ls-youtube-transcript

Extract YouTube subtitles into timestamped markdown transcripts via yt-dlp.

Updated Aug 5, 2026

Search Tags:#transcript #markdown #subtitles #youtube #yt-dlp #archiving #caption parsing

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/ahostbr/liteharness --skill ls-youtube-transcript

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: ls-youtube-transcript
Source: https://github.com/ahostbr/liteharness/tree/main/liteharness/catalog/skills/ls-youtube-transcript
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/ahostbr/liteharness --skill ls-youtube-transcript

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This Skill eliminates the manual effort of transcribing YouTube videos by automatically fetching captions and converting them into a clean, readable transcript with timestamps.

Core Features & Use Cases

YouTube transcript and subtitles export: Pulls metadata and subtitle tracks via yt-dlp, including auto-generated subtitles when needed.
Formatted markdown output: Produces a timestamped transcript suitable for reading, quoting, and searching.
Best-effort archiving into local databases: Attempts to save transcripts to The Nexus Prismatica database and LiteSuite’s YouTube database so they appear in the relevant panels.

Use Case: When you have a YouTube talk you need to quote from, you can extract the full timestamped transcript, search within it for specific lines, and keep an archived copy for later.

Quick Start

Ask your assistant to get transcript and captions from this YouTube URL and print the resulting markdown transcript.

Frequently Asked Questions about ls-youtube-transcript

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema

How do I get a timestamped markdown transcript from a YouTube video?▼

To get a timestamped markdown transcript from a YouTube video, this Skill fetches subtitle tracks via yt-dlp and parses caption segments into readable text with timestamps. It outputs a clean markdown transcript for quoting, note-taking, and searching.

Can I extract auto-generated YouTube subtitles for archiving?▼

Yes, you can extract auto-generated YouTube subtitles for archiving. The Skill uses yt-dlp to pull metadata and subtitle tracks, including auto-generated captions, and attempts to persist the transcript payloads into local databases for later retrieval.

Do I need yt-dlp to export YouTube captions into markdown?▼

Yes, you need yt-dlp to export YouTube captions into markdown because the Skill relies on it to fetch video metadata and JSON3 subtitle tracks. It then parses these caption segments into a timestamped markdown transcript.

What is the best way to search for specific quotes inside a YouTube video?▼

The best way to search for specific quotes inside a YouTube video is to extract the full timestamped transcript into markdown. This converts the spoken content into searchable text, allowing you to find exact lines and their timestamps.

Does extracting YouTube subtitles work for videos with only auto-captions enabled?▼

Extracting YouTube subtitles works for videos with only auto-captions enabled. The Skill retrieves auto-generated subtitle tracks through yt-dlp when manual captions are unavailable, parsing them into timestamped markdown lines.

Are there limitations when parsing YouTube JSON3 subtitle tracks into markdown?▼

A limitation when parsing YouTube JSON3 subtitle tracks is that successful extraction depends on yt-dlp fetching valid caption data. Additionally, archiving transcripts into Prismatica and LiteSuite storage is handled on a best-effort basis.