How to Get the Transcript of a YouTube Short
Why YouTube Doesn't Show a Transcript on Shorts
Regular YouTube videos have a Show transcript button under the description. The Shorts player has none — not in the app, not on desktop. The captions usually still exist: switch on CC and you will see them scroll past one line at a time. There is just nowhere to read them as a whole.
On a computer there is a workaround: in the address bar, replace shorts/ with
watch?v=. The same video opens in the regular player, and the transcript appears under the
description if the Short has captions. On a phone there is no equivalent, which is why pasting the link
here is the quicker route on both.
What to Do With a Shorts Transcript
| You want to… | Use this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Study why a Short worked | Copy · plain text | Hooks, pacing, and the call to action are easier to see written down than at full speed. |
| Write a script in the same format | Copy with an AI prompt | The transcript goes to ChatGPT or Claude with the instructions already attached. |
| Re-cut it with captions | SRT from the download menu | Timed caption lines that CapCut, Premiere, and DaVinci Resolve all import. |
| Understand a Short in another language | Pick a target language | Read the transcript translated, or both languages side by side. |
| Quote it in a post or a doc | Copy with timestamps | Each line keeps its time, so anyone can check the quote against the video. |
When a Short Has No Transcript
A Short with no speech has no captions to give — music edits, sound-effect clips, and text-on-screen videos fall into this group. Across all the videos people bring to this site, about one in eight has no caption track, and music is the most common reason.
If someone is talking but there are still no captions, the workspace offers to transcribe the audio with AI. That is a Pro feature with a free trial — see how to get a transcript of a video without captions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get a transcript of a YouTube Short?
Yes, whenever the Short has a caption track — the same captions you switch on with the CC button. The Shorts player just has nowhere to show them as a transcript. Paste the Short's link above and the full text appears in a few seconds.
Why can't I see the transcript on a YouTube Short?
The Shorts player has no Show transcript button, in the app or on desktop. On a computer you can replace shorts/ with watch?v= in the address bar to open the same video in the regular player, where the transcript sits under the description if the Short has captions. Or paste the link here and skip the detour.
How do I copy a Shorts link on my phone?
In the YouTube app, tap Share on the Short, then Copy link. The link looks like youtube.com/shorts/… or youtu.be/… and both work here.
Can I get a Shorts transcript without timestamps?
Yes. The main Copy button copies plain text only. Timestamps are a separate option in the copy menu, for when you need them. More on that in the transcript without timestamps guide.
What if the Short has no captions?
Shorts that are only music, sound effects, or on-screen text usually have no caption track, because there is no speech to caption. If someone is talking but there are still no captions, AI transcription can create a transcript from the audio. That part is a Pro feature.
Can I get the transcripts of many Shorts at once?
This page handles one Short at a time. For a batch, use the transcript API, or connect Claude or ChatGPT through MCP and ask it for several Shorts in one message.
Is it free?
Yes. Getting and copying a Short's transcript is free, with no account. A few AI questions about it are free too. Only AI transcription of videos without captions needs Pro.
User Reviews
Honestly didn't expect a free tool to be this clean. Pasted a 40-min video link, got the full transcript with timestamps in seconds, copied it straight into ChatGPT for a summary. No signup, no paywall popup, no garbage ads. This is what the web used to feel like.
Used to get content for Instagram. Directly uploaded the transcription to AI tools and got the carousel copy. Which with the video would never have been possible.
I have used many transcription books on Google, all of them are websites that take money from us and provide data, but this site seems to be a convenient way to copy the original transcript in a second after pasting our URL. This is very helpful for studying and increasing our knowledge. Congratulations for providing such a service. Heartfelt thanks.
Thank you so much. What i am gonna do is my mom doesn't know English but i found so good video where every supplements are explained so i gonna translate it into russian and send her
This is one of the best tools I found online super helpful and I also may extract the text and read the videos instead of having to watch the whole thing I love it.
Simple, easy to use, extremely accurate, highly recommended. Great product.