Search a YouTube Transcript
Paste a YouTube link to search the video's transcript for a word, name or quote. Matches are highlighted and counted, and each timestamp opens that moment in the video. It's free, with no sign-up.
How to search a YouTube transcript
- Copy the video link. Use a single public video, not a playlist. In the YouTube app, tap Share, then Copy link.
- Paste it and choose Search transcript. Add a word or phrase now if you know what you're looking for, or leave it blank and search once the transcript appears.
- Step through the matches. Matches are highlighted and counted. Press Enter or use the arrows to move between them, then select a line's timestamp to watch that moment on YouTube.
Searching on YouTube vs. searching here
YouTube shows a transcript next to the video when it has captions. Some versions of the transcript panel have a search box at the top; in others, your browser's find command (Ctrl+F, or Cmd+F on a Mac) is the only way to look for a word.
That's fine for a quick check. Searching here adds a match count, highlights each match it finds in the full transcript, can hide the lines without a match, and keeps the text ready to copy or download.
Find a quote and jump to that moment
Search for a few distinctive words rather than a whole sentence. Automatic captions often leave out punctuation and sometimes mishear words, so a short phrase is more likely to match.
A phrase still matches when it's split across two caption lines. When you find the line, select its timestamp to open the video at that point and check the exact wording.
Search a transcript on your phone
Open this page in your phone's browser, paste the link you copied with Share and then Copy link, and choose Search transcript. The search box stays at the top of the transcript as you scroll, and tapping a timestamp opens that moment on YouTube.
What this search doesn't do
It searches one video's existing captions at a time. It doesn't search across a channel or all of YouTube, and it doesn't listen to the audio, so a word the captions got wrong won't match. If a video has no captions, public videos up to 3 minutes may be offered free AI transcription once you confirm, and the result can be searched the same way.
Need the whole transcript as a file? Use the YouTube transcript downloader. On TikTok the TikTok transcript tool gives you the same timestamped text.
FAQ
Can I search all of YouTube for a word?
Not with PasteQuill. It searches the transcript of one video at a time, so paste each video's link to search it.
Does the search include auto-generated captions?
Yes. It searches whichever caption track the result shows, whether the creator added it or YouTube generated it automatically. The language is shown beside the result.
Why can't I find a word I heard in the video?
The search only sees the captions. Automatic captions can misspell names and technical terms, so try part of the word or a different spelling.
Is the search case-sensitive?
No. Searching "nasa" also finds "NASA". Line breaks between words are ignored, so a phrase still matches when it's split across two caption lines.
Is YouTube transcript search free?
Yes. Searching a video's existing captions is free with no sign-up. Request limits apply.