# Youtube Transcript Scraper (`mohamedgb00714/youtube-transcript-scraper`) Actor

This Actor extracts the English transcript (captions/subtitles) from a given YouTube video URL and saves the full text and timing details to an Apify dataset.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/mohamedgb00714/youtube-transcript-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [mohamed el hadi msaid](https://apify.com/mohamedgb00714) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 8 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 2 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-usage

## 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

Extract full transcripts (captions/subtitles) from any public YouTube video by simply providing its URL. This Apify actor fetches the English transcript (if available) and returns both the full text and detailed timing information for each snippet.

### Features

- Extracts YouTube video transcripts (captions/subtitles) in English
- Returns both full transcript text and snippet timing (start, duration, text)
- Easy input: just provide a YouTube video URL
- Results stored in Apify Dataset for easy download and integration

### How It Works

1. Provide a YouTube video URL as input.
2. The actor fetches and extracts the English transcript, if available.
3. The transcript is returned as both a full text and as an array of timed snippets.
4. Results are saved to the Apify dataset for your use.

### Input

- `url` (string, required): The URL of the YouTube video you want to extract the transcript from.

**Example:**

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
}
```

### Output

Each dataset item contains:

- `lang`: Language of the transcript (e.g., "English")
- `text`: The full transcript as a single string
- `snippets`: An array of objects with `text`, `start`, and `duration` for each caption line

**Example:**

```json
{
  "lang": "English",
  "text": "Never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down ...",
  "snippets": [
    { "text": "Never gonna give you up", "start": 0.0, "duration": 3.5 },
    { "text": "Never gonna let you down", "start": 3.5, "duration": 4.2 }
    // ... more snippets
  ]
}
```

### Use Cases

- Quickly extract subtitles for accessibility or translation projects
- Generate searchable text from YouTube videos for research or content analysis
- Archive or repurpose video content in text form
- Build tools for language learning or subtitle synchronization

***

Built with ❤️ using Apify.

# Actor input Schema

## `url` (type: `string`):

The URL of the YouTube video you want to extract the transcript from.

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

Select the language for the transcript.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qac6E9be7mE",
  "language": "en"
}
```

# 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 = {
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qac6E9be7mE",
    "language": "en"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("mohamedgb00714/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 = {
    "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qac6E9be7mE",
    "language": "en",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("mohamedgb00714/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 '{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qac6E9be7mE",
  "language": "en"
}' |
apify call mohamedgb00714/youtube-transcript-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,mohamedgb00714/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/kka8gD9o02WpU9b6R/builds/TLvxCspdZbpbdXwyC/openapi.json