What Is WebVTT?

Direct definition

WebVTT (Web Video Text Tracks) is a W3C subtitle and caption format for HTML5 video. A file begins with WEBVTT and uses cues with start and end times, typically with dot milliseconds.

The sections below explain how WebVTT is used in transcription and subtitle work, what people often mix up, and which VideoText workflow applies when the next step is a file or review pass.

Key takeaways

• The first line must be WEBVTT.
• WebVTT can carry voice spans, regions, and comments that SRT cannot.
• Use a real converter between SRT and VTT.

How WebVTT works

A user agent (browser or player) parses the file as a text track, matches the current playback time to cues, and renders the cue text. The W3C Recommendation defines the syntax.

Example

WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.000 Welcome to the recording.

Related terms

• SRT file
• TTML
• closed captions
• caption file
• All glossary terms

Sources

1. W3C: WebVTT: The Web Video Text Tracks Format (W3C Recommendation)