YouTube Multiple Transcript API - Apify Actor Documentation ## Overview This Apify Actor retrieves all available transcripts/captions for a given YouTube video. It supports multiple languages and can handle both auto-generated and manually created captions. ## Features - ✅ Retrieves all available transcript languages for any YouTube video - ✅ Supports both auto-generated and manual captions - ✅ Smart caching system with 4-day expiration - ✅ Random delay (up to 1 second) between requests to prevent rate limiting - ✅ Detailed transcript data with timestamps and duration ## Input ### Required Parameters | Parameter | Type | Description | Example | |-----------|------|-------------|---------| | videoUrl | string | YouTube video URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WEAJ-DFkHE | ### Input Example json { "videoUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WEAJ-DFkHE" } ## Output Structure The Actor returns an array of transcript objects, where each object represents a different language: json [ { "languageName": "Arabic", "languageCode": "ar", "isAutoGenerated": false, "transcript": [ { "start": "0.120", "dur": "1.650", "text": "سنحلق على متن هذه الطائرة النفاثة" }, { "start": "1.770", "dur": "2.430", "text": "إلى الفضاء الخارجي" } ] }, { "languageName": "English", "languageCode": "en", "isAutoGenerated": true, "transcript": [ { "start": "0.120", "dur": "1.650", "text": "We will fly on this jet plane" }, { "start": "1.770", "dur": "2.430", "text": "to outer space" } ] } ] ### Output Fields Explanation #### Root Level (Language Object) | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | languageName | string | Full name of the language (e.g., "English", "Arabic") | | languageCode | string | ISO language code (e.g., "en", "ar", "es") | | isAutoGenerated | boolean | Whether the captions are auto-generated by YouTube or manually created | | transcript | array | Array of transcript segments with timing information | #### Transcript Segment Object | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | start | string | Start time of the segment in seconds (e.g., "0.120") | | dur | string | Duration of the segment in seconds (e.g., "1.650") | | text | string | The actual transcript text for this time segment | ## Usage Examples ### Basic Usage javascript // Input { "videoUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ" } // This will return all available transcripts for the specified video ### Supported YouTube URL Formats The Actor accepts various YouTube URL formats: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID - https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID - https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID ## Technical Features ### Caching System - Duration: 4 days per video - Benefits: Faster response times for repeated requests - Automatic Cleanup: Expired cache entries are automatically removed ### Rate Limiting Protection - Random delay of 0-1000ms before each API request - Prevents overwhelming the transcript service - Ensures reliable operation at scale ### Error Handling - Comprehensive error logging - Graceful handling of videos without captions - Clear error messages for debugging ## Common Use Cases 1. Content Analysis: Analyze video content for research or business intelligence 2. Accessibility: Create accessible versions of video content 3. Translation Services: Extract text for translation workflows 4. SEO Optimization: Extract video content for search engine optimization 5. Content Moderation: Review video content at scale 6. Educational Tools: Create study materials from educational videos ## Limitations - Only works with public YouTube videos - Requires videos to have available captions (auto-generated or manual) - Cannot extract captions from private or restricted videos ## Error Scenarios | Scenario | Behavior | |----------|----------| | Invalid YouTube URL | Actor will throw an error with details | | Video not found | Actor will return an error message | | No captions available | Actor will return an empty array or error | ## Performance - Average Response Time: 2-5 seconds for new requests - Cached Response Time: <100ms for cached videos - Memory Usage: Optimized for large transcript datasets - Concurrent Requests: Supports multiple parallel video processing ## Support For issues, questions, or feature requests, please contact the development team or check the Apify Actor documentation. ## Version History - v1.0: Initial release with basic transcript extraction - v1.1: Added caching system and rate limiting - v1.2: Enhanced error handling and multi-language support --- ## FAQs Q1: Does this actor work for all YouTube videos? A: No, it only works for public videos with transcripts enabled. Q2: Can I scrape private videos? A: No, private or restricted videos are not supported due to YouTube's privacy policies. Q3: Is the actor compatible with playlists? A: This actor processes a single video URL at a time. For playlist scraping, consider additional workflows. --- Start using the YouTube Transcript Scraper today to transform video content into actionable data! 🚀