Paste a YouTube URL to start
Summary appears here
Paste a YouTube URL and click Summarize to get started.
Fetching captions and summarizing...
Usually takes 10-20 seconds
Show full transcript
How It Works
- 1
Paste a YouTube URL
Any public YouTube video with captions. Supports youtube.com, youtu.be, and embed links.
- 2
Choose a Summary Mode
Key Points for bullet highlights, Detailed for section-by-section breakdown, Action Items for practical takeaways.
- 3
Get Your Summary Instantly
AI-generated summary with clickable timestamps that jump to the exact moment in the video.
Use Cases
Research videos
Extract key findings from educational content without watching the full video.
Lecture notes
Turn hour-long lectures into structured study notes with timestamps.
Podcast episodes
Get the highlights from long podcast conversations in minutes.
Tutorial walkthroughs
Pull out actionable steps from how-to and coding tutorials.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the YouTube Summarizer do?
Extracts captions from any YouTube video and uses AI to create a structured summary with clickable timestamps. Choose Key Points, Detailed, or Action Items mode.
Is it free?
The free tier includes 3 summaries per day. You can paste a YouTube URL and run a first summary before creating an account.
What video lengths are supported?
Videos up to 2 hours long. Longer videos may have their transcript truncated, but the AI still summarizes the available content.
What if a video has no captions?
The tool requires captions (auto-generated or manual). Most YouTube videos have auto-generated captions. Videos without any captions cannot be summarized.
Can I summarize non-English videos?
Yes, if the video has captions in any language. The AI will summarize in English. For best results, videos with English captions work best.
How accurate are the summaries?
The AI preserves key points and arguments from the transcript. We recommend checking the original video for critical details, as with any AI summary.
What are the clickable timestamps?
Each timestamp links directly to that moment in the YouTube video. Click [2:30] and the video opens at 2 minutes 30 seconds.
Can I download the full transcript?
Yes, expand the transcript section below the summary and use the Copy button. You can also download the summary as a .txt file.
How does this compare to tools like Summarize.tech or NoteGPT?
This tool focuses on a direct-use workflow: paste a URL, pick a summary mode, and review clickable timestamps alongside the transcript. If you want a faster first summary from a single video, that workflow is a good fit. If you need saved workspaces or broader note management, a different tool may fit better.
Can I summarize a podcast or audio file instead of a YouTube video?
This tool requires a YouTube URL with captions. For audio files (MP3, WAV, etc.), use our <a href="/audio-to-text">Audio to Text</a> tool to get a timestamped transcript, then paste it into the <a href="/ai-summarizer">AI Summarizer</a> for a summary.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. Paste a YouTube URL on your phone, pick a mode, and get your summary. The timestamps link directly to the YouTube app or mobile browser at the exact moment.
Can I share the summary with someone?
Yes. Use the Share button to copy a link, share on X (Twitter), or send via WhatsApp. You can also download the summary as a .txt file or copy the full text to paste anywhere.
What if the summary misses something important?
Expand the full transcript below the summary to read the original captions. You can also switch to Detailed mode for a more thorough section-by-section breakdown. For deep analysis of the content, try pasting the transcript into our <a href="/ai-rewriter">AI Rewriter</a> to restructure it.
Coda One's YouTube Summarizer extracts captions from any YouTube video and uses AI to generate structured summaries with clickable timestamps. Choose Key Points for bullet highlights, Detailed for a section-by-section breakdown, or Action Items for practical takeaways. Supports videos up to 2 hours long. It is built for a direct first summary from a pasted YouTube URL.
Other AI Tools
More AI Tools: All Tools · AI Summarizer · Audio to Text · AI Humanizer · AI Rewriter