# YouTube API: Get video transcript > Returns the spoken captions and timed segments of a YouTube video, given a video link or a title (top search match). Only captions the video has are returned. Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube. - Page: https://fous.com/methods/youtube.com/get-video-transcript - Method: `youtube.com/get_video_transcript`, version 3 - Website: youtube.com - Returns: video title, link, caption language, auto-generated flag, transcript text, timed segments, available caption languages - Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing) - Sign-in: none needed - Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free - Verified: Nov 2, 2026 ## Inputs | Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description | |---|---|---|---|---| | `video` | string | yes | `"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc"` | A YouTube video link or its title, for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc. | | `language` | string | no | `""` | Caption language name or code, for example Spanish or es; defaults to the original caption language. Default "". | ## Output From a run on Oct 27, 2026, shortened. Its input: ```json { "video": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc", "language": "" } ``` Its output: ```json { "segments": [ { "text": "Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast", "start_time": "0:00", "start_seconds": 0, "duration_seconds": 7 }, { "text": "So I want to start by offering you a free no-tech life hack,", "start_time": "0:15", "start_seconds": 15.967, "duration_seconds": 5.398 }, { "text": "and all it requires of you is this:", "start_time": "0:21", "start_seconds": 21.389, "duration_seconds": 2.597 } ], "transcript": "Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast\nSo I want to start by offering you a free no-tech life hack,\nand all it requires of you is this:\nthat you change your posture for two minutes.\nBut before I give it away, I want to ask you to right now\ndo a little audit of your body and what you're doing …", "video_link": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc", "video_title": "Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are | Amy Cuddy | TED", "auto_generated": false, "caption_language": "English", "available_language_codes": [ "sq", "ar", "hy" ] } ``` ## Run it From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output: ```bash curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"method":"youtube.com/get_video_transcript","input":{"video":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc","language":""}}' ``` From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`. ## Ask your agent - Get me the full transcript of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ with timestamps - What does the speaker actually say in Simon Sinek's 'Start With Why' TED talk? I need the text of the captions. - Pull the Spanish captions for https://youtu.be/8jPQjjsBbIc so I can study the vocabulary - I need the YouTube captions for 'How to Make Sourdough Bread Joshua Weissman' in plain text, and tell me if they're auto-generated - Which caption languages are available for this YouTube video, and can you give me the Japanese ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aircAruvnKk ## Input schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "video" ], "properties": { "video": { "type": "string", "description": "A YouTube video link or its title, for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc." }, "language": { "type": "string", "default": "", "description": "Caption language name or code, for example Spanish or es; defaults to the original caption language." } } } ``` ## Output schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "video_title", "video_link", "caption_language", "auto_generated", "transcript", "segments", "available_language_codes" ], "properties": { "segments": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "start_time", "text", "start_seconds", "duration_seconds" ], "properties": { "text": { "type": "string" }, "start_time": { "type": "string" }, "start_seconds": { "type": "number", "x-fous-developer": true }, "duration_seconds": { "type": "number", "x-fous-developer": true } }, "additionalProperties": false } }, "transcript": { "type": "string" }, "video_link": { "type": "string" }, "video_title": { "type": "string" }, "auto_generated": { "type": "boolean" }, "caption_language": { "type": "string" }, "available_language_codes": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" }, "x-fous-developer": true } }, "additionalProperties": false } ``` ## See more - [YouTube API: Get video](https://fous.com/methods/youtube.com/get-video.md): Gets public details and statistics for one YouTube video by link, ID or title. A title selects the top search match. - [YouTube API: Get video comments](https://fous.com/methods/youtube.com/get-video-comments.md): Gets public top-level comments on a YouTube video, found by link, video ID or title. Reply text is not included. - [YouTube API: Get channel](https://fous.com/methods/youtube.com/get-channel.md): Gets a public YouTube channel's profile, links and statistics from its name, @handle or link. Subscriber totals may be rounded as YouTube displays them. - [YouTube API: List channel videos](https://fous.com/methods/youtube.com/list-channel-videos.md): Lists a YouTube channel's public videos, Shorts, or live uploads, newest first or most popular first, along with channel details. Counts and dates taken from displayed text may be approximate. - [YouTube API: List top songs chart](https://fous.com/methods/youtube.com/list-top-songs.md): Lists the latest weekly YouTube Music Top Songs chart for a country or globally, with ranks, weekly views and video links. - [YouTube API: Find a company's channel](https://fous.com/methods/youtube.com/find-company-channel.md): Finds a company's verified YouTube channel by name and returns its name, link, subscriber count, description, country and official website when identifiable. - [Google API: Translate text](https://fous.com/methods/translate.google.com/translate-text.md): Translates up to 5,000 characters on Google Translate, with the detected source language, Latin-letter pronunciation when shown, and dictionary alternatives for words or short phrases. - [Vimeo API: Get video details](https://fous.com/methods/vimeo.com/get-video.md): Gets a public Vimeo video's title, creator, play, like and comment counts, length, upload date, description, tags, thumbnail and link from its video link. - [All YouTube methods](https://fous.com/methods/youtube.com.md)