Do you download the YouTube Shorts video?

No. We only extract caption/subtitle data. No video files are downloaded, stored, or offered. This is strictly a text transcript tool, not a video downloader.

Why don't some Shorts have transcripts?

If the creator disabled captions or YouTube hasn't auto-generated them yet, there's no caption data to extract. Availability depends on the individual video's settings.

How is this different from a YouTube downloader?

Completely different. Downloaders save video files (MP4, etc.). We only read text caption data that YouTube provides for accessibility. No video processing whatsoever.

Can I use this for regular YouTube videos?

Currently optimized for Shorts (youtube.com/shorts/ URLs). Full YouTube videos may work if they have captions, but Shorts are our focus alongside Reels and TikTok.

Can I get MP4 downloads here?

No. We do not offer MP4 downloads, video conversion, or any video file access. If you need video downloads, use YouTube's official features or dedicated download tools.

Are Shorts captions accurate?

Accuracy depends on YouTube's auto-generation or the creator's upload. Auto-captions may have errors with accents, technical terms, or fast speech. Creator-uploaded captions are typically more accurate.

Same free limit as Instagram?

Yes, the free tier of 3/day is shared across all platforms. One Shorts transcript uses one daily credit, same as Instagram or TikTok.

Can I extract from YouTube premiere Shorts?

Once a premiere is live and public with captions enabled, yes. Scheduled or private premieres won't work until they're publicly accessible.

YouTube Shorts Transcript

Get text transcripts from YouTube Shorts by pasting a youtube.com/shorts/ URL. We extract captions only — we do NOT download MP4 files or offer video downloads.

YouTube Shorts are vertical videos up to 60 seconds on YouTube's short-form platform. YouTube has robust caption support: many Shorts have auto-generated captions from YouTube's speech recognition, and creators can upload their own. Our tool extracts these captions as text with timestamps. Important clarification: we are NOT a YouTube downloader. We don't offer MP4 downloads, video conversion, or any video file access. This is strictly a caption extraction tool that reads publicly available subtitle data.

How It Works

Extract a YouTube Shorts transcript in three steps:

Copy the URL — Copy the Shorts URL from YouTube. It should look like youtube.com/shorts/[videoID]. Regular YouTube video URLs (youtube.com/watch?v=) may work if captions exist.
Paste and submit — Paste into the form above and submit. We check YouTube's caption data for that video ID and extract if available.
Get your transcript — View timestamped text, copy to clipboard, or download as SRT (for editors) or TXT (for reading). No video files involved.

SRT and TXT Output (No Video)

Output is text-only in three forms: displayed timestamped text, SRT subtitle files for video editing, and TXT files for documentation. SRT files can be imported into video editors if you're creating your own Shorts and want reference captions. We do not and will not offer video file downloads in any format.

YouTube Shorts Limitations

Shorts must have captions — either YouTube auto-generated or creator-uploaded. Not all Shorts have captions enabled. Private or unlisted videos won't work. We support youtube.com/shorts/ URLs primarily; full YouTube videos may work if captions exist but are outside our main focus. Repeat: NO MP4 downloads, NO video file access, NO YouTube-to-video conversion. This tool extracts text captions only.

Why Extract Shorts Captions

Research: capture what's said in educational or news Shorts without rewatching. Accessibility: verify Shorts have proper captions. Repurposing: turn Shorts content into written posts or scripts. Cross-platform: use Shorts scripts as templates for Instagram Reels or TikTok. Note: if you want the video itself, use YouTube's official download options — we only handle text.

Frequently asked questions

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