Setup & API Keys

Configure Transcribe with your API keys to start fetching transcripts and using AI.

Opening Settings

There are two ways to open Settings:

Right-click the menu bar icon and select Settings.
Click the menu bar icon to open the popover, then navigate to the Settings tab.

Transcript API Key

Transcribe uses TranscriptAPI.com to fetch YouTube transcripts. You need an API key from their service.

Go to transcriptapi.com and create an account.
Copy your API key from the dashboard.
In Transcribe Settings, paste your key into the Transcript API Key field.
Press Enter, click away, or click Save & Verify to save and test the connection.

The key is saved to your macOS Keychain when you press Enter or click away from the field. The app automatically verifies the connection after saving. You can also click Verify at any time to re-test.

Note: Your API key is stored securely in your macOS Keychain, not in plain text. It is never sent anywhere except directly to TranscriptAPI.com.

AI API Key (Optional)

To use AI chat features (summarizing, asking questions about videos), you need an API key from an AI provider. Transcribe supports any OpenAI-compatible API.

In Settings, enable AI Chat.
Choose your AI Provider (e.g., OpenAI, Ollama, Groq, etc.).
The endpoint URL auto-fills based on your provider choice.
Paste your AI API Key (not required for Ollama, which runs locally).
Press Enter or click Save & Verify — the key is saved and the connection is tested automatically.
Select a Model from the model picker.

API keys are saved per-provider — switching providers loads the key you previously saved for that provider.

See AI Providers for detailed setup instructions for each provider.

Verifying Your Keys

Both the Transcript API and AI API sections have a Save & Verify button. Keys are automatically saved and verified when you press Enter or click away from the field. You can also click the button manually:

Green checkmark — "Connected" — Key is valid and working.
Red X with message — Key is invalid, expired, or out of credits. Check the error message for details.
"Saved" flash — Appears briefly after saving a new key, before auto-verification begins.

Next Steps

Once your keys are set up, head to the Quick Start guide to transcribe your first video.