What is Simple Transcript Capture
Simple Transcript Capture is a Chrome extension that pulls the transcript from any YouTube video and saves it as a TXT, Markdown, or SRT subtitle file. It uses the official YouTube InnerTube API to fetch the transcript that YouTube already serves, so the result is accurate and instant. If the API call is unavailable, the extension falls back to reading the on-page transcript panel directly. There is no re-transcription, no AI text generation, and no hallucinated lines. The extension runs locally in your browser. It makes no requests to any third-party server, collects zero analytics, and does not require an account.
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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