Which format should you download?
- TXT: plain text for reading, notes, and pasting into documents or AI tools. Choose with or without timestamps.
- SRT: numbered subtitle cues for video editors, desktop players, and re-uploading captions.
- VTT: subtitle cues for HTML5 web players and online course platforms.
- Markdown: a formatted note with title, source link, and timestamps, for Obsidian or Notion.
- JSON: structured segments with start and duration in seconds, for developers and data work.
- CSV: one row per caption with timing columns, for Excel and Google Sheets.
How the download works
Paste a video link and the tool fetches the caption track YouTube provides for that video, then builds each file in your browser when you click Download. Files are named after the video title. If the video has captions in several languages, choose the language first; every format uses the track you selected.
What it can’t download
- Video or audio: this is a caption downloader only.
- Captions that don’t exist: if a video has no caption track, there is nothing to download. Use the Caption Checker to confirm before you start.
- Private, removed, or restricted videos, and some age-restricted or members-only videos, are not accessible.
Downloading many videos
For several videos at once, the Batch tool accepts a list of links (3 per batch for free, up to 30 with Pro), and the Playlist tool works from a playlist link. Developers can fetch the same formats through the REST API.