How to see the transcript of a YouTube video
YouTube can show the transcript beside the video, but the button is easy to miss and the text is hard to copy. Here is where to find it, and a faster way: paste the link below.
How to use it
- 1Copy the link of the YouTube video and paste it into the box above.
- 2Select Get transcript. The full text appears with a timestamp on every line.
- 3Search it, copy it with or without timestamps, or download it as a TXT file.
Open the transcript on YouTube (computer)
Open the video on youtube.com. Under the video, select ...more to expand the description. Scroll down to the Transcript section and select Show transcript. The transcript opens in a panel beside the video, with a timestamp on each line and a Search transcript box at the top. Select a line to jump to that moment.
Open the transcript on a phone
In the YouTube app, tap the video title to open the description, scroll to the Transcript section and tap Show transcript. If you do not see it, your app version may not offer it: open the video in a browser, or paste the link into QueryTube, which works the same on a phone.
Copy the transcript
YouTube has no copy button: you have to drag across the lines in the panel, and the timestamps come along with the text. QueryTube copies the whole transcript in one click, with timestamps on or off, and can save it as a TXT file.
When there is no Show transcript button
YouTube only shows a transcript when the video has captions, written by the uploader or generated automatically. Some videos have none, and very new or live videos may not have them yet. QueryTube reads the same captions, so a video without any captions cannot be read from its link either. If you have the file, upload it and it will be transcribed from the audio.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the transcript button on YouTube?
On a computer, select ...more under the video to open the description, then select Show transcript in the Transcript section near the bottom.
Why can't I see the transcript of a YouTube video?
The video has no captions, or the description is not expanded yet. Transcripts exist only for videos with captions written by the uploader or generated by YouTube.
Can I search inside a YouTube transcript?
Yes. YouTube's transcript panel has a Search transcript box. QueryTube's transcript has a search box too, and each result links to its moment in the video.
Is it free?
Yes. Opening the transcript on YouTube is free, and QueryTube shows up to 3 YouTube transcripts a day without an account. Basic and Pro have no daily limit.