Does this skill require yt-dlp to be installed?

No, while yt-dlp is the preferred method for speed, the skill includes a fallback browser automation mode using Chrome DevTools MCP to scrape transcripts directly from the web page.

Which languages does the extractor support?

It is configured to prioritize English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese, but it can extract any subtitle track available on the YouTube video.

Can it extract subtitles from private or age-restricted videos?

The skill supports the --cookies-from-browser flag, which allows it to use your active browser session's permissions to access content you have permission to view.

What file format are the transcripts saved in?

Transcripts are saved as standard .txt files in your current working directory, using the video's title as the filename and including timestamps for each segment.

YouTube Transcript Extractor

Name: YouTube Transcript Extractor
Author: feiskyer

byfeiskyer

•

1,158

Web Scraping & Data Collection

Extracts subtitles and transcripts from YouTube videos into local text files using CLI tools or browser automation.

About

The YouTube Transcript Extractor skill enables Claude to programmatically retrieve video dialogue and captions directly from a URL. It utilizes a robust multi-layered approach, first attempting high-speed extraction via yt-dlp with cookie support to bypass sign-in restrictions. If CLI tools are unavailable, it seamlessly falls back to browser automation, navigating the YouTube interface to scrape the transcript panel. The skill identifies video titles for automatic file naming and preserves timestamps, making it an essential tool for researchers, content creators, and developers needing to convert video content into searchable, local text data.

Key Features

Dual-mode extraction using yt-dlp CLI or Chrome browser automation fallbacks
Automated UI navigation to expand descriptions and trigger transcript panels
Generates formatted .txt files with synchronized timestamps for every line
1,158 GitHub stars
Supports multiple languages including English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese
Bypasses restricted content barriers using browser cookie integration

Use Cases

Converting long-form video tutorials into readable documentation or study guides
Extracting dialogue for translation, localization, or sentiment analysis projects
Summarizing video content without needing to watch the entire duration

About

Key Features

Dual-mode extraction using yt-dlp CLI or Chrome browser automation fallbacks
Automated UI navigation to expand descriptions and trigger transcript panels
Generates formatted .txt files with synchronized timestamps for every line
1,158 GitHub stars
Supports multiple languages including English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese
Bypasses restricted content barriers using browser cookie integration

Use Cases

Converting long-form video tutorials into readable documentation or study guides
Extracting dialogue for translation, localization, or sentiment analysis projects
Summarizing video content without needing to watch the entire duration