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Overview

You can upload pre-written transcripts as text files. This is useful when you have transcripts from other tools or want to import existing transcripts. The system supports multiple text formats and provides parsers to extract speaker names, timestamps, and text from your transcript.

Supported text formats

  • .txt - Plain text files
  • .md - Markdown files
  • .srt - Subtitle files
  • .vtt - WebVTT subtitle files

Text transcript parsers

When uploading a text file, you need to select a parser that matches your transcript format. The system supports 6 different parsers, each designed for specific transcript formats.

Choosing the right parser

The parser extracts speaker names, timestamps, and text from your transcript. Select the parser that matches your source format:
ParserBest forKey features
Speaker TextGoogle Meet, Otter.ai, Trint, TactiqNo timestamps, speaker names optional
Tab-SeparatedZoom .txt export, Kontur TalkTimestamps and speakers separated by tabs
Plain TextFreeform transcriptsSimple line breaks, no structure
SubtitlesZoom, YouTube, MS Teams, .srt, .vttNumbered blocks with time ranges
AseedAseed exported transcriptsAseed markdown format
DatetimeCustom datetime formatsFull date-time timestamps

Parser examples

Compare parser formats side-by-side:
Alice: Hello Bob! Are you ready for the meeting?
Bob: Yes, Alice. I have prepared the report.

Parser details

Speaker Text — Extracts speaker names from text before colons. Calculates timestamps based on word count. Best for Google Meet, Otter.ai, Trint, Tactiq. Tab-Separated — Parses timestamps (HH:MM:SS) and speaker names from tab-separated values. Uses provided timestamps or calculates from sequence. Best for Zoom .txt export, Kontur Talk. Plain Text — Treats each non-empty line as a separate utterance. Assigns “Unknown” as speaker. Calculates timestamps from word count. Best for freeform transcripts from other sources. Subtitles — Extracts timestamps from subtitle time ranges (HH:MM:SS,mmm —> HH:MM:SS,mmm). Optionally extracts speaker names if present in text. Best for Zoom, YouTube, MS Teams, .srt, .vtt files. Aseed — Parses Aseed markdown format with utterance numbers in backticks and speaker names in bold. Calculates timestamps from word count. Best for transcripts exported from Aseed interviews. Datetime — Extracts full datetime timestamps and converts them to relative times. Uses time differences between entries for accurate duration calculation. Best for custom formats with full datetime timestamps.

How to upload text transcripts

1

Click Upload Files

Click Upload Files button on the Records page.
2

Select text file

Select a text file (.txt, .md, .srt, or .vtt) from your computer. The Text File Upload modal opens automatically.
Text File Upload modal showing record name field, parser selection, and preview
3

Enter record name

Enter a Record Name for your transcript in the input field.
4

Select parser

Select Parser that matches your transcript format from the dropdown menu. See parser examples above to choose the right one.
If you’re unsure which parser to use, try different parsers and check the preview to see which one correctly extracts speakers and timestamps.
5

Review preview

Review the Preview section to see how your transcript will be parsed. The preview shows the first 30 lines with speaker names, timestamps, and utterance numbers.
6

Edit if needed

Switch to Edit Text mode if you need to make manual adjustments to the transcript before uploading.
7

Check validation

Check validation messages:
  • Duration should be between 5 minutes and 2.5 hours
  • Utterances should be between 5 and 1000
  • Content must contain detectable utterances
8

Upload transcript

Click Upload Transcript when ready. The transcript will be processed and added to your records.

Validation rules

The system validates your transcript before upload:
  • Duration: Must be between 5 minutes and 2.5 hours
  • Utterances: Must be between 5 and 1000 utterances
  • Content: Must contain detectable utterances based on selected parser
If validation fails, you’ll see an error message. Try:
  • Selecting a different parser
  • Adjusting the transcript format
  • Checking for formatting issues

Preview mode

The preview shows how your transcript will look after import:
  • Speaker names are extracted automatically
  • Utterances are numbered
  • Timestamps are calculated (if not present in source)
  • First 30 lines are shown for performance
Switch to Edit Text mode to make manual adjustments before uploading.

Best practices

Match your parser to the source format. Using the wrong parser can result in incorrect speaker identification or missing timestamps.
Review the preview carefully before uploading. This helps catch formatting issues early.
If your transcript doesn’t match any parser format exactly, try the Plain Text parser or use Edit Text mode to adjust the format manually.
For transcripts with timestamps, use Tab-Separated or Subtitles parsers to preserve timing information.