Handytool
SocialFree

YouTube transcript generator

Get the full text transcript of any YouTube video, then copy it or download it as TXT, SRT, or VTT. Free, no signup.

Paste any public YouTube link — a normal video, a Shorts URL, or a finished live replay. We read the captions YouTube already serves, so the video must have captions or auto-captions available.

Only the link is sent to fetch captions.

Paste a YouTube link above and the transcript will appear here.

About the YouTube transcript generator

Get the complete transcript of any YouTube video in seconds — just paste the link. Handytool reads the captions YouTube already serves and turns them into clean, readable text you can copy or download. Switch between plain text for reading and a timestamped view for citing exact moments, then export to TXT, SRT, or VTT for subtitles, notes, blog posts, or studying. No signup, no API key, and no YouTube login required.

YouTube transcript generator features

  • 01

    Plain text or timestamps

    Read the transcript as one continuous paragraph for skimming, or flip to the timestamped view to find the exact moment a line was spoken. Copy whichever view you need with a single click.

  • 02

    Download as TXT, SRT, or VTT

    Export plain text for notes and articles, or grab SRT and VTT subtitle files ready to drop into a video editor, another platform, or back into YouTube.

  • 03

    Works with any public video

    Paste a standard watch link, a youtu.be short link, a Shorts URL, or a live replay. As long as the video has captions or auto-captions, you get the full transcript.

YouTube transcript generator FAQ

Do I need a YouTube API key or login?
No. Handytool reads the same public captions YouTube already shows viewers — no API key, no Google account, and no quota to manage.
What if the video has no captions?
Then there's nothing to extract and the tool will tell you. If you have the video file, use our Transcribe Video tool to generate a transcript from the audio with Whisper, right in your browser.
Can I get the transcript in a specific language?
The tool prefers the caption track that matches the language of the page you're on and falls back to the video's original captions if that track doesn't exist. Which languages are available depends on what the creator or YouTube's auto-captions provide.
What's the difference between the TXT, SRT, and VTT downloads?
TXT is plain text with no timing — best for reading, notes, or pasting into a document. SRT and VTT are subtitle files that include start and end timestamps, ready for video editors or upload to streaming platforms.
Does it work on Shorts and live streams?
Yes. Paste a Shorts URL or a finished live-stream replay just like a normal video. Only videos that actually have captions can be transcribed.
Is the video downloaded or stored anywhere?
No. Only the link you paste is sent to our server, just long enough to fetch YouTube's public captions. The video itself is never downloaded, and transcripts aren't stored.

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