About VidWords
An independent tool for turning public YouTube videos into searchable, usable text and evidence-linked study material.
What VidWords does
VidWords retrieves caption tracks that are available for public YouTube videos and presents them as clean paragraphs with clickable timestamps. You can copy the text, search within it, or download TXT, SRT, VTT, CSV, and JSON files. The bulk tool processes URL lists, playlists, channels, and CSV files; the REST API makes the same workflow available to software and automation tools.
VidWords Watch is a separate AI analysis workflow. It combines transcript evidence with sampled video frames to create chapter summaries, visual moments, study notes, and question answering with timestamps. Outputs are aids for navigation and understanding, not authoritative substitutes for the original video.
Where the text comes from
When a video has creator-supplied captions, VidWords returns that caption track. When only YouTube auto-captions are available, the output reflects YouTube's automated transcription and may contain recognition, punctuation, or speaker errors. VidWords labels language and auto-caption status where the source provides it. Private, removed, age-restricted, caption-disabled, or otherwise unavailable videos may not work.
How guides and comparisons are prepared
Product instructions are checked against the current VidWords interface and API. Technical articles distinguish observed behavior from recommendations. Comparison pages use publicly visible product capabilities and prices at the stated review date; because competitor plans change, readers should verify purchasing decisions on each provider's own site. VidWords does not publish invented testimonials or fake aggregate ratings.
Privacy, rights, and removals
VidWords caches transcript and video metadata to improve reliability and avoid repeated upstream requests. Account, retention, analytics, and billing details are described in the privacy policy. Users remain responsible for respecting creators' rights and applicable terms when copying or republishing text; prohibited uses are covered by the acceptable-use policy.
Creators and rights holders can request removal or report copyright concerns through the DMCA and copyright process. Product, account, billing, and API questions can be sent to support@vidwords.com.
Our operating standard
- Do not charge a transcript credit when extraction fails.
- Show known limits instead of promising universal video coverage.
- Keep source timestamps available so important statements can be checked.
- Publish real feedback only, with permission, on the reviews page.
- Correct material product or documentation errors when they are reported.