# YouTube Transcripts & Video Data Scraper (`tindacloud/youtube-transcripts`) Actor

Get YouTube transcripts with timestamps plus video data (title, channel, views, duration, publish date, description) from video URLs, channels, playlists or search. Any language, auto-translation, bulk and fast.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/tindacloud/youtube-transcripts.md
- **Developed by:** [Seungki Min](https://apify.com/tindacloud) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, AI, Social media
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $4.00 / 1,000 videos

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 Transcripts & Video Data Scraper

Get **YouTube transcripts in bulk**, with timestamps, plus the video data you need around them: title, channel, publish date, duration, views, description and keywords. Paste video URLs, or point it at **channels, playlists or search queries** and process many videos in one run.

Built for **AI and LLM pipelines**, content research, SEO and media monitoring: clean text ready to summarize, embed or analyze.

### Why this scraper

- **Transcript + metadata in one row.** No second actor needed for titles, dates or view counts.
- **Bulk sources.** Video URLs (watch, youtu.be, Shorts, live), channels (URL, @handle or ID; Videos, Shorts or Live tab), playlists, and YouTube search.
- **Any language.**
  - Set preferred languages (e.g. `en`, `es`, `de`) and get manual captions first, auto-generated as fallback.
  - Every row lists all available caption languages.
- **Timestamped segments** (`start`, `duration`, `text`) for chapters, quotes and clip finding. Or turn them off to get just the full text.
- **No login, no browser, no API key.** Fast HTTP requests; about 20 videos with transcripts in under 20 seconds in testing.
- **Pay only for useful rows.** *Skip videos without a transcript* means you are never charged for videos with no captions.

### Input example

```json
{
  "videos": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aircAruvnKk"],
  "channels": ["@mkbhd"],
  "playlists": ["https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZHQObOWTQDPD3MizzM2xVFitgF8hE_ab"],
  "searchQueries": ["ai agents tutorial"],
  "maxVideosPerSource": 20,
  "preferredLanguages": ["en"],
  "includeTimestamps": true,
  "skipVideosWithoutTranscript": true,
  "maxResults": 500
}
```

### Output example

```json
{
  "videoId": "kYB8IZa5AuE",
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYB8IZa5AuE",
  "title": "Linear transformations and matrices | Chapter 3, Essence of linear algebra",
  "channelName": "3Blue1Brown",
  "channelId": "UCYO_jab_esuFRV4b17AJtAw",
  "publishDate": "2016-08-07T14:39:19-07:00",
  "category": "Education",
  "durationSeconds": 658,
  "viewCount": 7107558,
  "isLive": false,
  "keywords": [],
  "transcriptLanguage": "en",
  "transcriptIsAutoGenerated": false,
  "availableTranscriptLanguages": [
    "ar",
    "bn",
    "zh",
    "zh-CN",
    "zh-TW",
    "cs"
  ],
  "hasTranscript": true,
  "transcript": "[Submit subtitle corrections at criblate.com] Hey everyone! If I had to choose just one topic that makes all of the others in linear algebra start to click, and…",
  "wordCount": 1803,
  "description": "…",
  "segments": [
    {
      "start": 0.0,
      "duration": 4.2,
      "text": "(first caption line)"
    },
    "…"
  ]
}
```

### Use cases

- **AI & RAG:** feed video knowledge into chatbots, summaries, embeddings and agents.
- **Content & SEO:** repurpose videos into articles, find quotes, analyze competitor channels.
- **Research & monitoring:** track what creators say about brands, products or topics.
- **Education:** build searchable lecture and tutorial libraries.

### Pricing

Pay per video returned, plus a negligible start fee per run. Turn on *Skip videos without a transcript* to pay only for videos that have captions.

### Notes

- Only public videos are processed. Private, deleted and members-only videos are skipped.
- Transcripts are YouTube's own captions (manual or auto-generated); videos with captions disabled have none.
- `translateTo` requests YouTube's automatic caption translation. YouTube often doesn't serve it to automated requests; when that happens you get the original-language transcript and `translationFailed: true`.
- `publishDate` and `category` can occasionally be `null`.
- If something breaks after a YouTube change, open an issue and it will be fixed quickly.

### Related Actors

Other scrapers from the same maker, built the same way — no browser where it isn't needed, one flat price per result:

- [YouTube Comments Scraper](https://apify.com/tindacloud/youtube-comments-scraper)
- [Threads Scraper](https://apify.com/tindacloud/threads-scraper)
- [Google News Scraper](https://apify.com/tindacloud/google-news-scraper)
- [Website Contact & Email Scraper](https://apify.com/tindacloud/website-contact-scraper)

# Actor input Schema

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

YouTube video URLs or IDs (watch, youtu.be, Shorts, live). Playlist URLs work too.

## `channels` (type: `array`):

Channel URLs, @handles or channel IDs. The newest videos are processed.

## `channelTab` (type: `string`):

Which channel tab to read.

## `playlists` (type: `array`):

Playlist URLs or IDs.

## `searchQueries` (type: `array`):

Search YouTube and process the top videos for each query.

## `maxVideosPerSource` (type: `integer`):

Limit for each channel, playlist and search query.

## `preferredLanguages` (type: `array`):

Language codes in order of preference, e.g. en, es, de. Manual captions are preferred over auto-generated ones. If none match, the best available transcript is used.

## `translateTo` (type: `string`):

Optional language code (e.g. en, ko, ja). Uses YouTube's own caption translation.

## `includeTimestamps` (type: `boolean`):

Adds a segments array with start time, duration and text for every caption line.

## `includePublishDate` (type: `boolean`):

One extra request per video. Turn off for maximum speed.

## `skipVideosWithoutTranscript` (type: `boolean`):

Don't return (or charge for) videos that have no captions.

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

Stop after this many videos. You are charged per video.

## `proxy` (type: `object`):

Apify datacenter proxy works for YouTube.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "videos": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aircAruvnKk"
  ],
  "channelTab": "videos",
  "maxVideosPerSource": 20,
  "preferredLanguages": [
    "en"
  ],
  "includeTimestamps": true,
  "includePublishDate": true,
  "skipVideosWithoutTranscript": false,
  "maxResults": 500,
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `videos` (type: `string`):

All videos with transcripts in a table view.

# 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=aircAruvnKk"
    ],
    "preferredLanguages": [
        "en"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("tindacloud/youtube-transcripts").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=aircAruvnKk"],
    "preferredLanguages": ["en"],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("tindacloud/youtube-transcripts").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=aircAruvnKk"
  ],
  "preferredLanguages": [
    "en"
  ]
}' |
apify call tindacloud/youtube-transcripts --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

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/J0b1KQJNfsCJe74Tf/builds/9gnH1RFBa08vUOhYn/openapi.json