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Add subtitles to YouTube videos and save them to Google Drive with VideoDB

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1. Workflow Overview

This n8n template demonstrates how to generate subtitle overlays for YouTube videos and save the final files to Google Drive. It is useful when...

Best for

  • Content Creation automation workflows
  • Multimodal AI automation workflows
  • advanced n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.stickynote, @videodb/n8n-nodes-videodb.videodb, n8n-nodes-base.wait, n8n-nodes-base.httprequest, n8n-nodes-base.if, n8n-nodes-base.formtrigger, n8n-nodes-base.googledrive

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Om Gate.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
Add subtitles to YouTube videos and save them to Google Drive with VideoDB
Workflow name
Add subtitles to YouTube videos and save them to Google Drive with VideoDB

This n8n template demonstrates how to generate subtitle overlays for YouTube videos and save the final files to Google Drive. It is useful when you want accessible video outputs without manually editing captions in a video editor.

Who’s it for

  • Content creators publishing educational or social content
  • Teams improving accessibility and watch-time performance
  • Agencies preparing client-ready subtitled assets

Good to know

  • Subtitle quality depends on audio clarity and speaker overlap.
  • Make sure your VideoDB account has enough balance before running this workflow. Track usage rates at console.videodb.io/dashboard/usage.

How it works

  • A form trigger receives a YouTube URL.
  • n8n uploads the source video to VideoDB.
  • VideoDB indexes speech and creates timestamped transcript data.
  • A subtitle node renders subtitle overlays into the video output.
  • n8n downloads and stores the subtitled file in Google Drive.

How to use

  • Add VideoDB and Google Drive credentials.
  • Set your destination Drive folder in the upload node.
  • Run one sample video to verify subtitle timing and style.
  • Activate the workflow for regular use.

Requirements

  • VideoDB API key (Get one here)
  • Google Drive account with API access
  • n8n instance (cloud or self-hosted)

Customising this workflow

  • Change subtitle language and rendering settings in the subtitle node.
  • Duplicate branches for multilingual subtitle variants.
  • Add a review step before final storage.
  • Replace Google Drive with S3 or another media destination.

Disclaimer:

This workflow uses VideoDB’s Verified Community Node and will only work on self-hosted n8n instances.

1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - Sticky Note Main

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 2 - Upload Video to VideoDB

Type / Role
@videodb/n8n-nodes-videodb.videoDb - videoDb
Config choices
Version 1

Block 3 - Wait Before Upload Status Check

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.wait - wait
Config choices
Version 1.1

Block 4 - Poll Upload Status

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 5 - Is Upload Complete

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.if - if
Config choices
Version 2.2

Block 6 - YouTube URL Form Trigger

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.formTrigger - formTrigger
Config choices
Version 2.2

Block 7 - Wait Before Indexing Status Check

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.wait - wait
Config choices
Version 1.1

Block 8 - Poll Indexing Status

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 9 - Generate Download Job

Type / Role
@videodb/n8n-nodes-videodb.videoDb - videoDb
Config choices
Version 1

Block 10 - Wait Before Download Job Check

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.wait - wait
Config choices
Version 1.1

Block 11 - Poll Download Job Status

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 12 - Is Download Job Ready

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.if - if
Config choices
Version 2.2

Block 13 - Download Subtitled Video File

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 14 - Upload Subtitled Video to Google Drive

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive - googleDrive
Config choices
Version 3

Block 15 - Sticky Note

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 16 - Sticky Note1

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 17 - Sticky Note2

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 18 - Sticky Note3

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 19 - Index Spoken Words

Type / Role
@videodb/n8n-nodes-videodb.videoDb - videoDb
Config choices
Version 1

Block 20 - Is Indexing Complete

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.if - if
Config choices
Version 2.2

Block 21 - Add Subtitle to Video

Type / Role
@videodb/n8n-nodes-videodb.videoDb - videoDb
Config choices
Version 1

3. Summary Table

Workflow Add subtitles to YouTube videos and save them to Google Drive with VideoDB
Complexity advanced
Nodes 21
Categories Content Creation, Multimodal AI
Author Om Gate
Published 23 Feb 2026

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/13632/13632.json as the source template for this automation.

  2. 2. Import the template into n8n

    Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.

  3. 3. Configure credentials and variables

    Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.

  4. 4. Test with sample data

    Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.

  5. 5. Activate and monitor

    Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Frequently asked questions

What does Add subtitles to YouTube videos and save them to Google Drive with VideoDB do?

This n8n template demonstrates how to generate subtitle overlays for YouTube videos and save the final files to Google Drive. It is useful when...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your Content Creation, Multimodal AI use case.