What this script does
YouTube Transcript Floating Bar adds a small transcript button directly inside the YouTube video player controls. Clicking the button opens a floating transcript panel on top of the player.
The script is designed as a lightweight transcript-only helper for YouTube and mobile YouTube, especially for userscript managers where a full browser extension may not be available or convenient.
Features
- Adds a compact TR button to the YouTube player controls.
- Opens a floating transcript panel without leaving the video page.
- Fetches transcripts through YouTubeToTranscript.
- Supports regular YouTube videos, mobile YouTube pages, Shorts, and embedded video URLs where a video ID can be detected.
- Shows transcript lines with clickable timestamps.
- Clicking a timestamp seeks the video to that moment.
- Includes a toggle to show or hide timestamps.
- Includes a Reload button to refresh the transcript.
- Includes a Copy button to copy the transcript to your clipboard.
- Includes a ChatGPT button that copies the transcript and opens ChatGPT in a new tab.
- Saves login tokens and timestamp preferences locally through your userscript manager.
- Caches transcript results temporarily to avoid unnecessary repeated requests.
How to use
- Install the script using a userscript manager such as Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey, Userscripts for Safari, or another compatible manager.
- Open a YouTube video.
- Click the TR button in the YouTube player controls.
- If you are not logged in, click Login and complete the YouTubeToTranscript login flow.
- Return to YouTube after login.
- Open the transcript panel again or click Reload.
- Use the timestamp links to jump to specific parts of the video.
- Use Copy to copy the transcript.
- Use ChatGPT to copy the transcript and open ChatGPT in a new tab.
Buttons and options
- TR: Opens or closes the floating transcript panel.
- Timestamps: Shows or hides timestamps in the transcript text.
- Reload: Fetches the transcript again instead of using the temporary cache.
- Copy: Copies the current transcript to the clipboard.
- ChatGPT: Copies the transcript and opens ChatGPT.
- Login: Opens the YouTubeToTranscript login flow.
- Sign out: Clears the saved local login data.
Important notes
- This script does not generate transcripts by itself. It uses YouTubeToTranscript to fetch transcript data.
- Login may be required before transcripts can be loaded.
- Transcript availability depends on the video and the transcript data available through the service.
- The script does not change video playback except when you click a transcript timestamp.
- The floating panel closes when you click outside it.
- Because YouTube changes its interface regularly, the location of the TR button may occasionally need updates.
Privacy
This script sends the current YouTube video ID to youtubetotranscript.com in order to request transcript data.
Login tokens, timestamp settings, and temporary transcript cache data are stored locally by your userscript manager. The script does not submit comments, modify YouTube content, or interact with your YouTube account.
Compatibility
- YouTube desktop: supported.
- YouTube mobile pages: supported.
- YouTube Shorts: supported when a video ID can be detected.
- YouTube embeds: supported when a video ID can be detected.
- YouTubeToTranscript login page: used for the login bridge.
Why use this?
This script is useful if you want quick access to a readable YouTube transcript directly from the player, without opening YouTube's built-in transcript panel or leaving the video page.
It is especially helpful for copying transcripts, jumping through long videos by timestamp, summarizing videos with ChatGPT, or using transcripts in browsers where extension support is limited.
