# YouTube Transcript Scraper (`akash9078/youtube-transcript-scraper`) Actor

YouTube Transcript Scraper  & Extractor API — Extract transcripts, captions & subtitles from YouTube videos, Shorts & VODs without an API key. Supports auto-generated and manual captions in 100+ languages with translation, batch extraction & clean JSON for AI agents, RAG, SEO & automation.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/akash9078/youtube-transcript-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Akash Kumar Naik](https://apify.com/akash9078) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Developer tools, Videos
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 1,177 total users, 45 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 30 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 4.94 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

$10.00 / 1,000 transcripts

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 Transcript Scraper is an Apify Actor that extracts transcripts, captions, and subtitles from any YouTube video in seconds — no YouTube Data API key, OAuth setup, or quota management required. Paste a video URL and get clean, structured JSON transcript data ready for AI apps, RAG pipelines, SEO analysis, and content repurposing.

### What Is YouTube Transcript Scraper?

YouTube Transcript Scraper is a cloud-based transcript extraction API that converts YouTube captions into structured JSON. It accepts all major YouTube URL formats and retrieves transcript data without touching the official YouTube Data API — so there are no daily quota limits, no key rotation, and no OAuth configuration. Typical extraction takes 3 to 5 seconds per video.

### Key Features

- Extract full transcripts and captions from YouTube videos with available subtitles
- Supports both auto-generated and manually created captions
- Extract transcripts in 100+ languages
- Translate transcripts into 14 supported languages via Mistral AI
- Structured JSON output ready for APIs, databases, and vector stores
- Batch process thousands of videos through the Apify API
- Automatic residential proxy rotation for reliable extraction
- No YouTube Data API key required, no OAuth, no quota limitations

### Supported Content Types

- Standard YouTube videos
- YouTube Shorts
- Premieres
- Completed live streams (VODs)
- Embedded videos
- Public and unlisted videos (when the URL is available)

### Supported YouTube URL Formats

```text
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID
https://youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID
https://youtube.com/live/VIDEO_ID
https://youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID
VIDEO_ID
```

### Use Cases

- **AI & machine learning** — build LLM training datasets, RAG pipelines (Pinecone, Weaviate, Chroma, Qdrant, Milvus), semantic search, and video summarization
- **Content marketing** — turn videos into blog posts, newsletters, social clips, quotes, and podcast show notes
- **SEO & research** — competitor video analysis, keyword discovery from transcripts, content gap analysis
- **Accessibility** — generate text versions of video content and convert webinars into searchable documentation
- **Automation** — plug into n8n, Make, Zapier, Activepieces, or custom API workflows

As a drop-in replacement, the Actor works as a YouTube Transcript API, YouTube Caption API, YouTube Subtitle API, transcript downloader, subtitle extractor, and caption scraper.

### Input Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|-----------|------|----------|---------|-------------|
| `videoUrl` | string | Yes | — | YouTube URL or video ID |
| `language` | string | No | Auto-detect | Caption language (BCP-47 code, e.g. `en`, `hi`) |
| `translate` | boolean | No | `false` | Enable AI translation when the target language differs from the original |

Example input:

```json
{
  "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "language": "en",
  "translate": false
}
```

### Supported Languages

The Actor can extract any caption language available on the target video — English, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, and many more.

Translation output is available into: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Dutch, and Polish. Translation runs on Mistral AI: the original transcript is always returned, translation is attempted only when source and target languages differ, and `transcript_translated` appears upon success. If translation fails, the original transcript is still returned.

### Sample Output

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "video_id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "video_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
  "video_title": "Example Video",
  "published_at": "Jan 15, 2026",
  "thumbnail_max_hd_url": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dQw4w9WgXcQ/maxresdefault.jpg",
  "transcript": "Full transcript text...",
  "language": "en",
  "extraction_time": 3.42,
  "proxy_type": "apify",
  "timestamp": "2026-05-18T12:00:00.000Z"
}
```

With `translate: true`, the response additionally includes `transcript_translated` and `translated_language`.

Full output schema:

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| `success` | boolean | Extraction status |
| `video_id` | string | YouTube video ID |
| `video_url` | string | Canonical URL |
| `video_title` | string | Video title |
| `published_at` | string | Publish date |
| `thumbnail_max_hd_url` | string | Thumbnail URL |
| `transcript` | string | Extracted transcript |
| `transcript_translated` | string | Translated transcript (when enabled) |
| `translated_language` | string | Translation language |
| `language` | string | Caption language |
| `extraction_time` | number | Processing time |
| `proxy_type` | string | Proxy type used |
| `proxy_stats` | object | Proxy attempt statistics |
| `timestamp` | string | Extraction timestamp |
| `error` | string | Error message (on failure) |

### How to Use the YouTube Transcript Scraper

1. Open the [Actor page on Apify Store](https://apify.com/akash9078/youtube-transcript-scraper) and click **Start Actor**.
2. Paste a YouTube URL (or ID) and optionally choose a caption language.
3. Toggle `translate` if you want the transcript translated.
4. Run the Actor and download results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or HTML from the Apify dataset.

#### Connect via API

cURL:

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/akash9078/youtube-transcript-scraper/runs" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"videoUrl":"https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ","language":"es","translate":true}'
```

Python:

```python
import requests

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/akash9078/youtube-transcript-scraper/runs",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN"},
    json={"videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ", "language": "es", "translate": True},
)
print(response.json())
```

Node.js with [Apify Client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js):

```javascript
const { ApifyClient } = require('apify-client');

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });

const run = await client.actor('akash9078/youtube-transcript-scraper').call({
    videoUrl: 'https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ',
    language: 'es',
    translate: true,
});

const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

### Error Responses

```json
{ "success": false, "video_id": "xxxxxxxxxxx", "error": "No captions available for this video" }
{ "success": false, "video_id": "xxxxxxxxxxx", "error": "Video is private or unavailable" }
{ "success": false, "video_id": "xxxxxxxxxxx", "error": "Unable to extract transcript" }
```

### YouTube Transcript Scraper Pricing

| Event | Price |
|-------|-------|
| Transcript Extraction | $0.01 |

You only pay for successful extractions. Estimated cost: 10 videos ≈ $0.10, 100 ≈ $1.00, 1,000 ≈ $10.00, 10,000 ≈ $100.00.

### Why Use This Instead of the YouTube Data API?

| Capability | YouTube Transcript Scraper | YouTube Data API v3 |
|------------|---------------------------|---------------------|
| API key required | No | Yes |
| OAuth required | No | Yes |
| Daily quota limits | No | Yes |
| Auto-generated captions | Yes | No |
| Manual captions | Yes | Limited |
| Batch processing | Yes | Quota-limited |
| Setup complexity | Low | Medium |
| Proxy handling | Built in | No |

### Limitations

- Videos must have captions enabled (manual or auto-generated)
- Currently live streams, private videos, and age-restricted videos are not supported
- Output contains complete transcript text only, without timestamps

### FAQ

#### Does the Actor support auto-generated captions?

Yes — both manual and auto-generated captions are supported.

#### Can I extract transcripts in bulk?

Yes. You can process thousands of videos using the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) or schedule batch runs.

#### Does it work with YouTube Shorts?

Yes, Shorts are fully supported, along with Premieres and completed live streams.

#### Is a YouTube API key required?

No. The Actor never touches the YouTube Data API, so there is no key or quota setup.

#### Does the Actor return timestamped captions?

No. The current output is the complete transcript text without timestamps.

#### Can I translate transcripts?

Yes. Translation into 14 supported languages is available via the `translate` input.

#### Is there a daily limit?

No. There are no YouTube API quota restrictions.

#### How fast is transcript extraction?

Most videos are processed within 3 to 5 seconds.

### Related Actors

If you need more YouTube data from Apify, check out my other [Apify Actors](https://apify.com/akash9078):

- [YouTube Transcript Extractor](https://apify.com/akash9078/youtube-transcript-extractor)
- [YouTube Full Channel Transcripts Extractor](https://apify.com/akash9078/youtube-full-channel-transcripts-extractor)
- [YouTube Playlist Scraper With Transcript](https://apify.com/akash9078/youtube-playlist-scraper-with-transcript)
- [YouTube Channel Video Scraper](https://apify.com/akash9078/youtube-channel-video-scraper)
- [YouTube Trending Scraper](https://apify.com/akash9078/youtube-trending-scraper)
- [YouTube Playlist Scraper](https://apify.com/akash9078/youtube-playlist-scraper)
- [YouTube Search Scraper](https://apify.com/akash9078/youtube-search-scraper)

***

Built and maintained by [akash9078](https://apify.com/akash9078) on the [Apify platform](https://docs.apify.com).

# Actor input Schema

## `videoUrl` (type: `string`):

YouTube video URL or 11-character video ID. Supports all URL formats: youtube.com/watch?v=, youtu.be/, youtube.com/shorts/, youtube.com/live/, embed/.

## `translate` (type: `boolean`):

If enabled, the transcript will be translated to the Preferred Language when it differs from the original language. Uses Mistral AI for translation. Disabled by default to save processing time.

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

Preferred language for transcript extraction. Select from the dropdown or type a custom BCP-47 code (e.g., 'en-GB', 'zh-Hans'). Choose 'auto' to let the system detect the best available track.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/qMquIcJWZag",
  "translate": false,
  "language": "hi"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `transcripts` (type: `string`):

Extracted transcripts with video metadata, including original and translated text when requested

# 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 = {
    "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/qMquIcJWZag",
    "translate": false,
    "language": "hi"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("akash9078/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 = {
    "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/qMquIcJWZag",
    "translate": False,
    "language": "hi",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("akash9078/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 '{
  "videoUrl": "https://youtu.be/qMquIcJWZag",
  "translate": false,
  "language": "hi"
}' |
apify call akash9078/youtube-transcript-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,akash9078/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/bbqmsPr0r519A0ZaV/builds/0DdQckLV7I1XJDTVk/openapi.json