yt-transcript

Extract and summarize YouTube video transcripts from VTT subtitles.

Updated Mar 4, 2026

Search Tags:#transcript #video #subtitles #youtube #yt-dlp #summarize

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/rodlc/claude-workshop-plugins --skill yt-transcript-rodlc

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: yt-transcript
Source: https://github.com/rodlc/claude-workshop-plugins/tree/main/skills/yt-transcript
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/rodlc/claude-workshop-plugins --skill yt-transcript-rodlc

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires yt-dlp, and includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps you quickly understand the content of YouTube videos without watching them entirely, by extracting and summarizing their transcripts.

Core Features & Use Cases

Transcript Extraction: Downloads subtitles (VTT format) from YouTube videos.
Summarization: Provides a structured summary including an overview, key points, and takeaways.
Raw Text Output: Option to get the cleaned transcript without any summary.
Use Case: You need to quickly grasp the main arguments of a long lecture video on YouTube for a research paper. Use this Skill to get a concise summary.

Quick Start

Use the yt-transcript skill to summarize the YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ.

Frequently Asked Questions about yt-transcript

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

FAQPage Schema

How do I extract and summarize a YouTube video transcript?▼

To extract and summarize a YouTube video transcript, this Skill downloads subtitles using yt-dlp, parses the VTT files, and generates a structured summary with key points and takeaways. It processes the video URL directly to deliver concise text output.

Can I get the raw YouTube subtitles instead of a summarized version?▼

Yes, you can extract raw YouTube subtitles without summarization. The Skill provides an option to output the cleaned transcript text directly from the parsed VTT files, bypassing the summarization step entirely for original subtitle content.

Do I need yt-dlp to download YouTube video subtitles?▼

Yes, yt-dlp is a required dependency to download YouTube video subtitles. The Skill relies on yt-dlp to fetch VTT format subtitles from the video URL before applying custom parsing logic to clean and summarize the transcript text.

What is the best way to summarize educational YouTube videos for research?▼

The best way to summarize educational YouTube videos for research is using automated transcript extraction. This Skill pulls VTT subtitles via yt-dlp and applies summarization logic to deliver overviews and key takeaways, enabling quick content review without watching the entire video.

Does this approach work for long lecture videos on YouTube?▼

Yes, this approach works for long lecture videos on YouTube. It extracts the full VTT transcript and applies summarization to generate concise overviews and key points, making it suitable for quickly grasping main arguments during research or content review.

Why are VTT files used for YouTube video transcript extraction?▼

VTT files are used for YouTube video transcript extraction because yt-dlp downloads subtitles in this standard WebVTT format. The Skill then applies custom parsing logic to clean these VTT files, removing timestamps and formatting to prepare the text for summarization.