Fetch YouTube video subtitles via [TranscriptAPI.com](https://transcriptapi.com).
Setup
If
$TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY is not set, help the user create an account (100 free credits, no card):
Step 1 — Register: Ask user for their email.
node ./scripts/tapi-auth.js register --email USER_EMAIL
→ OTP sent to email. Ask user: _"Check your email for a 6-digit verification code."_
Step 2 — Verify: Once user provides the OTP:
node ./scripts/tapi-auth.js verify --token TOKEN_FROM_STEP_1 --otp CODE
> API key saved to your shell profile and agent config. Ready to use.
Manual option: [transcriptapi.com/signup](https://transcriptapi.com/signup) → Dashboard → API Keys.
GET /api/v2/youtube/transcript
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript\
?video_url=VIDEO_URL&format=text&include_timestamp=false&send_metadata=true" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
| Param | Values | Use case |
| ------------------- | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
|
video_url | YouTube URL or video ID | Required |
|
format |
json,
text |
json for sync'd subs with timing |
|
include_timestamp |
true,
false |
false for clean text for reading/translation |
|
send_metadata |
true,
false | Include title, channel, description |
For language learning — clean text without timestamps:
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript\
?video_url=VIDEO_ID&format=text&include_timestamp=false" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
For translation — structured segments:
curl -s "https://transcriptapi.com/api/v2/youtube/transcript\
?video_url=VIDEO_ID&format=json&include_timestamp=true" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $TRANSCRIPT_API_KEY"
Response (
format=json):
{
"video_id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"language": "en",
"transcript": [
{ "text": "We're no strangers to love", "start": 18.0, "duration": 3.5 }
]
}
Response (
format=text,
include_timestamp=false):
{
"video_id": "dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"language": "en",
"transcript": "We're no strangers to love\nYou know the rules and so do I..."
}
Tips
- Many videos have auto-generated subtitles in multiple languages.
- Use
format=json to get timing for each line (great for sync'd reading).
- Use
include_timestamp=false for clean text suitable for translation apps.
Errors
| Code | Action |
| ---- | -------------------------------------- |
| 402 | No credits — transcriptapi.com/billing |
| 404 | No subtitles available |
| 408 | Timeout — retry once after 2s |
1 credit per request. Free tier: 100 credits, 300 req/min.