Frequently asked questions
Everything people usually ask before transcribing their first video.
Is Scribeflow free?
Yes, completely. There is no account, no trial and no paywall for normal personal use.
Do I need to sign up?
No. Paste a link and the transcript appears — nothing to register, verify or install.
Which YouTube links are supported?
Standard watch URLs, youtu.be short links, Shorts, live links, embed URLs and bare 11-character video IDs.
Why does a video say it has no captions?
Because YouTube has no caption track for it. That happens with music-only videos, some very new uploads, unprocessed livestreams, and videos whose creator disabled captions.
Can I get transcripts for private or age-restricted videos?
No. Only publicly accessible videos can be transcribed.
How accurate are the transcripts?
They are as accurate as the video's captions. Creator-written captions are near perfect; YouTube's automatic captions are typically 90-95% accurate and can misspell names and jargon.
Can I choose the language?
Yes. After generating, every caption track the video offers is listed and one click switches the transcript to it.
What formats can I export?
Plain text (.txt) and SubRip subtitles (.srt).
Do you store my data?
We do not store personal data. Transcripts are cached anonymously by video ID so repeat requests are instant, and only aggregate daily counters are recorded.
Is this affiliated with YouTube?
No. Scribeflow is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by YouTube or Google.
Still stuck? Contact us.