controls. Important caps include urls, maxVideos, languages, includeTimestamps, proxyConfiguration. Public task examples below provide small, safe starting inputs.

Outputs

Paid dataset rows and paid KVS artifacts are written only after the configured PPE charge succeeds. Rows include source/evidence fields where the actor can determine them and avoid fabricated values.

Key-value store reports

Every run writes SUMMARY.md and SUMMARY.json. Diagnostic CSV or JSON reports are used for blocked pages, no-result pages, duplicates, unsupported inputs, and capped runs instead of paid dataset rows.

Pricing

This actor uses pay-per-event pricing with Apify platform usage included in the event prices. Store discount tiers are configured for FREE, BRONZE, SILVER, and GOLD users.

Event	Unit	FREE	BRONZE	SILVER	GOLD
actor-start	run	$0.01250	$0.01250	$0.01125	$0.01000
transcript-extracted	record	$0.01016	$0.01016	$0.00914	$0.00813

Primary paid output event: transcript-extracted. Runtime-paid dataset rows and runtime-paid artifacts use this active paid-output event unless a future pricing revision adds an actor-specific artifact boundary with matching code.

Cost controls and max-charge behavior

Default max charge: $15.00. When the run reaches the max charge or an event-charge limit, it stops gracefully and writes free summary diagnostics without adding unpaid dataset rows.

Platform usage / proxy / browser / API notes

The configured model is fixed-inclusive PPE: platform usage is included in event prices and the platform-usage pass-through toggle is off. Features that require browser rendering, proxies, provider APIs, or additional fetches are bounded by the input caps and priced through explicit events.

Reliability notes and limitations

The actor processes public or permissioned inputs only. Blocked pages, login walls, unsupported formats, empty results, and provider errors are recorded as diagnostics. The actor does not fabricate rankings, prices, reviews, sentiment, traffic, compliance status, or private contact data when source evidence is unavailable.

Example inputs

{
  "urls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "includeTimestamps": true,
  "includeAutomaticCaptions": true,
  "outputFormat": "text",
  "maxVideos": 25,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}

Public task examples

• Extract a transcript from a YouTube URL: Dataset rows matching the extract a transcript from a youtube url use case, plus SUMMARY.md and SUMMARY.json reports in the key-value store.
• Export timestamped captions for analysis: Dataset rows matching the export timestamped captions for analysis use case, plus SUMMARY.md and SUMMARY.json reports in the key-value store.
• Collect transcripts from a small video list: Dataset rows matching the collect transcripts from a small video list use case, plus SUMMARY.md and SUMMARY.json reports in the key-value store.

Ethical/allowed-use notes

Use this actor only for public data, owned files, or sources you have permission to process. Respect source terms, privacy expectations, robots guidance, and applicable laws. Do not use the actor to collect secrets, bypass access controls, or make unsupported legal, financial, medical, or compliance decisions.