Apify Actor
YouTube transcripts in Apify
The YouTube Transcript API actor on Apify takes a list of video URLs or IDs and returns one dataset item per video: transcript, title, channel, language, caption type and per-line timestamps. Each video is a single request, so runs finish quickly and use very little Apify compute.
Set it up
- 1
Get an API key
Sign in at getyoutubetranscript.com and create a key on the developers page (100 free credits, no card). Keys start with sk_live_.
- 2
Open the actor
Open getyoutubetranscript/youtube-transcript-api in the Apify Store and click Try for free.
- 3
Fill in the input
Paste your videos and key. language and timestamps are optional:
{ "videos": ["https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw", "dQw4w9WgXcQ"], "apiKey": "sk_live_...", "language": "en", "timestamps": true } - 4
Run and export
Start the run, then download the dataset as JSON, CSV or Excel, or read it through the Apify API.
What people use it for
- Bulk exports of transcripts to a spreadsheet for analysis.
- Feeding transcripts into other Apify actors or webhooks.
- Scheduled runs over a fixed list of videos.
Good to know
- Videos without captions come back with an error code and the run continues. An invalid key or an empty balance stops the run right away.
Links
Questions about Apify
Do I pay Apify and GetYouTubeTranscript?
Transcripts use credits from your GetYouTubeTranscript key. The actor makes one HTTP call per video, so Apify compute usage is tiny.
What does it cost?
Each transcript, search or channel page uses one credit from your account, and failed requests are not charged. New accounts get 100 free credits, no card, and paid plans add more credits each month.