YouTube Transcript With Timestamps — How to Get One Free

Need a YouTube transcript that keeps the timestamps so you can jump to the exact moment? Here's how to get one, copy it, and download it as an SRT.

Sometimes you want the opposite of a clean transcript. You want the timestamps — the little `0:00`, `1:24`, `3:47` markers — so you can cite the exact moment something was said, build chapters, jump around a long lecture, or line text up with the video. Here's how to get a YouTube transcript that keeps them.

The fast way: generate a timestamped transcript

Paste the video link into our YouTube Transcript Generator. By default it shows the transcript with timestamps next to each line, so you can read along, click to copy, or download the whole thing. If you ever want the timestamps gone, there's a toggle — but when you need them, they're right there.

This is the easiest path for long videos, where scrolling YouTube's own panel to load every line is tedious.

YouTube's built-in transcript (keeps timestamps by default)

On a computer, YouTube actually shows timestamps in its transcript automatically:

  1. Click "...more" under the video title.
  2. Choose "Show transcript."
  3. The panel that opens lists every line with its timestamp.

You can select and copy from there. Just don't click "Toggle timestamps" — that's the switch that removes them. The downside is the same as always: it's fiddly on long videos and won't export a file.

Download a timestamped transcript as SRT

If you want the timestamps in a proper, structured file, SRT is what you want. It pairs every caption with a precise start and end time:

```

1

00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000

Welcome back to the channel.

```

Generate the transcript and choose Download → SRT. That gives you a timestamped file you can load into a video editor, a subtitle viewer, or anything that reads captions.

When timestamps are worth keeping

  • Citing sources — point to the exact second in a video.
  • Chapters — build YouTube chapters or a table of contents.
  • Studying — jump back to the part of a lecture you didn't catch.
  • Editing — sync the text to the footage.
  • Clipping — find the precise in/out points for a short.

For plain reading or pasting into an AI tool, you'll usually want them off — and that's a one-click toggle away. The point is you get to choose.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a YouTube transcript with timestamps?

Paste the video link into a transcript tool, which shows each line with its timestamp by default, or open YouTube's built-in transcript ("...more" → "Show transcript") — it includes timestamps unless you toggle them off.

Can I download a timestamped transcript?

Yes. Download it as an SRT file, which pairs every line with a precise start and end time. SRT works in video editors and subtitle viewers.

How do I turn timestamps off later?

Most transcript tools have a one-click toggle to switch timestamps on or off, and YouTube's built-in panel has a "Toggle timestamps" option in its three-dot menu.

What format keeps the timestamps?

SRT and VTT both store timestamps in a structured way. Plain TXT does not — it's just the words. Use SRT if you need the timing preserved.