Troubleshooting TranscriptBinder
Most problems come down to one of a few causes: the extension is not connected to this browser, the small collector window is hidden, or YouTube is being cautious. Find your symptom below. If none of them fits, write to contact with what the Activity log on the dashboard shows.
The dashboard says "Add the browser extension first"
- You have not added it yet. Press Add to Chrome. The page switches over by itself once the extension is installed.
- You added it in a different browser or profile. Extensions belong to one browser profile. Open the dashboard in the browser where you added it, or add it here too.
- Incognito / InPrivate window. Extensions are off in private windows unless you allow them (
chrome://extensions→ Details → "Allow in Incognito"). Simpler: use a normal window. - The extension is disabled. Open
chrome://extensions(Edge:edge://extensions) and make sure TranscriptBinder is switched on. - Just updated. If you see "The extension was updated. Please reload this page", reload.
"Your extension is out of date"
The site needs a newer version. Chrome and Edge update extensions by themselves within a day or two; to force it, open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode and press Update, then reload the dashboard.
Using Edge
Press Add to Chrome on the dashboard; it opens the Chrome Web Store, which works in Edge. If Edge asks to "Allow extensions from other stores", choose Allow.
The job stalls or every video fails with "YouTube did not provide captions"
YouTube only loads transcripts in a window that is visible on screen. The collector window must not be minimized or fully covered by a full-screen app. The extension restores a minimized window automatically, but it cannot un-cover one.
- Press Show window on the dashboard and leave the collector window next to your other windows, not behind a maximized one.
- Do not click inside the collector window.
- A laptop that goes to sleep or closes its lid pauses everything; when you come back, press Start again — finished videos are skipped.
"YouTube check — paused"
YouTube occasionally asks to confirm you are not a robot, especially after many videos in a row. Press Show window, complete the check inside the collector window, then press Continue. If it keeps happening, take a 30–60 minute break before starting again; the job will resume where it stopped.
One video fails
| Message | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No transcript available | The video has no captions in any language | Nothing to collect; see why some videos have no transcript |
| Sign-in required (age or private) | YouTube requires an account to view it | Sign in to YouTube in this browser, then retry |
| Deleted or missing video | The link is dead | Remove the link |
| Not playable (region etc.) | Blocked in your country or embedding disabled | Usually cannot be collected |
| Could not read the transcript / Temporary error | A slow page or a momentary YouTube problem | Paste the link again later; it is collected fresh |
"Daily limit reached"
TranscriptBinder collects up to 50 videos a day per browser. The counter resets the next day. For channel and playlist jobs, press Get new videos under Past jobs to continue; already collected videos are skipped.
Nothing downloads, or "A pop-up was blocked"
Save as PDF opens a print window, which the browser may block. Allow pop-ups for this site (the icon at the right end of the address bar) and press the button again. If a file download is blocked, check the browser's download settings for this site.
My past jobs disappeared
History and transcripts are stored only in the browser where you collected them. They vanish if you clear the site's data, use a different profile, or sync is off on another computer. Downloaded booklets are not affected. Collect again if needed — repeated channel runs skip nothing when the history is gone, so they count against the daily limit.
The video list for a channel is short
Channel links read the Videos tab only, up to 500 most recent, and skip Shorts and live streams. Paste those links separately.
Still stuck?
Copy the lines from the Activity log, note your browser and extension version (shown at the bottom of the dashboard), and contact us. Please do not send transcripts of other people's videos.