# YouTube Subtitle Scraper – Download Captions & Transcripts (`datascoutapi/youtube-subtitle-scraper`) Actor

Extract YouTube subtitles and auto-generated captions in seconds – no YouTube API key required. Get clean, structured subtitle text ready for analysis, SEO optimization, content repurposing, academic research, or building AI/training datasets.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/datascoutapi/youtube-subtitle-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [halam](https://apify.com/datascoutapi) (community)
- **Categories:** AI, Videos, MCP servers
- **Features:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 54 total users, 3 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $10.00 / 1,000 results

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 Subtitle Scraper - Extract Video Subtitles & Captions

Extract subtitles and captions from any YouTube video instantly. This Apify actor automatically downloads YouTube subtitles in text format, perfect for content analysis, transcription, and SEO optimization.

### 🚀 Key Features

- **Fast Subtitle Extraction** - Get YouTube video subtitles in seconds
- **Multiple URL Formats** - Supports both youtube.com and youtu.be links
- **Automatic Retry Logic** - Built-in error handling with 3 retry attempts
- **Clean Text Output** - Structured subtitle data ready for analysis
- **No API Key Required** - Simple input, instant results

### 📋 Use Cases

- Content creators analyzing competitor videos
- Researchers extracting video transcripts
- SEO professionals optimizing video content
- Developers building subtitle-based applications
- Students and educators creating study materials

### 🎯 How to Use

#### Input

```json
{
  "youtubeUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
}
```

#### Supported URL Formats

- `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID`
- `https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID`

#### Output

```json
{
  "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID",
  "subtitles": ["subtitle line 1", "subtitle line 2", "..."],
  "status": "success",
  "totalLines": 150
}
```

### ⚡ Quick Start

1. Enter any YouTube video URL
2. Run the actor
3. Download subtitles as structured data

### 🔧 Technical Details

- Built with Apify SDK for reliable scraping
- Axios for HTTP requests
- Automatic video ID extraction
- Exponential backoff retry mechanism
- Error handling and status reporting

### 💡 Tips

- Works with videos that have available subtitles/captions
- Extracts auto-generated and manual subtitles
- Returns empty array if no subtitles are available
- Check the `status` field to verify successful extraction

### 📊 Output Formats

Export your scraped subtitles in multiple formats:

- JSON
- CSV
- Excel
- HTML

### 🛠️ Integration

Use this actor via:

- Apify Console
- Apify API
- Apify Client for JavaScript/Python
- Webhooks and Schedules

### 📝 License

This actor is available for use on the Apify platform.

### 🔗 Related Actors

- YouTube Video Scraper
- YouTube Channel Scraper
- Video Transcript Analyzer

***

**Keywords**: YouTube subtitle scraper, extract YouTube captions, download video subtitles, YouTube transcript extractor, video caption downloader, YouTube text extraction, subtitle API, video transcription tool

# Actor input Schema

## `youtubeUrl` (type: `string`):

YouTube video URL to extract subtitles from

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "youtubeUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
}
```

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("datascoutapi/youtube-subtitle-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 = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("datascoutapi/youtube-subtitle-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 '{}' |
apify call datascoutapi/youtube-subtitle-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,datascoutapi/youtube-subtitle-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/QgePKyexu1hwUfeaS/builds/phqCZZiFMqQWrbzod/openapi.json