How to Get YouTube Transcriptions Without Getting Blocked?

Consider using libraries that focus on direct requests to the timedtext endpoint rather than scraping. For instance, `youtube-transcript-api` in Python or `youtube-captions` in npm can get you the job done without triggering bot detection. Just make sure you get the video ID right and send the expected parameters directly to that endpoint.

You could try using the YouTube Data API. They have a captions endpoint that might be helpful for your needs. You can find the documentation here: https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/docs/captions.

It sounds like you might not be mimicking a proper browser request. If you're just using cURL, make sure to send the appropriate headers, like the user agent. Also, check if you're hitting the right endpoints. Sometimes, the transcription URL is only accessible if you first load the video page and necessary resources. Open your network activity inspector in the browser to see what happens there!

YouTube behaves like a single-page application, so using a headless browser can help you render all dynamic content, including transcriptions. Tools like Puppeteer or Playwright might be beneficial here.

YouTube has pretty strict bot detection, but there are ways to work around it. The YouTube Data API v3's captions endpoint is one option, plus you get a free quota. If you want a simpler approach, try `yt-dlp`. It manages all session handling for you while fetching auto-generated subtitles. Just run a command like `yt-dlp --write-auto-sub --sub-lang en --skip-download ` to get the transcript.