How to Copy a YouTube Transcript into Google Docs
To copy a YouTube transcript into Google Docs, open Show transcript on the video page, select the text, and paste it into a document with Paste without formatting. Add the video title and link at the top, then keep timestamps beside the passages you plan to quote or share.
Before you start
You need a video with an available caption track and a Google account for Docs. Copying a transcript does not download the video, and it does not create captions for a video that has none. Respect the creator’s rights when you share copied text.
Move the transcript into Docs in six steps
- Open the video on a computer, expand the description, and choose Show transcript.
- Select the lines you need. For a long video, our Chrome extension can search and copy available captions with their timestamps on supported watch pages.
- Create a new document in Google Docs and write the video title, channel, link, caption language, and today’s date at the top.
- Paste the text with Paste without formatting from the Edit menu, so colors and styles from the YouTube page are not carried over.
- Add a heading for each part of the video and join short caption lines into paragraphs where that makes reading easier.
- Replay any passage you will quote, and correct an obvious caption error only after checking the audio.
Keep timestamps useful
A timestamp typed into a document does not open the video by itself. For a passage you want to revisit, copy a link that starts at that moment and attach it to the timestamp with Insert link. A reader can then open the exact moment instead of searching the whole video.
Share and collaborate carefully
Google Docs makes it easy to discuss a transcript with classmates or colleagues in comments. Mark which parts are quotes and which are your notes, so nobody mistakes a paraphrase for the speaker’s words. If you share the document widely, link to the video instead of republishing a full transcript.
Add an AI summary to the document
With the extension, you can generate a summary, key insights, or notes from the available captions and paste them below the transcript. Label that section as AI-generated and check it against the video. Free accounts include a limited number of AI generations, and Premium removes that limit.
Frequently asked questions
Can Google Docs import a YouTube transcript automatically?
Google Docs has no built-in YouTube transcript import. Copy the text from the transcript panel or an extension, then paste it into the document.
Why does the pasted transcript have one short line per caption?
Captions are split into short timed lines. Paste without formatting, then join lines into paragraphs and keep the original copy for reference.
Should I keep timestamps in the document?
Keep them for anything you might quote, check, or share. You can remove them in a separate reading copy if you want cleaner text.
Related guides
- Remove timestamps from a reading copy
- Link to an exact moment in a video
- Compare Free and Premium AI generations