digestVid Chrome extension: how to use it, with answers to common questions

digestVid is a Chrome extension that turns YouTube videos, and Vimeo videos with captions, into readable summaries and clean transcripts. This guide covers everything from installing it to fixing the most common problems. If you just want the install steps with screenshots, see the extension page.

Installing

digestVid works in Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Brave.

1. Download the extension from the extension page and unzip it.
2. Open chrome://extensions (or edge://extensions, brave://extensions).
3. Turn on Developer mode.
4. Click Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder.
5. Pin digestVid from the puzzle-piece menu so its icon is always visible.

Keep the unzipped folder where it is, because the browser runs the extension from it.

Your first summary

1. Open a YouTube video.
2. For best results, open the video’s transcript (description, then Show transcript) or its chapters panel.
3. Click the digestVid icon.
4. Choose an engine, a summary style and a language.
5. Click Summarize.

digestVid is free. Add your own free or paid AI API key in Settings first.

Engines: which one to pick

The engine is the AI model that writes the summary. Options include Gemini, Groq, Mistral, OpenAI and Anthropic models, for accounts that already have Premium, digestVid’s own AI.

• For everyday use, a fast engine such as Gemini Flash-Lite or Groq is usually plenty.
• For long or dense videos, a balanced engine such as Gemini Flash often gives better structure.
• For videos without a transcript, the Gemini YouTube video engine works from the video itself instead of the captions.

The getting started guide explains how to get a key from each provider; several have a free tier.

Summary styles

• Brief: the main points in a few lines. Good for deciding whether to watch.
• Balanced: the usual choice, with key points and a bottom line.
• Detailed: a fuller breakdown, useful for lectures, tutorials and anything you want to study.

Languages

A summary can be in the same language as the video, or in English, Hebrew, French, Italian, German, Spanish or Yiddish, whatever language the video is in. That makes it easy to get the gist of a video in a language you read less comfortably.

Transcripts: Neatify, Neatify & Fix, Neatify & summarize

• Neatify turns the raw transcript into clean text: no timestamps or caption fragments, real paragraphs, and chapter headings when the video has chapters. It is the full transcript, not a summary.
• Neatify & Fix also lightly corrects punctuation, capitals and caption mistakes.
• Neatify & summarize gives you the clean transcript and a summary together.

Copying, printing and saving

Every summary in the extension has Copy, Print and Email (opens a Gmail draft). To get a PDF, choose Print and then Save as PDF in the print dialog. On digestvid.com, every summary and transcript page has Print and Save PDF, and Pro adds a Download Markdown button.

Accounts, publishing and privacy

You can use the extension without a digestVid account; nothing is published then.

When you sign in on the Free plan, the results you make are published to digestvid.com so other people can read them. That is how the free plan is supported. Pro and Premium accounts can turn publishing off and keep results private. Unlisted YouTube videos and unlisted Vimeo links are never published.

On Free and Pro, your AI provider keys stay in the extension and are sent directly to the provider you choose. On Premium, and for the five free digests, the extension sends the text it needs to digestVid’s server, which sends it to our AI provider; we do not keep that text after the answer comes back. The privacy policy has the details.

Plans in one paragraph

digestVid is free: every feature is open to everyone, using your own AI API key. Results are published while you are signed in. Accounts that already had a paid plan keep it until it ends. See the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work on any video?

It works on YouTube videos and on Vimeo videos that have captions or subtitles. Private or restricted Vimeo videos cannot be opened.

Why is my summary based only on the title and description?

The video probably has no transcript. Open the transcript panel to check. If there is none, try the Gemini YouTube video engine, which works from the video itself.

I get a message about my API key.

Open the extension’s Settings and save a key for the engine you selected. Each engine needs a key from its own provider. If you have used your five free digests, you will need a key or a paid plan.

The AI provider says it is busy or out of quota.

Wait a minute and try again, or switch engines. Free tiers have rate limits that reset over time.

Will the extension still work if digestvid.com is down?

Summaries made with your own API key run between your browser and the AI provider, so the core feature keeps working. Features that rely on the website, such as publishing, accounts and Premium, need the site.

How accurate are the summaries?

Usually good, but not perfect. AI can misread a speaker, merge two points or get a number wrong, and automatic captions can mishear names. For anything important, check the claim in the transcript and the video. Our guide on checking an AI video summary shows a quick method.

How do I update the extension?

Download the new version, replace the old folder with the new one, then click the reload arrow on the digestVid card in chrome://extensions. Your settings and keys stay.

How do I get a published result removed?

Use Report on its page, or email info@digestVid.com. To have your data deleted permanently, email us as well.

Who makes digestVid?

digestVid is made by SmartApz LLC. See the About page for more.

Still stuck?

Use the contact form to report a bug or ask a question. Including the video link and the engine you used helps us reproduce the problem quickly.