# Simple Transcript Capture

> Pull clean transcripts from YouTube videos. Export as TXT, Markdown, or SRT subtitles. One click, no upload, no account.

**Category:** Media
**Keywords:** transcript, youtube, subtitles, srt, captions, chrome, extension, browser, video, text, markdown, transcription
**URL:** https://complete.tools/simple-transcript-capture

## Key features

**Pulls the real transcript.** Uses YouTube's InnerTube API to grab the transcript YouTube already serves. The output matches what YouTube shows, not an AI-generated rewrite.

**DOM fallback.** When the API path is unavailable, the extension reads the on-page transcript panel directly so videos that hide the transcript still work.

**Three export formats.** Save as plain TXT for reading, Markdown for note-taking apps, or SRT (Pro) with timestamps for video subtitle workflows.

**Copy to clipboard.** Instead of downloading, you can copy the entire transcript with one click and paste it directly into a doc or chat.

**One-click extraction.** Open a video, click the extension icon, and the transcript loads in the popup. No copy-paste, no manual line-by-line work.

**Markdown with a heading.** The Markdown export includes the video title as a heading, so the file imports cleanly into Obsidian, Notion, or any docs tool.

**Completely offline and private.** All extraction happens locally in your browser. Zero analytics, zero account, zero data leaves your machine.

**Works on all Chromium browsers.** Compatible with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera, Vivaldi, and any other Chromium-based browser that supports Chrome Web Store extensions.

## How to save a YouTube transcript

1. Install Simple Transcript Capture from the Chrome Web Store. It also works on Edge, Brave, Arc, and other Chromium browsers.
2. Open the YouTube video you want a transcript for. Any video with a transcript available works.
3. Click the Simple Transcript Capture icon in your browser toolbar. The popup loads the transcript instantly.
4. Pick your format: TXT for plain text, Markdown for notes, or SRT (Pro) for subtitles.
5. Click download or copy to clipboard. The file saves with the video title as its filename.

## Who should use this

**Students and researchers.** Capture lecture transcripts for note-taking, search, and quick reference. The Markdown export drops directly into Obsidian or Notion.

**Content creators.** Pull transcripts of competitor videos, reference talks, and your own uploads for repurposing into articles, scripts, or social posts.

**Video editors.** Export SRT subtitles to import directly into Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut, or any subtitle editor. No retranscription, no timing fixes.

**Journalists and analysts.** Extract verbatim text from interview videos, panels, and conference talks for quoting and analysis.

**Privacy-conscious users.** If you want a transcript extractor that collects zero data and makes no third-party network requests, Simple Transcript Capture provides that guarantee.

## FAQs

**Q:** Is Simple Transcript Capture free?


**A:** Yes. The free version exports TXT and Markdown transcripts with full functionality. The Pro upgrade is a one-time payment (not a subscription) and unlocks SRT subtitle export for video editing workflows.


**Q:** Does it generate transcripts using AI?


**A:** No. It pulls the actual transcript YouTube already serves, via the InnerTube API. The output is the same text YouTube shows, not a re-transcription, so there are no hallucinated lines or timing drift.


**Q:** What if a video does not have a transcript?


**A:** If YouTube does not provide a transcript for a video, no extension can extract one. You can ask the uploader to enable captions, or use a separate transcription tool to generate one from the audio.


**Q:** Is my data sent anywhere?


**A:** No. All extraction happens locally in your browser. The extension makes no third-party network requests, has no analytics, and does not require an account.


**Q:** What browsers are supported?


**A:** Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera, Vivaldi, and all Chromium-based browsers. It is not compatible with Firefox or Safari, which use different extension APIs.


**Q:** Can I get the transcript with timestamps?


**A:** Yes. The SRT export (Pro) preserves the original timing, and Pro mode also offers timestamped TXT and Markdown output for reference.


**Q:** Does it work on YouTube Shorts?


**A:** It works on any YouTube video that has a transcript available. Some Shorts are too short for YouTube to generate a transcript, and those cannot be extracted.


**Q:** Does it work on platforms other than YouTube?


**A:** The current version is YouTube-focused because YouTube has the most consistent transcript API. Other video platforms expose transcripts inconsistently and are not yet supported.

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*Generated from [complete.tools/simple-transcript-capture](https://complete.tools/simple-transcript-capture)*