Guide

How to Use TranscriptAI

Everything you need to know to get started with downloading and analyzing YouTube transcripts

Quick Start (30 seconds)
The fastest way to get your first transcript
  1. 1

    Copy any YouTube video URL

    Right-click on any YouTube video and select "Copy link address"

  2. 2

    Paste it on our homepage

    Navigate to the homepage and paste the URL in the input field

  3. 3

    Click "Get Transcript" and you're done!

    Your transcript will load in seconds with full timestamps

Detailed Feature Guide

Getting Transcripts

Supported URL Formats

  • https://youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
  • https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID
  • https://youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID

Language Options

Leave the language field empty to use the video's default language (usually auto-detected). For specific languages, enter the language code (e.g., "en" for English, "es" for Spanish).

What if a transcript isn't available?

If a video doesn't have transcripts (captions disabled), you'll see an error message. Unfortunately, we can only access videos with available transcripts or auto-generated captions.

Reading Transcripts

Once loaded, you'll see the full transcript with timestamps. Click any timestamp to jump to that moment in the embedded video player.

Navigation Tips

  • Use the tabs to switch between Transcript, AI Analysis, Search, and Export
  • The video player stays in sync with your current position
  • Timestamps are clickable - jump to any moment instantly
AI Analysis Features

Summaries

Generate three types of summaries:

  • Brief Overview: Quick recap in a few sentences
  • Detailed Synopsis: Comprehensive narrative summary
  • Key Takeaways: Bullet-pointed main points

Extractions

Automatically identify and extract:

  • Code Snippets: Programming code mentioned in the video
  • Quotes: Important statements and who said them
  • Action Items: Tasks, next steps, and responsibilities

Q&A

Ask questions about the video content and get AI-powered answers based on the transcript. Perfect for finding specific information without watching the entire video.

Searching Transcripts

Use the Search tab to find specific keywords or phrases in the transcript. Results are highlighted and you can click to jump to that moment.

Search Tips

  • Search is case-insensitive
  • Use quotes for exact phrase matching
  • Results show surrounding context for better understanding
Exporting Data

Export functionality is coming soon! You'll be able to download transcripts and AI analysis in multiple formats including:

  • Plain text (.txt)
  • JSON format (.json)
  • Markdown (.md)
  • PDF with formatting

Best Practices & Tips

⚡ Performance

Transcripts are cached, so requesting the same video again is instant. AI analysis is also cached per transcript.

🎯 Accuracy

AI summaries are based on transcript text. For best results, use videos with high-quality manually-created captions rather than auto-generated ones.

💡 Use Cases

Great for tutorials, lectures, interviews, podcasts, conference talks, and any long-form content where you need to reference specific moments or extract key information.