Apify YouTube Transcript Timestamps in Google Sheets (n8n)

Turn YouTube transcripts into timestamped, searchable Google Sheets

Stop manually scrubbing videos for key moments. This n8n workflow uses Apify to pull YouTube transcripts, finds the exact lines matching your search terms, and appends one row per mention to Google Sheets—each with a link that jumps straight to the relevant second.

What this workflow does

• Runs on schedule: It’s triggered every Monday morning using a scheduled trigger.
• Pulls transcript data from Apify: You define YouTube video URLs, search terms, and transcript language. The workflow uses the Apify YouTubeTranscripts actor (johnvc~YoutubeTranscripts) to fetch timestamped transcripts and video metadata for all provided URLs.
• Drops videos without transcripts: Any video where a transcript isn’t available is excluded.
• Matches your keywords: The transcript is split into individual timestamped lines. Each line is checked for case-insensitive matches against your search terms.
• Creates “jump to moment” links: For each matching line, the workflow generates a YouTube link pointing to that line’s start time.
• Sorts and appends results: Matches are kept only when at least one term matches, sorted by video and timestamp, and appended to your selected Google Sheets worksheet.

Use cases

• Track when competitors, product names, or keywords are mentioned across weekly YouTube uploads.
• Monitor podcast-style channels for specific topics and log the exact timestamps for quick review.
• Create an ongoing “mentions tracker” in Google Sheets for SaaS operators and content teams.
• Optional: forward each mention via Slack by wiring in a Slack step and posting to a chosen channel.

Technical details

• Apify integration: Requires an Apify account and your Apify API token in n8n; runs the johnvc~YoutubeTranscripts actor.
• Google Sheets: Uses your provided credentials to append rows to a target spreadsheet and worksheet.
• n8n nodes: set, code, sort, limit, filter, and optional slack integration.