Can I extract transcripts from private or unlisted videos?

No. Private videos aren’t accessible, and some unlisted videos may not expose transcripts.

Do live streams have transcripts?

Live streams typically don’t have transcripts until the stream is processed as a regular video.

How do I quickly remove timestamps?

Use the exporter to download clean text without timestamps, or toggle timestamps off in YouTube’s UI.

How are credits charged?

1 credit is charged for each transcript extracted or each AI action. Once a transcript is saved to your history, you can download it as many times as you want for no charge. For more information, see Gistra’s credit usage policies at https://gistra.io/credit-usage-policies

Do credits roll over or expire?

Monthly plan credits do not roll over; your balance resets at the beginning of each billing period. Pay-as-you-go credits never expire. If you have monthly and PAYG credits, your monthly credits will be used first.

What if I run out of credits?

You can purchase pay-as-you-go credits at any time. PAYG credits never expire and are used after your monthly credits are exhausted.

Do I need a credit card to sign up?

No. You can create an account and start with free monthly credits. You only need a card if you purchase a paid plan or pay-as-you-go credits.

How to extract YouTube transcripts (free & fast)

There are two easy ways to get a transcript from a YouTube video. The fastest is an extractor that lets you download the transcript as text, CSV, SRT, or JSON. You can also use YouTube’s built‑in transcript UI and copy/paste.

Method 1: Use an instant extractor (recommended)

Open the tool: Extract YouTube Transcript.

Paste the YouTube video URL.
Complete the captcha if prompted.
View and download the transcript as text, CSV, SRT, or JSON.

No account required to extract and download. However, a free account grants 20 credits per month and access to AI features like chat.

Method 2: Use YouTube’s built‑in transcript

For many videos, YouTube provides a transcript you can copy:

Open the video on youtube.com.
In the description box, scroll down to Transcript and click "Show Transcript"

The button to show the transcript in Youtube's UI

(Optional) Toggle timestamps on/off.
Select the transcript text, copy it, and paste it into your notes.

Limitations: Not all videos have transcripts. Auto‑generated captions can contain errors. Some languages or regions may not be supported. For playlists or exports, an extractor is faster.

Tips for managing your transcripts

Include metadata for easy reference later and better handling by LLMs.
Export clean text (without timestamps) for a human-readable version.
Use CSV/JSON for downstream analysis or LLM workflows.

Troubleshooting

Invalid or shortened URLs: Use the full watch URL (e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...).
No captions available: If the publisher didn’t add captions (or auto‑captions aren’t present), extraction isn’t possible.
Private/unlisted: Private videos aren’t accessible; some unlisted videos won’t expose transcripts.
Age/region restrictions: Restricted videos may block transcript access depending on policy and location.
Live streams: Transcripts usually appear only after the stream is processed as a normal video.

Use transcripts responsibly. Downloading a transcript does not give your rights to its content. Respect copyright and creator policies, and follow YouTube’s Terms of Service.

Ready to extract a transcript now?

Create a free account and get 20 free credits per month and access to AI features, bulk channel extraction, and more.

How to extract YouTube transcripts (free & fast)

Method 1: Use an instant extractor (recommended)

Method 2: Use YouTube’s built‑in transcript

Tips for managing your transcripts

Troubleshooting

FAQ