Spotlight support does not include Stories or chats
Submit an individual prerecorded public Spotlight video on snapchat.com or www.snapchat.com using the /spotlight/ path. A profile page does not specify the recording. Stories, private chats and collections are not supported inputs, and recognizing a Spotlight URL does not guarantee the media is still available.
The media must be fetchable without authentication. transcript1 does not accept account cookies or private credentials and cannot gain access to content available only inside your signed-in account. If you have your own original video, a supported upload is another way to provide the recording.
Turn a short explanation into text you can review
Learn how to transcribe a Snapchat Spotlight video and rewrite your own short explanation without assuming the transcript captures visual jokes or gestures.
Play the Spotlight video
Check that it contains speech. A music-only montage or silent text demonstration does not supply the narration needed for a useful spoken transcript.
Paste the public URL
Start a link transcription in the dashboard. Snapchat Spotlight uses speech-to-text with auto or stt, not captions-only. YouTube and X retain captions, as do qualified TikTok, Bluesky, Dailymotion and LinkedIn native tracks; see the source capability matrix.
Listen to uncertain phrases
Review fast speech, slang and words under music. Check short negatives and names before quoting or adapting a line.
Save a source-aware script
Keep the recording URL and timestamps with your reviewed text. Add screen-only observations separately from the spoken script.
Know what the transcript can and cannot explain
A short video may depend on a gesture, a filter effect or a sudden visual reveal. The transcript can recover a spoken setup but does not describe the payoff if it happens silently. Add that observation yourself when preparing an outline. It does not read stickers or labels from frames.
For your own video, compare the spoken opening with the promise the rest of the script actually answers. Remove repetition and clarify vague references in your next draft. Those are editorial decisions: transcript1 does not rate a hook, infer audience reactions or generate a finished replacement video.
SRT and VTT exports contain timed cues for an editor or player. They are not captions published back to Snapchat. If you change the cut, soundtrack or playback speed, review the timing against the revised recording instead of assuming the original cues still align.
Use a saved result in an automated workflow
The REST API accepts the same public Spotlight URL and returns a job id. Keep the id beside your source and read that job as it processes. Once complete, retrieve TXT, JSON, SRT or VTT without creating a second transcription just to change formats.
Successful jobs cost one credit per media minute, rounded up, including short clips. New accounts receive 60 free minutes once after email verification. Failed and canceled jobs are not charged. An access failure does not provide partial private content or justify sending account credentials.