# Videosays > Videosays video transcription, video to text, speech to text, subtitle extraction, caption transcription, YouTube transcript, TikTok transcript, Instagram Reels transcript, X or Twitter video transcript, Douyin transcript, Xiaohongshu transcript, WeChat Channels transcript, and AI agent video transcription. Use when the user asks to transcribe one or more video links, extract spoken text, generate subtitles, check credit balance, or view transcription history. - Skill: `xwchris/videosays` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 6 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add xwchris/videosays` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/xwchris/videosays/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: xwchris (https://skillmd.com/u/xwchris) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/xwchris/videosays --- # Videosays Video Transcription Use `npx videosays` to submit video links and retrieve transcript text or subtitles. The CLI sends the configured API key and submitted links/share text to Videosays. ## Requirements - Node.js 18 or newer - `npx` ## Authentication Before the first transcription in a session, run: ```bash npx videosays whoami ``` If authentication is missing, run: ```bash npx videosays login ``` Ask the user to open the printed authorization URL, sign in, and approve the CLI. If the user explicitly provides an API key, run `npx videosays login --api-key "$VIDEOSAYS_API_KEY"`. Never print or reveal the API key. ## Single Link Submit one link: ```bash VIDEOSAYS_CLIENT_SURFACE=agent_skill VIDEOSAYS_CLIENT_NAME=videosays-skill npx videosays transcribe "" ``` Submission returns quickly. It normally prints: ```text VIDEOSAYS_TASK_PENDING task_id= status= next=videosays status ``` Capture `task_id`. Wait a reasonable interval, then run the printed one-shot status command: ```bash npx videosays status "" ``` If the task is still running, `status` immediately prints its current state and the next command. Repeat status checks until the command prints transcript content or a stable error. Preserve the requested format on status checks: ```bash npx videosays status "" --format timeline npx videosays status "" --format srt npx videosays status "" --format vtt ``` Each submission gets a client-generated `submissionId` sent as `Idempotency-Key`. If a command ends ambiguously, repeat the same command with the same `--submission-id `; the server returns the original Task safely. Equivalent active work for the same account is reused, and completed work is reused by default. Use `--force-new` only when a fresh transcription is intentional. Treat `transcribe` only as creation: capture its returned server Task ID and use `status` for every later check. Never resubmit a link as a status check with a new submission id. If submission ends with a network error or timeout before printing a Task ID, do not automatically resubmit with a new id. Retry with the same `--submission-id` when it is available; otherwise check `npx videosays history` for a recent matching task and report the ambiguous outcome if it cannot be recovered. ## Multiple Links When the user provides two or more links, use one server batch. Never build a shell loop, use `xargs`, start parallel `transcribe` commands, or submit the links individually. 1. Write one link or share text per line to a temporary text file. Duplicate lines keep their batch positions, while their effective status/result follows the canonical Task by default. Use `--force-new` when the user explicitly requests duplicate processing. 2. Submit once: ```bash VIDEOSAYS_CLIENT_SURFACE=agent_skill VIDEOSAYS_CLIENT_NAME=videosays-skill npx videosays batch links.txt ``` 3. Capture the server-generated `batchId` from stdout. 4. Wait a reasonable interval, then make a one-shot status request: ```bash npx videosays batch status "" ``` 5. Repeat status checks until the batch reaches `completed`, `partial`, `failed`, or `cancelled`, or reports a resumable `paused` state. While a batch is running, `batch status` uses a lightweight status response. When the batch finishes, the CLI retrieves the complete results once. Do not replace this with per-Task polling. Every `batch ` submission sends a client-generated `Idempotency-Key`. Repeat an ambiguous submission with the same `--submission-id ` to receive the original server Batch ID; an equivalent active batch for the same account also converges on one Batch ID. Completed work is reused by default. Use `--force-new` only for an intentional fresh batch. Batch submission and status commands return promptly. Do not rerun the input file as a status check, do not invent a Batch ID, and do not use `batch resume`. If batch submission ends before printing a Batch ID, do not automatically submit the file with a new id: the server may already have accepted it. Retry with the same `--submission-id` if one was printed, or report the ambiguous outcome and get confirmation before creating a replacement batch with `--force-new`. Videosays creates every batch item as an ordinary Task and runs those Tasks through the normal queue. Each Task must reserve credit atomically before provider submission, so the balance cannot be overspent. If the batch reports `paused` or `stopReason` is `insufficient_credits`, completed Tasks are preserved and unstarted Tasks wait to be resumed. Ask the user to top up, then after confirmation run: ```bash npx videosays batch continue "" ``` Then continue using `batch status` with the same Batch ID. ## Optional Interactive Waiting Only use `--wait` when a human explicitly wants the terminal to remain attached: ```bash npx videosays transcribe "" --wait npx videosays batch links.txt --wait ``` Agents must use the default immediate-return workflow so every tool call produces prompt, structured stdout. ## Other Commands ```bash npx videosays balance npx videosays history npx videosays batch cancel "" ``` ## Errors Read stderr when a command exits non-zero. Do not treat error output or a pending receipt as transcript content. ```text Error: Code: Next: Recharge: ``` For `insufficient_credits`, do not repeatedly resubmit. Report the balance issue and recharge URL. For media or link errors such as `media_resolve_failed`, `media_unavailable`, or `media_inaccessible`, ask for another accessible video link. ## Links - Website: https://videosays.com/?utm_source=videosays_skill&utm_medium=agent_skill&utm_campaign=videosays_agent_skill - API docs: https://videosays.com/docs?utm_source=videosays_skill&utm_medium=agent_skill&utm_campaign=videosays_agent_skill&utm_content=api_docs - CLI: https://www.npmjs.com/package/videosays