How to Copy a YouTube Video Transcript

A short, practical walkthrough.

Copy in one click

The transcript page has a Copy transcript button. It joins every cue into a single block of clean text and puts it on your clipboard.

Copying part of it

Select the lines you want with the mouse and copy normally — the timestamps are separate elements, so selecting the text alone leaves the timecodes behind.

Copying a transcript sounds trivial and is not quite: you have to decide whether you want the timecodes, and whether the line breaks matter for where the text is going. Getting that wrong means pasting a document full of timestamps into somewhere that did not want them.

Both options are on the page — plain copy strips the timings, and the timestamped copy keeps them — so the choice is made before you paste rather than after.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I copy without the timestamps?
Use the plain copy button. It gives you the transcript text with the timecodes removed, which is what you want for notes, documents, or anywhere the times would just be noise.
How do I keep the timestamps?
Use "Copy with timestamps". Each line keeps the moment it was spoken, which is what you need when citing a source or when you intend to jump back to a specific point.
Can I copy only part of the transcript?
Yes — it is ordinary text on the page, so select the lines you want and copy them normally. The buttons are for taking the whole thing at once.
Why did the pasted text lose its line breaks?
Usually the destination, not the copy. Some editors and chat boxes collapse newlines. Pasting into a plain-text editor first will show you what was actually copied.
Can I copy the transcript in another language?
Yes, if the video has a caption track in that language. Select it first, then copy.
Is there a limit on how much I can copy?
No. Long videos produce long transcripts and copying is not restricted.