Last updated: June 2026
YT Transcript Search is built to need as little of your data as possible. Here's exactly what that means in practice — no legal padding, just what actually happens.
No sign-up, no email required to use the free version, no login wall.
We don't run a server that the extension talks to. There's nothing for us to collect.
The extension fetches transcript data directly from YouTube's own API. It never passes through us.
We never see or store your card or payment details. PayPal handles that entirely.
Using the free version of YT Transcript Search involves no data collection on our part at all. The extension runs entirely inside your browser tab, fetching transcript data directly from YouTube and storing your preferences (theme, panel position, that kind of thing) only on your own device.
If you choose to buy Pro, you send a one-time payment via PayPal and include your email address in the payment note. We use that email solely to send your licence key, and to verify the key if you contact us about activation. We don't store it anywhere beyond our own email inbox, and we don't add you to any mailing list or share it with anyone.
The extension uses your browser's local storage (e.g, 'chrome.storage.local' for Chrome users) to remember your settings between sessions. None of this ever leaves your device — it's not synced to any account and we have no access to it.
| What's stored locally | Why |
|---|---|
| Chosen theme, panel position & size | So the overlay looks and sits the way you left it |
| Timestamp Link collections | Kept for your current session, per video |
| Pro licence status & email | So you don't have to re-activate every time you open a video |
| Teleprompter & Follow settings (Pro users) | Your preferred font size, colours, columns, and sync offset |
| Noticeboard read status | So you only see "new" badges for messages you haven't read yet |
When you click Load Transcript, the extension asks YouTube's own API for that video's caption data — the same data YouTube itself uses to show captions. The request goes straight from your browser to YouTube; it never touches any server we run, because we don't run one.
The transcript lives in memory for as long as you're viewing it, and is discarded the moment you navigate away or close the tab. We have no way of seeing what videos you've searched, what you've searched for, or what you've exported.
YouTube / Google. The extension runs on YouTube's website and fetches data from YouTube's API. Your use of YouTube itself is governed by Google's Privacy Policy, not ours — we're just a layer on top of a page you're already on.
PayPal. If you buy Pro, your payment is processed entirely by PayPal. We never see your card details or PayPal password. See PayPal's Privacy Statement for how they handle your information.
We don't use any analytics, advertising, or tracking services of our own. There's no third-party script in the extension beyond what's needed to talk to YouTube's API.
No. The extension doesn't set cookies and contains no tracking or analytics code.
We have none to sell. The only personal information we ever hold is a Pro buyer's email, used solely to deliver a licence key, and never shared with anyone.
Everything stored locally — your theme, settings, Timestamp Links, Pro status — is removed along with the extension. If you reinstall later, just activate Pro again with the same email and key.
No. Pro unlocks extra features inside the same extension; it doesn't change what data is collected or how it's handled.
Email yt.transcript.search@gmail.com with any question, including requests to delete your email from our inbox after a Pro purchase.
If we ever start collecting data we don't collect today, this page will be updated first, with a new "last updated" date above. We won't change what we collect without saying so here.