DownSub FAQ
Quick answers about downloading subtitles online, supported sites, YouTube captions, subtitle formats, privacy, and responsible use.
General
DownSub is a free, browser-based subtitle downloader. You give it a public video link and it looks for caption tracks it can export as SRT, VTT, or TXT.
No. There is no sign-up step. Paste a link and use the tool.
Supported videos
Public videos on a supported site where the source exposes a caption track. It is not built for private, login-gated, or DRM-protected content.
The uploader may not have added captions, auto-captions may be turned off, the language you want may not exist, or the platform may not expose a readable caption track for that video.
Subtitle formats
SRT is the most broadly compatible option for editors and players, VTT is written for web video, and TXT strips timing so you get a plain, readable transcript.
Yes — whenever a caption track is available, DownSub can package it as an SRT file with numbered, timed cues.
YouTube subtitles
No. DownSub is an independent, unaffiliated tool. YouTube's terms and copyright rules still apply to whatever you download.
When YouTube exposes an auto-generated track for a public video, yes — but auto captions can misspell names and miss punctuation, so review them before you rely on them.
Troubleshooting
Confirm the video is public (not private or unlisted-with-login), that the player shows a CC or transcript option, that your chosen language actually exists for that video, and that the URL doesn't require a subscription.
No. It downloads captions that already exist. Creating captions from raw audio needs a separate transcription tool.
Privacy & responsible use
Only use captions for videos you own, have permission to use, or where the law and the platform's terms allow it. Don't redistribute someone else's copyrighted transcript without permission.
Submitted URLs are processed to locate public captions and are not retained any longer than needed to complete that one request.
This DownSub FAQ answers the most common questions people ask before, during, and after using DownSub to grab captions from a public video. If your question isn’t covered here, the How It Works page has more detail on the extraction process itself.
Is DownSub really free to use?
Yes. DownSub is a free subtitle downloader with no account, no sign-up, and no watermark on the files you save. You paste a public video link, choose a format, and download.
Which video sites does DownSub support?
DownSub currently supports YouTube, Vimeo, TED, TubiTV, Weverse, and TV Naver. See the full breakdown on the Supported Sites page.
Why can’t DownSub find captions for a video?
A subtitle download only works when the source video actually exposes caption data. Private videos, members-only uploads, deleted content, and some regional restrictions can all block extraction — DownSub tells you when that happens instead of guessing.
What’s the difference between SRT, VTT, and TXT?
SRT and VTT are timed subtitle formats that sync to playback; TXT is a plain, timing-free transcript for reading and search. See the full subtitle format comparison for details on when to use each one.
Can I download auto-generated YouTube captions?
Yes, when a video has auto-generated captions available, DownSub can pull them the same way it pulls manually-created ones. Accuracy depends entirely on YouTube’s own speech recognition, not on DownSub. The YouTube subtitle downloader page walks through this in more depth.
Do I need to install anything?
No. DownSub runs entirely in your browser — Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, or mobile — with no extension or desktop app required.
Is it legal to download subtitles?
Downloading is only one part of the picture — what matters is what you do afterward. Only use captions for videos you own, have permission to use, or where copyright law and the platform’s own terms allow it. DownSub doesn’t bypass private videos, paywalls, or DRM.
Does DownSub store my videos or captions?
DownSub processes the public caption data needed to generate your file and does not require an account, so there’s no profile of your download history tied to an identity.
Still have a question this DownSub FAQ didn’t cover? Head back to the homepage and try a public video link directly, or read more about the extraction process on How It Works.
Still have a question?
Send a platform request, report a bug, or ask about responsible caption use.
Contact DownSub