Whether you want timestamps in your transcript or want to remove them, this guide covers both. A timestamped transcription is a text version of a video or audio file where each line includes the exact time it was spoken — making it easy to jump to specific moments, create chapters, or cite exact points.

Here's how to get a YouTube transcript with timestamps, how to remove them when you don't need them, and why timestamped transcriptions matter for research, accessibility, and content creation.

Need a YouTube transcript right now? Claras gives you the full transcript — with or without timestamps — plus an AI summary. Try it free.

What Is Timestamped Transcription?

Timestamped transcription is a transcript where each line or paragraph includes the exact time it was spoken in the original audio or video. For YouTube, timestamps typically appear in MM:SS or HH:MM:SS format next to each segment of text.

Example:

0:00 - Welcome to today's video about machine learning
0:15 - First, let's define what a neural network actually is
0:42 - The simplest way to think about it is as layers of decisions
1:03 - Each layer processes the data and passes it forward

Timestamps are essential for:

• Navigation — Click a timestamp to jump directly to that moment in the video

• Citations — Reference the exact point in a video when quoting or attributing

• Chapter creation — Break long videos into sections for easier consumption

• Accessibility — Help deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers follow along with timing context

• Content repurposing — Know exactly which segment to clip for social media or blog posts

• Research — Find and revisit specific arguments or data points without rewatching

Method 1: YouTube's Built-In Transcript (With Timestamps)

YouTube's native transcript feature includes timestamps by default. It's the simplest way to get a timestamped transcript for free, though it has some limitations.

Steps

1. Open the video on youtube.com (desktop)

2. Click "...more" below the video title to expand the description

3. Click "Show transcript"

4. The transcript panel opens with timestamps on every line

How to Copy the Transcript with Timestamps

1. Click inside the transcript panel

2. Press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac) to select all

3. Press Ctrl + C / Cmd + C to copy

4. Paste into any text editor — timestamps are included

How to Remove Timestamps

If you want clean text without timestamps, click the three-dot menu at the top of the transcript panel and select "Toggle timestamps." This hides the time markers so you can copy plain text.

Limitations

• Only works on videos with auto-generated or uploaded captions

• No easy download button — manual copy-paste only

• The "Toggle timestamps" option doesn't always work in all browsers

• No way to customize the timestamp format

• Can't export as SRT, VTT, or other subtitle formats

Method 2: Use Claras (Timestamps + AI Summary)

Claras is a Chrome extension that gives you the full timestamped transcript alongside an AI-powered summary — all in one click, without leaving YouTube.

How It Works

1. Install Claras from the Chrome Web Store

2. Open any YouTube video

3. Click the Claras icon

4. Get the full transcript (with or without timestamps) plus a summary, key takeaways, and chapter breakdowns

Why Use Claras for Timestamped Transcripts

• One click — no digging through YouTube's UI

• Timestamps included by default — toggle them on or off

• AI summary — chapter breakdowns that tell you what each section covers, not just when it starts

• Works on any video — including videos without YouTube captions

• Copy/export — clean text with one click

Claras's free tier includes 3 video analyses per day. Try it here.

Want to compare more tools? See our guide: 10 Best YouTube Transcript Chrome Extensions.

Method 3: Use an Online Transcript Generator

Online transcript generators extract YouTube transcripts with timestamps by pasting a URL. They work in any browser without installing anything.

Options That Preserve Timestamps

• youtubetotranscript.com — includes timestamps by default

• notegpt.io — transcript with timestamps + optional summary

• tactiq.io — generates timestamped transcripts from YouTube URLs

• kome.ai — includes timestamps and AI features

Limitations

• Most just pull YouTube's auto-generated captions (same accuracy as Method 1)

• Some strip timestamps unless you select a specific option

• Ads, captchas, and upsells are common

• No AI analysis or summary

Method 4: Use the YouTube Transcript API (Developers)

For developers who need timestamped transcripts at scale, the youtube-transcript-api Python library is the standard tool. Each entry in the response includes a start time (in seconds), duration, and text.

This isn't practical for one-off use — for that, use Claras or YouTube's built-in feature instead.

How to Use Timestamped Transcripts

Getting the transcript is step one. Here are the most valuable ways to use timestamped transcriptions in your workflow.

Create Video Chapters

Use timestamps to create YouTube chapters. Add them to your video description and YouTube will automatically create clickable chapter markers on the video timeline.

Turn Videos into Blog Posts

Timestamped transcripts make it easy to convert video content into written content. Use the timestamps to identify key sections, then rewrite each in your own words. Claras makes this even faster by providing AI-generated key points alongside the transcript.

Create Social Media Clips

Find the best moments in a long video by scanning the timestamped transcript. Identify quotable sections, then use the timestamps to navigate directly to those moments for clipping.

Study and Research Notes

For students and researchers, timestamped transcripts let you take notes with references. Write "Important point about neural networks at 5:30" and you can jump back to that exact moment later.

Improve Accessibility

Providing a timestamped transcript alongside your video dramatically improves accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, and also helps non-native speakers follow along.

Timestamps vs. No Timestamps: When to Use Each

The choice between timestamped and clean transcripts depends on what you're doing with the text.

• Keep timestamps: When citing moments, creating chapters, making clips, or taking research notes with references

• Remove timestamps: When reading like an article, pasting into ChatGPT for a summary, drafting a blog post, or doing a quick copy-paste

Rule of thumb: Use timestamps when you need to reference specific moments. Remove them when you need clean, readable text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most common questions about timestamped YouTube transcripts.

How do I get a YouTube transcript with timestamps?

Open the video on YouTube desktop, click "...more" to expand the description, then click "Show transcript." The transcript appears with timestamps by default. You can also use a Chrome extension like Claras which includes timestamps automatically.

How do I copy a YouTube transcript without timestamps?

In YouTube's transcript panel, click the three-dot menu and select "Toggle timestamps" to hide them. Then select all and copy. Claras also lets you copy transcripts with or without timestamps in one click.

How do I remove timestamps from a YouTube transcript?

If you already copied a transcript with timestamps, you can use find-and-replace in a text editor with a regex pattern to strip the time codes. Or re-copy the transcript after toggling timestamps off in YouTube's transcript panel.

What is timestamped transcription?

Timestamped transcription is a transcript where each line includes the exact time it was spoken in the original audio or video. For YouTube, each segment of text is paired with a timestamp like "2:15" showing when those words appear in the video.

Can I get timestamps on a YouTube transcript on mobile?

The YouTube mobile app shows transcripts with timestamps, but you cannot toggle them off or easily copy the full text. For better control, open YouTube in a mobile browser and request the desktop site.

Do YouTube auto-generated transcripts include timestamps?

Yes. All YouTube auto-generated transcripts include timestamps by default. Each line of the transcript is paired with the time it appears in the video.

Get Timestamped Transcripts in One Click

Claras gives you the full transcript of any YouTube video — with or without timestamps — plus an AI summary, key takeaways, and chapter breakdowns. No manual copying, no formatting issues.

Try Claras Free — 3 video analyses per day, no credit card.

Last updated: April 2026