01 / FROM WATCHING TO WORKING
YouTube Transcript
From video to words.
Keep the useful part. Save a YouTube video’s available captions as clean text or structured data, directly from your desktop browser.
CHROME · EDGE · BRAVE · V1.2.202 / THE CAPTION TRACK
Every word. Within reach.
The extension retrieves existing captions. It prefers manually authored English captions, then other manual tracks, then automatic captions.
EXISTING CAPTIONS ONLY · NO AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION03 / THE TRANSFORMATION
A timeline. Now a document.
Caption segments become readable text. The extension keeps timing separate from the spoken words, ready for the output you choose.
EXAMPLE CAPTION TRACK · ILLUSTRATIVE CONTENT04 / THE CONTEXT
Keep the moment with the words.
Include timestamps to return to a useful moment. Turn them off for uninterrupted reading. Missing timing is reported rather than invented.
OPTIONAL TIMESTAMPS · CLEAN TEXT BY DEFAULT05 / THE FORMAT
Five formats. Your next step.
TXT for notes. Markdown for writing. HTML for readable pages. CSV and JSON for structured workflows. Files take the video’s title.
TXT · MARKDOWN · HTML · CSV · JSON06 / THE WORKFLOW
Stay with the video.
Open a captioned video. Choose your format in the extension popup and select Download transcript. Or use the button beside YouTube’s video actions.
WATCH · ARCHIVED LIVE · SHORTS07 / THE POSSIBILITY
Turn content into possibility.
Bring useful captions into research notes, study materials, or your next digital workflow. A small tool for making more of what you watch.
MANUAL INSTALLATION · DESKTOP BROWSER EXTENSIONENGINEERED FOR EVERYDAY WORK
The useful part, in your hands.
Research
Keep caption text from talks, tutorials, and explanations alongside your notes.
Revisit
Use available timestamps to find a useful moment again.
Build on it
Export structured CSV or JSON for your own downstream workflows.
THE PRACTICAL PART
From download
to first result.
Six steps. A clear beginning.
Choose a step to inspect the workflow.
Download the extension ZIP and extract it to a folder you will keep. Installation uses that folder directly.
Type chrome://extensions, edge://extensions, or brave://extensions in your desktop browser’s address bar. Enable Developer mode.
Choose Load unpacked, then select the folder containing manifest.json. Pin the extension if you want quick access to its popup.
Open a regular Watch page, an archived Live video, or a Short with captions. The extension works on the current tab; you do not paste a URL into it.
Open the extension popup. Select TXT, Markdown, HTML, CSV, or JSON, and choose whether to include timestamps. These preferences are saved locally.
Select Download transcript in the popup, or use the page button. If direct extraction is unavailable, the extension tries YouTube’s native transcript panel.
01 / Download and extractILLUSTRATIVE INTERFACE · FULL INSTRUCTIONS ALONGSIDE
ONE SAMPLE. FIVE POSSIBILITIES.
Make it
your format.
A working export demo using a fixed caption sample and the extension’s real formatting logic. No URL submission or live extraction.
Choose a format. See the actual sample output.
Good systems make everyday work simpler. Connect the tools. Keep the useful information. Give people more space to focus.
KNOW YOUR TOOLS
Small extension. Clear capabilities.
Five export formats+
TXT, Markdown, HTML, CSV, and JSON. Plain text without timestamps is the default. Files use the video title.
Caption selection+
Manual English → other manual captions → automatic English → first available track. No manual track picker.
Two entry points+
Download transcript on the video page, or the extension popup. Popup format and timestamp preferences also apply to the page button.
Fallback extraction+
If direct caption download is unavailable, the extension opens the native YouTube transcript panel and waits for caption text.
Permissions+
activeTab, scripting, and storage. Host access is limited to www.youtube.com and m.youtube.com. Preferences are stored locally; exports are created in your browser.
Limits+
Requires accessible existing captions. No audio transcription, transcript editor, search tool, speaker identification, or mobile-browser support is claimed. YouTube interface changes can affect retrieval.
Does it transcribe a video’s audio?+
No. It downloads captions that already exist on YouTube, including available auto-generated captions. A video without an accessible caption track cannot be transcribed by this extension.
Can I choose a caption language?+
The current release selects automatically: manual English first, then another manual track, then automatic English, then the first available track. It does not offer a manual language picker.
Which browsers and video pages work?+
Chrome, Edge, and Brave on desktop, with manual unpacked installation. The extension supports Watch pages, archived Live pages, and Shorts when captions are accessible.
Why did extraction fail?+
First check that the video has captions. The extension can try YouTube’s native transcript panel if direct extraction fails. YouTube changes may affect extraction; reload the page and extension, then contact support if the problem persists.
Why are timestamps unavailable?+
Some fallback text has no usable timing. The extension asks you to turn off Include timestamps instead of creating invented timecodes.
What permissions does it use?+
activeTab and scripting let it connect to the current YouTube tab and read caption content. storage saves your output preferences locally. Host permissions are limited to www.youtube.com and m.youtube.com. The export is created in your browser.
Is the demonstration a live YouTube download?+
No. The on-page demo uses a fixed illustrative caption sample. Its format and timestamp controls produce actual sample files using the extension’s export logic. Install the extension to retrieve a real video’s captions.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER / MORNE TRANSCRIPT
From watching. To working.
Keep useful captions in the format your next workflow needs.
Download extension ↗Version 1.2.5 · ZIP · Manual unpacked installation
Chrome, Edge, or Brave on desktop. Captions must be available.