Type a phrase, get every YouTube video where it appears in the subtitles, with the exact timestamp. Free, no signup.
No signup required — your first search is free
YouTube subtitle search means finding a specific word or phrase inside the subtitles of YouTube videos. Subtitles are the timestamped text that appears on screen — the same content as captions, just under a different label. A subtitle search tool indexes that text so you can query it across many videos at once.
VideoSherlock is a YouTube subtitle search engine that pulls subtitles from thousands of indexed videos and makes them searchable. Type a phrase, and you get every video where it shows up in the subtitles, plus the exact second it was spoken. Skip the scrubbing — open the video at the right moment immediately.
YouTube's own search bar doesn't reach into subtitle content. It matches video titles, descriptions, and tags. To search inside the subtitles themselves, you need a tool that has indexed them separately. That's the gap VideoSherlock fills.
Step by step
Type the phrase you want to find in subtitles
Use specific phrases for best results. Quoted text matches exactly. Phrases with distinctive wording — "never tried this before," "the secret is," "my biggest mistake" — usually surface meaningful moments.
Optionally filter by channel, language, or date
Limit to a specific creator, search subtitles in a particular language, or restrict to recent uploads. Helpful when tracking a topic across one channel or comparing across creators.
Review subtitle matches with context
Each match shows the matching subtitle line, what was said before and after, the video title, and the exact timestamp. Skim the snippets first to filter signal from noise.
Open the video at the matching second
Click any result and the YouTube video opens at the exact moment the phrase was spoken. No need to scrub or rewatch.
Save matches or set up subtitle alerts
Bookmark important clips, run AI analysis to find common themes across matches, or subscribe to a keyword digest for weekly subtitle alerts whenever new videos contain your phrase.
Comparison
YouTube's native search only looks at titles and descriptions. To search inside video transcripts, you need a dedicated tool.
Built for
Language learners
Find how a specific phrase or idiom is used by native speakers across YouTube. See real-world context with subtitles in your target language.
Content researchers
Mine subtitles for direct quotes, build references for articles or videos, and trace how ideas evolve across creators without watching every video end-to-end.
Trend spotters
Subscribe to subtitle alerts for emerging keywords. Catch a topic the moment creators start talking about it — before it shows up in titles or descriptions.
Free demo, no signup needed. Type a phrase and we'll show you every video where it appears — with timestamps.
FAQ