extract-youtube-transcript
Extract plain-text transcripts from YouTube videos using a local Python script. Use when the user wants to fetch, extract, or get a transcript from a YouTube video URL, analyze YouTube video content as text, or needs subtitles/captions from a video.
Why use this skill?
Use the extract-youtube-transcript skill to fetch subtitles and captions from YouTube videos directly into your local machine for analysis and documentation.
Install via CLI (Recommended)
clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/hushenglang/extract-youtube-transcriptWhat This Skill Does
The extract-youtube-transcript skill provides a seamless bridge between YouTube's vast video library and your local workspace. By leveraging the power of the youtube-transcript-api, this agentic skill automates the extraction of caption tracks from any standard YouTube video URL. It processes the raw, timed subtitle data into clean, readable plain text, enabling you to treat video content as searchable, analyzable documentation. Whether you are archiving educational lectures, transcribing fast-paced tutorials, or gathering data for research, this skill bypasses the need for manual transcription, saving hours of manual labor.
Installation
To install this skill, use the OpenClaw CLI from your terminal:
clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/hushenglang/extract-youtube-transcript
Ensure you have Python installed on your system. Before the first run, the skill will verify its dependencies. If missing, it will automatically attempt to install youtube-transcript-api via pip. If you are using a virtual environment, ensure it is active before installation to avoid permission conflicts.
Use Cases
This skill is perfect for developers needing to document code walkthroughs, content creators looking to repurpose video scripts into blog posts, or students managing research materials. It is particularly useful for extracting transcripts from long-form content like podcasts or technical seminars where finding a specific keyword is difficult without text.
Example Prompts
- "Extract the transcript from this YouTube video [URL] and save it to a file named 'summary.txt' so I can review it later."
- "Can you get the transcript for this [URL] in Japanese? I want to analyze the speaker's points."
- "I need to search for a specific phrase in this tutorial [URL]. Please fetch the full transcript for me."
Tips & Limitations
- Check Languages First: If a standard fetch fails, use the
--list-langsflag to see which subtitles are actually enabled for the video. Not all creators upload transcripts in every language. - File Output: For long videos, always use the
--outputparameter. Printing long transcripts to stdout can clutter your terminal and make it harder to interact with the AI. - Limitations: This tool requires existing transcript data on YouTube. It cannot generate transcripts for videos that do not have either creator-uploaded or YouTube-auto-generated captions. It also cannot bypass age-gated restrictions or private video access.
Metadata
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Find the right skillPaste this into your clawhub.json to enable this plugin.
{
"plugins": {
"official-hushenglang-extract-youtube-transcript": {
"enabled": true,
"auto_update": true
}
}
}Tags(AI)
Flags: network-access, file-write, code-execution