Copy a YouTube Transcript Without Timestamps
Paste a YouTube link to get the transcript as clean text, with no timestamp beside each line. Copy it in one click or save it as a TXT file. It's free, with no sign-up.
How to copy a YouTube transcript without timestamps
- 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 Get clean text. PasteQuill checks the video's existing captions and shows the text on this page without timestamps.
- Copy text or download TXT. Copy text puts the whole transcript on your clipboard. Download TXT saves the same text as a file.
Can YouTube's transcript panel hide timestamps?
Usually not. In YouTube's current transcript panel (open the video, expand the description and choose Show transcript), every line keeps its timestamp and there's no setting to hide them, so they come along when you select and copy the text. Some older versions of the panel had a Toggle timestamps option in a three-dot menu; if yours does, choose it before you copy.
Either way, you still have to select the whole transcript by hand in a narrow panel, which is slow for long videos, and there's no panel at all if the video has no captions. Pasting the link above gives you clean text in one click. If you already copied from the panel, remove the times with the find and replace below.
Remove timestamps from text you already copied
If you already pasted a transcript full of timestamps into a document, you don't have to delete them one by one. Use find and replace with a pattern.
Google Docs
- Open Edit, then Find and replace.
- Check Match using regular expressions.
- Paste the pattern below into Find, leave Replace with empty, and choose Replace all.
\d{1,2}(:\d{2}){1,2}\s*Microsoft Word
- Open Replace on the Home tab, choose More, and check Use wildcards.
- Paste the first pattern into Find what, leave Replace with empty, and choose Replace All.
- Repeat with the second pattern to catch shorter timestamps.
[0-9]{1,2}:[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}[0-9]{1,2}:[0-9]{2}These patterns also match clock times in the text, such as "10:30". Skim the result before you share it, or paste the video link above to start from clean text.
With or without timestamps: what each option gives you
| Option | Timestamps | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Copy text | No | Pasting into notes, documents or an AI assistant |
| Download TXT | No | Keeping a plain text file |
| Read on the main generator | Yes, each one opens that moment in the video | Checking a quote against the video |
| Download SRT | Yes, a start and end time for every cue | Subtitle and video editors |
Want the timings? Use the YouTube transcript generator to read the text with timestamps, or the YouTube subtitle downloader for an SRT file.
FAQ
Does Copy text include timestamps?
No. Copy text copies only the words, in the order they were spoken. The timestamps you see on a regular PasteQuill result stay on the page.
Can I get a YouTube transcript without timestamps on my phone?
Yes. Open this page in your phone's browser, paste the link you copied with Share and then Copy link, and choose Get clean text. When the transcript appears, select Copy text.
Why is each caption on its own line?
YouTube splits captions into short timed lines, and PasteQuill keeps each one on its own line with a blank line between them. To turn the text into paragraphs, join the lines in your editor.
Is it free to get a transcript without timestamps?
Yes. Getting the text from a video's existing captions is free with no sign-up. Request limits apply.
To keep the transcript as a file, use the YouTube transcript downloader.