FAQ

Questions and answers

How the Instagram transcript tool works, what it will not do, and what happens to your links. Open the tool.

How do I get a transcript from an Instagram Reel?

Open the Reel, tap share, and copy the link. Paste it in the box above and press Get transcript. The text appears on the same page a few seconds later.

Is there a free Instagram transcript generator?

This one is free. There is no sign up, no email box, and no card. You get the full transcript, the timestamps, and the SRT file without paying anything.

Can you get transcripts from Instagram itself?

Instagram shows captions on some Reels while they play. It gives you no way to copy that text out of the app. Paste the link here and the words come back in a form you can select and edit.

Can I transcribe Instagram videos automatically?

Yes, one link at a time. Paste it and the transcript is produced with no further steps from you. There is no bulk mode, so a hundred links means a hundred pastes.

How do I convert an Instagram Reel to text?

Paste the Reel link above. Our server reads the audio, a speech model turns it into words, and the text appears with timestamps. Converting an Instagram Reel to text takes a few seconds and costs nothing.

Do I need to download the video first?

No. Paste the link and the audio is read on our server. There is a file upload as a backup for the times a link will not load.

Does this work on private or restricted Reels?

No. Only posts that anyone can open without logging in. Private accounts, deleted posts, and age restricted posts all return an error rather than a transcript.

How do I transcribe an Instagram Reel on my phone?

The same way as on a computer. Tap share in Instagram, copy the link, open this page in your browser, and paste. The page is built to work on a phone screen.

Does it work on Instagram Stories?

No. Stories are not supported. Reels, ordinary video posts, and old IGTV links all work.

What languages are supported?

More than fifty. The speech model works out the language on its own, so a Hindi Reel comes back in Hindi and a Spanish one in Spanish.

Can I export SRT or VTT?

Yes. Every transcript carries timestamps. You can download TXT, SRT, or VTT, and the SRT tab shows you the file before you save it.

Is there a length limit?

Three minutes per video, which covers almost every Reel. Anything longer gets a clear message instead of a partial transcript.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no signup and no paywall on the first transcript or the hundredth.

Where does my video go?

The audio goes to one speech to text provider and nowhere else. During the request it sits in a temporary folder on our server, and that folder is deleted the moment the request ends. No video and no transcript is kept.

How accurate is the transcript?

It depends on the audio. Clear speech comes out close to perfect. Loud music and crosstalk cost accuracy. The text is editable, so fix anything that reads wrong.

How long does a transcript take?

A Reel under a minute usually comes back in four to eight seconds. Longer video takes proportionally longer, because the audio has to be downloaded and read before anything can be written down.

Is there an API for this?

Yes, in private beta. It is one endpoint that takes a link and returns the same text, timings and subtitle files. There is also an MCP server so an assistant can read Reels directly. The docs are on this site and access is by request.

Can I transcribe Instagram Lives?

Only if the Live was saved as a public post afterwards. A Live while it is running has no permanent address to read, and once it disappears there is nothing left to transcribe.

What is an SRT file and do I need one?

An SRT lists every line of speech with the second it starts and the second it ends. Video editors read it, so dropping one into CapCut or Premiere gives you subtitles that are already timed. You need one if you are editing video. For quoting or note taking, plain text is enough.

Can I use the transcript in my own work?

The text is yours to work with. The words themselves still belong to whoever said them, so quote people fairly and credit the account when you publish. Reposting somebody else's whole script as your own is a different thing and this tool does not make it acceptable.

Why did my transcript come back empty?

Usually because there is no speech in the video. A dance clip over a music track has nothing to write down. You may also see a line of song lyrics, which is the model doing its best with what it heard.

Is this affiliated with Instagram?

No. This is an independent tool with no connection to Instagram or Meta.