How to Get a YouTube Transcript Free (2026 Guide)
Need a YouTube transcript for study notes, blog research, or accessibility? Here are the free ways to get captions — and how to go beyond plain text with AI on the watch page.
Method 1: YouTube's built-in transcript
Most videos with captions include a free transcript inside YouTube:
- Open the video on
youtube.com/watch - Click the three dots under the player → Show transcript
- Copy lines manually or use timestamps to navigate
This works for many videos but can be slow for long content and does not summarize or reformat text.
Method 2: YouTube to transcript websites
Several sites let you paste a video URL and download a transcript. They are useful for one-off exports but usually require leaving YouTube, waiting for processing, and often show ads or limits.
Method 3: YouTube to transcript Chrome extension (recommended)
Youtube To Transcript is a free Chrome extension that loads the transcript in a sidebar on the same watch page — no copy-paste of URLs. You can:
- Read captions while the video plays
- Switch caption languages when available
- Generate AI summaries, notes, and quizzes from the transcript
- Copy results in one click
Install from the Chrome Web Store, open any video, and sign in with Google to start on the free tier.
When to use which method
- Quick peek → YouTube built-in transcript
- One-time download → online transcript tool
- Daily learning or content work → Chrome extension on watch pages