Enhancement request for transcripts to be downloaded via the API when the meeting recording is stored locally | Community
Skip to main content
G
New Member
GStanley
New Member
July 14, 2026
Question

Enhancement request for transcripts to be downloaded via the API when the meeting recording is stored locally

  • July 14, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 31 views

 

  • That the transcript is downloadable in the Zoom Workplace client under Recordings and Transcripts even when the recording is local
  • The specific ask: an API endpoint (or extension to existing endpoints) to download those meeting transcripts when no cloud recording exists
  • Your auth model (Server-to-Server OAuth) and the endpoints you tried (/users/{user}/recordings, /meetings/{meetingId}/recordings) and their responses (200 empty / 404

We store our recordings on our network to be shared with the larger teams that do not have Zoom accounts and would like to be able to download the associated transcripts and summaries that are available through the user front end via the API that you can do with Zoom Phone.

 

Here is the information from the chat bot that says it is currently not possible via the API.
 

Zoom’s Meetings recording/transcript APIs only surface cloud recordings (and their associated transcript files). Local recordings (saved to the host’s computer and then uploaded to Google Drive) are not stored in Zoom cloud recording storage, so Zoom’s cloud recording APIs won’t list them and there’s nothing for Zoom to return/download via API.

Also, meeting transcripts are only downloadable when a transcript file exists and is retained in the account (typically tied to cloud recording / transcription being enabled). Admin access doesn’t change that—admins can download transcripts that exist, but can’t download transcripts that were never generated/stored in Zoom.

Going forward, if you want meeting transcripts to be API-downloadable, the practical fix is: ensure those users’ meetings are cloud recorded and that transcription/live transcript is enabled so a transcript file is generated and retained; then the recordings endpoints will begin returning transcript-related files/download URLs for those cloud recordings.

Did this help?

1. Downloading conversation recording and transcript

 

 

You11:15 AM

Why can I see and download the transcript from the meeting when the meeting is stored locally?

ZVABOT11:15 AM

Because the transcript you’re downloading in that case is being saved as a local artifact (or made available to download during/after the meeting), not stored as a Zoom cloud recording “transcript file” that the cloud recording APIs enumerate.

In Zoom Meetings, transcript visibility/download can come from the meeting’s Recording and Transcripts experience, where the host can allow who can view/save the transcript (host/co-hosts/participants). If saving is allowed, the host (and possibly others) can download it from the client UI. If saving is disabled, nobody can download it. That download is separate from cloud recording storage.

So you can have:

  • Local recording + transcript visible/downloadable in the meeting UI (client-side availability), but
  • No cloud recording entry, so GET /v2/users/{user}/recordings stays empty and there’s nothing to download via the cloud recordings APIs.

If you tell me where you’re downloading it from (Zoom Workplace app “Recording and Transcripts” tab vs web portal Recordings vs another place), I can map it to the exact storage path/feature involved.

1. Enabling or disabling meeting transcripts

 

 

You11:16 AM

Yes I can download the transcript via Recordings and Transcripts tab for each user without storing the associated recording in the cloud. But through the API I cannot download the transcript

ZVABOT11:16 AM

That behavior is expected.

The Recordings and Transcripts tab can let a user download a transcript that was generated/available for that meeting even when the recording itself is local. But the Zoom Meetings recordings APIs you’re calling (/users/{user}/recordings and /meetings/{meetingId}/recordings) only return cloud recording assets (and the transcript files attached to those cloud recordings). If there’s no cloud recording, those endpoints won’t expose a transcript download via API—so you’ll see meetings: [] or a 404 even though the user can download from the client UI.

Practically:

  • UI download from Recordings and Transcripts ≠ cloud recording transcript file
  • API download you’re attempting is tied to cloud recordings, so it won’t work for transcripts that exist only in the meeting/client context without a cloud recording artifact.

If your goal is automation, the reliable path is to enable cloud recording (and ensure transcription is enabled/retained). Then the transcript will appear as a file under the cloud recording, and it becomes downloadable via the cloud recordings APIs.

If you want, paste one sample meeting ID and confirm whether it shows up under web portal > Recordings > Cloud Recordings for the host. If it does not, the recordings API won’t be able to return its transcript.

You11:18 AM

What is the right API to use for meeting transcripts

ZVABOT11:18 AM

For Zoom Meetings, the API-accessible “meeting transcripts” are the transcript files attached to a cloud recording. The right API path is therefore the Cloud Recording APIs, not a separate “transcripts API”.

Use:

  1. List the host’s cloud recordings (to find the meeting/recording and its files)
  • GET /v2/users/{userId}/recordings?from=YYYY-MM-DD&to=YYYY-MM-DD
  1. From the response, look in the meeting’s recording_files[] for the transcript file (commonly a file type like transcript / audio transcript).
  2. Download using the file’s download_url (with a valid access token as required).

Important limitation: if the transcript is only available via the Zoom client’s Recordings and Transcripts tab but the meeting was not cloud recorded, there isn’t a supported Meetings API endpoint to download that “client-side” transcript. In that case, only manual download via the client/web portal works.

If you share a small redacted snippet of one recording_files[] object from a meeting that does have a cloud recording, I can point out exactly which field/file type to use for the transcript download.

2 Sources

 

 

You11:26 AM

Where can I request an enhancement to the API to allow transcripts that are stored for local recordings be downloaded

ZVABOT11:26 AM

Zoom collects enhancement requests through the Feature Requests section of the Zoom Community.

You can submit it here: https://community.zoom.com/

Post it as a Feature Request and include:

  • That the transcript is downloadable in the Zoom Workplace client under Recordings and Transcripts even when the recording is local
  • The specific ask: an API endpoint (or extension to existing endpoints) to download those meeting transcripts when no cloud recording exists
  • Your auth model (Server-to-Server OAuth) and the endpoints you tried (/users/{user}/recordings, /meetings/{meetingId}/recordings) and their responses (200 empty / 404)

      2 replies

      Ray_Harwood
      Community Super Champion | Customer
      Ray_Harwood
      Community Super Champion | Customer
      July 15, 2026

      Hi, ​@GStanley.

       

      I’m just recently exploring Zoom Workflows, which might be able to help you out.

       

      I’m not really following exactly what your intended storage point is for these transcripts, but I think it should be possible to attach workflows to those meetings that you do want to harvest transcripts from, and have the workflow extract it, build a Canvas (Markdown file), and store it in a folder accessible by those who are permitted/desired to drop their transcripts in your repository.

       

      I’m hoping you don’t want the transcript from every meeting in the company posted.  In the workflow “trigger”, you can specify some criteria for selection of which meetings the workflow should be run for.

       

      Let me know if this interests you.  I’m working on a couple of small workflow projects now (sort of “spare time” things, but I’m learning a lot!)… this sound like something that could be useful to quite a few people.

      G
      New Member
      GStanleyAuthor
      New Member
      July 15, 2026

      ​@Ray_Harwood 
      We use Zoom Meetings in our customer support groups. We record all meetings and transcribe with the AI summary. We store video recordings locally, on internal network, however the transcripts of a zoom meeting only download if closed caption is enabled on the meeting. If not the transcript is stored within the individual user account under recordings, transcriptions which then manually need to be downloaded.
      The current API method we are using with zoom phone transcripts is each individual user phone calls transcripts are downloaded to an individual user folder on our network. Since the calls are related for customer support each support member's phone calls are loaded into a product specific RAG.

      An alternative would be to always download the transcript when saving the recording locally.

      One of the reasons for storing our videos recordings locally is that if their account gets deleted all their cloud recordings get immediately deleted and are no longer recoverable. Had a marketing person leave unexpectedly, their account was deleted and all of their posted videos linked to their Zoom account were also immediately deleted.

      The goal is to extract the transcripts automatically at the end of every day and then add them to our AI RAG that is then shared with purpose built AI Models.
       

      I'd be interested in learning more about your zoom workflows and alternatives for this use case.

      Gregg Stanley

       

      W
      Newcomer
      William William567
      Newcomer
      July 15, 2026

      It would be great to have an API to download meeting transcripts for local recordings. Since the transcripts are already available in the Zoom Workplace client's Recordings and Transcripts tab, exposing them through the API (independent of cloud recordings) would enable automation for organizations using local storage and Server-to-Server OAuth. This would close the gap between the UI and the API.

      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
      Copyright © Zoom Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.