# YouTube channel transcripts for AI and RAG

**Use case:** 

Transcripts of the latest videos of any YouTube channel (@handle or channel URL) as clean text for ChatGPT, Claude, RAG and vector databases.

## Input

```json
{
  "videos": [],
  "playlistOrChannelUrls": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@TED"
  ],
  "maxVideosPerSource": 10,
  "languages": [
    "en"
  ],
  "preferManual": true,
  "outputFormats": [
    "segments",
    "text"
  ],
  "includeMetadata": true,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  },
  "maxRetries": 6,
  "concurrency": 5,
  "debugLog": false
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "videoId": {
    "label": "Video ID",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "title": {
    "label": "Title",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "channelName": {
    "label": "Channel name",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "language": {
    "label": "Language",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "isAutoGenerated": {
    "label": "Is auto generated",
    "format": "boolean"
  },
  "wordCount": {
    "label": "Words",
    "format": "integer"
  },
  "status": {
    "label": "Status",
    "format": "string"
  }
}
```

## How it works

### 1. Sign up on Apify or log in

The YouTube Transcript Scraper API - Subtitles, Captions, SRT Actor is ready to run with the inputs already set for "YouTube channel transcripts for AI and RAG". [Sign up or log in](https://console.apify.com/create-task-from-example/hyCDKXEDydmnrOGJ3) and you'll land in Apify Console with a copy of this exact task.

### 2. Start the "YouTube channel transcripts for AI and RAG" task

The YouTube Transcript Scraper API - Subtitles, Captions, SRT Actor will start running based on the input automatically. You can also change all the input fields, like videos, playlist or channel urls, and more, to match your specific use case.

### 3. Receive the "YouTube channel transcripts for AI and RAG" output

Monitor the progress in real time. You will be notified as soon as your dataset is complete and ready for review. Each result includes data such as video id, title, channel name, and more.

### 4. Integrate into your workflow

The final output is delivered in JSON, CSV, or Excel format, ready to be plugged into your workflow. You can also [run the "YouTube channel transcripts for AI and RAG" task via API](https://apify.com/victorrodi/youtube-transcript-scraper-api.md).

## FAQ

### Which channel URLs work?

youtube.com/@handle and youtube.com/channel/UC... links; the newest videos come first.

### What if a video has no captions?

It is skipped and never charged; it is listed in the run's RUN_SUMMARY record.

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [YouTube Transcript Scraper API - Subtitles, Captions, SRT](https://apify.com/victorrodi/youtube-transcript-scraper-api.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/victorrodi/youtube-transcript-scraper-api.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## How to integrate an Actor?

This Task's input is already configured above. Use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

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 full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/victorrodi/youtube-transcript-scraper-api.md

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`).