YouTube Shorts Transcript
Paste a Shorts link to get everything said in the Short as text. Free to try, no sign-up.
Works with youtube.com/shorts/ links, including ones copied from the Share button in the YouTube app.
How to get the transcript of a YouTube Short
- In the YouTube app, tap Share on the Short and copy the link. On a computer, copy the address from your browser.
- Paste it into the box above and press "Get Free Transcript".
- Copy the text or download it.
Why YouTube shows no transcript for Shorts
On a computer, the Shorts player has no Show transcript button, and its Description panel only shows the title, likes, views and date. YouTube does show a transcript for the same video on its regular watch page: change /shorts/ in the address to /watch?v=, open the description and click Show transcript. Pasting the Shorts link above skips that step.
Most Shorts use automatic captions
Every Short we tested, from MrBeast, TED and Veritasium, had YouTube's automatic captions rather than captions the creator wrote. They are usually right on clear speech, but can miss words under music and misspell names. A Short with no speech, or with captions turned off, has no transcript.
What people use Shorts transcripts for
Reuse a script
See exactly what was said in a Short that worked, then write your own version or turn it into a post.
Captions and subtitles
Get the text to edit into on-screen captions instead of typing it out while you rewatch.
Research a niche
Read a dozen Shorts in the time it takes to watch two, and spot the hooks that keep coming up.
Tools
Need transcripts for many Shorts?
The website handles one Short at a time. For many at once, use the API or the MCP server.
YouTube Shorts Transcript FAQs
Can you get a transcript of a YouTube Short?
Yes, as long as the Short has captions, either written by the creator or generated by YouTube. Paste its link above.
Do links from the YouTube app work?
Yes. Links from the Share button look like youtube.com/shorts/ID?si=... and work as they are. You don't need to remove anything.
Why is there no transcript for this Short?
It has no captions to read. Usually the Short is music with little speech, the creator turned captions off, it was uploaded too recently for automatic captions, or the speech is in a language YouTube does not caption automatically.
Does the Chrome extension work on Shorts?
Not on the Shorts player. The extension's transcript panel opens on regular watch pages, so either paste the Short's link here, or change /shorts/ in the address to /watch?v= to open it as a regular video.
Can I get the transcript in another language?
Yes, in any language the Short has captions for, or as a machine translation into another language.
Can I get transcripts for many Shorts at once?
Yes, with the API or the MCP server for AI assistants. Each transcript that succeeds costs one credit, and new accounts get free credits to start.