Script from captions
The spoken words come from the Short's caption track, either creator subtitles or YouTube automatic captions, shown line by line.
Free · No sign-up · Copy in one click
YouTube Shorts Script Extractor: Get the Script of a YouTube Short
Paste a Shorts link and get the spoken words of the Short as a clean script you can copy, study and download. Then use our prompts to write your own original version.
- Spoken words as a script
- Clean text, timestamps optional
- Prompts for your own script
This YouTube Shorts script extractor pulls the spoken words of an existing Short out of its captions and shows them as a clean script. Paste a youtube.com/shorts/ link, press Get the Script, and the lines appear next to the Short. Timestamps are hidden by default, so Copy gives you one readable block of text, and you can turn them on to see exactly when each line is said.
To be clear about what you get: this is the script as spoken, taken from the caption track YouTube publishes. It is not the creator's private notes, and it does not include on-screen text, music or visual directions. It is most useful for studying how a strong Short is built, for getting the script of your own Short back, and as a starting point for writing an original YouTube Shorts script in your own words. It is free, with no account and no extension.
Clean or timed
Copy a single clean paragraph, or switch on timestamps to see how many seconds the hook and each beat take.
Edit and trim
Fix misheard words and remove lines such as a closing call to subscribe before you copy or download the script.
Download the script
Save it as TXT, Word, Markdown or PDF for a script library, or as SRT or VTT if you need the timings.
Ready-made rewrite prompts
Copy a prompt, paste it with the script into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, and get help writing an original script on your topic.
Translate the script
Read a Short in another language by translating the script into one of 106 languages, line by line.
How does a YouTube Shorts script extractor work?
Shorts are regular YouTube videos in a vertical format, so their speech is captioned the same way. The extractor asks YouTube for the caption tracks attached to the Short, loads the one you pick and lists its lines in order. Nothing is transcribed from the audio on our side, and nothing is rewritten by AI, so the script you see is the caption text itself.
Each caption line comes with a start time and a duration in milliseconds. That lets you see the rhythm of a Short: how long the hook runs, where the turn comes, and when the payoff lands.
A worked example (illustrative)
Picture an example Short: 45 seconds of a creator talking to camera, with about 20 caption lines and about 120 words in its auto-generated track. With timestamps on, you might see the first two lines carry the hook, and a line starting at 12,400 ms, shown as 0:12, begin the main point. In an SRT export that line reads 00:00:12,400 and in VTT 00:00:12.400. These numbers illustrate the method, not a measured Short; yours will differ.
How to get the script of a YouTube Short
It takes about a minute on a phone or a computer.
-
1. Copy the Short link
In the YouTube app, tap Share on the Short and then Copy link. On a computer, copy the youtube.com/shorts/ address from the browser bar. A youtu.be link works too.
-
2. Paste the link and press Get the Script
Paste it into the box at the top of this page. The script loads beside the embedded Short.
-
3. Clean up the script
Keep timestamps off for a readable script, or switch them on to study timing. Fix misheard words and remove lines you do not need.
-
4. Copy, download or rewrite
Press Copy transcript, download TXT or Word, or copy one of the prompts below and paste both into an AI assistant to plan your own original script.
What a Shorts script from captions includes and leaves out
The extracted script is the spoken layer of the Short. Knowing what is missing helps you use it well.
| Part of the Short | In the script? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spoken words | Yes | They are in the caption track |
| Start time of each line | Yes, when timestamps are on | Each caption cue has a start time |
| On-screen text stickers and titles | No | Burned into the picture, not captions |
| Music and sound effects | No, or a short tag | Captions focus on speech |
| Cuts, b-roll and visual directions | No | Not part of any caption track |
| Speech with no captions | No | No caption track means nothing to extract |
Use a Shorts script to study structure, not to copy
Reading a script is a fast way to see why a Short works. Look at the first line: does it ask a question, make a claim or show a result? Count the beats between the hook and the payoff. Notice where the speaker repeats a key word. With timestamps on, you can see how quickly each beat moves.
What you should not do is take someone else's script and publish it as your own. A creator's words are their work. Use what you learn about structure, pacing and hooks, then write about your own topic, with your own experience, examples and voice. The prompts below are written with that in mind: they ask the AI to analyze and to help you create something new, not to paraphrase another person's Short.
How to rewrite a Shorts script into your own original script with AI
This site has no built-in AI. Copy the script here, copy one of the prompts on this page, and paste both into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. Add your own topic and notes where the prompt asks for them. Read what comes back critically: check facts, cut anything that sounds like the original, and say it in your own words before you record.
Get the script of your own YouTube Short
Creators often lose track of what they said in an older Short, especially if they filmed it without a written plan. Paste your own Short here to get the script back, then reuse it for a description, a longer video, a blog post or a newsletter. If the automatic captions have mistakes, fix them here, download an SRT, and upload the corrected file in YouTube Studio so viewers see accurate captions too.
YouTube Shorts script length and timing
YouTube allows Shorts up to 3 minutes long, and many are under 60 seconds. When you study a script, switch timestamps on and compare the word count with the runtime. That shows you how dense the speaking is in the style you like, which is more useful than a general rule, because pace varies a lot between creators and topics. Then time yourself reading your own draft aloud before you film.
How accurate is an extracted Shorts script?
The script is only as accurate as the captions. Creator subtitles are usually close to word perfect. Automatic captions can mishear names, slang and fast speech, especially over music, and YouTube notes that automatic captions can misrepresent spoken content. Read the script while the Short plays, using click-to-seek, and correct words before you rely on them.
A Short with no speech, or with captions turned off, has no script to extract. Private, age-restricted and members-only Shorts fail because they need a signed-in session, which we do not bypass.
Why this Shorts script extractor is different
It is honest about its source: the script is the caption text, nothing added or rewritten. It accepts /shorts/ links straight from the app, works in a phone browser, and gives you prompts that push toward original writing rather than copying.
| Feature | This tool | Typical extension or app |
|---|---|---|
| Source of the script | The Short's caption track, unchanged | Often not stated |
| AI rewriting | None built in; copyable prompts instead | Often automatic |
| Edit and remove lines | Yes | Rarely |
| Download formats | TXT, Word, Markdown, PDF, SRT, VTT | Usually TXT only |
| Install or sign-up | None | Extension install or account |
| Price | Free | Free tier, then paid |
What we measure and what we do not
We read the caption track YouTube serves for the Short and show its words, start times and durations, the track language and whether it is auto-generated, and we count words and lines. We do not transcribe audio, do not read on-screen text, do not run AI, and do not claim to recover a creator's written script or notes. There is no account and no saved history. Transcripts are cached on the server for up to 12 hours, and each IP address can load 30 transcripts per hour.
Sources
How Shorts and captions work, and guidance on original content:
Prompts to use with the transcript
-
Analyze the structure of this YouTube Shorts script: the hook, each beat and the payoff. Do not rewrite it. Explain why each part works. -
Using only the structure of this script as inspiration, write a new, original YouTube Shorts script about [my topic]. Do not reuse any sentences, examples or jokes from the original. -
Here is the script of my own Short. Rewrite it as a tighter version for a 30 second Short, keeping my voice and my examples. -
Give me ten original hook ideas for a Short about [my topic], in the same style as the first line of this script but with completely new wording. -
Compare this script with my draft below. Point out where my draft is too close to the original and suggest original wording based on my own experience. -
Turn my notes below into an original YouTube Shorts script under 150 words, with a hook, three quick points and a closing line. Use this transcript only as a reference for pacing. -
List the claims in this Shorts script that would need a source before I make my own video on the same topic. -
Write three original Shorts script outlines on [my topic] that a viewer would not mistake for this video, each with a different angle.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the script of a YouTube Short?
Copy the Short link, paste it into the box at the top of this page and press Get the Script. The spoken words load as a clean script you can copy or download.
Is this the creator's original written script?
No. It is the spoken words taken from the Short's captions. Notes, on-screen text and visual directions are not included.
Can I use someone else's Shorts script for my own video?
Not as your own. Use it to study hooks and pacing, then write an original script about your own topic in your own words.
Is the YouTube Shorts script extractor free?
Yes. There is no account, no paywall and nothing to install. The limit is 30 transcripts per hour per IP address.
Does it include the text shown on screen?
No. Text burned into the video picture is not part of the captions, so only spoken words appear in the script.
Why can't I get a script for some Shorts?
The Short has no captions, often because it is music only or captions are turned off. Private and age-restricted Shorts also fail.
Can AI rewrite the script for me here?
There is no built-in AI. Copy the script and one of the prompts on this page into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to plan your own original version.