How to validate an SRT file
Add your file
Drop your SRT or VTT file on the box, or click the box to choose it. The report appears at once.
Read the report
Format problems come first. They are the errors that stop a player from reading the file. Subtitle quality problems come second. Each row shows a cue number.
Fix the problems
Edit the cues in your subtitle editor. Or click Subtitle fixer to repair overlaps, short cues, and extra spaces for you.
When to use SRT validator
- Your SRT file will not load in a video player or on YouTube.
- A client wants a checked file before you deliver the subtitles.
- You joined or edited an SRT file by hand and want to be sure that it is still correct.
- Letters like é appear as é in your subtitles.
- You want to find every cue with more than 42 characters on a line or more than 17 characters per second.
More free subtitle tools
Timing
Convert
Join and split
Clean up
Common questions
Why does my SRT file not load in my video player?
The usual causes are a broken timecode, a missing blank line between two cues, a wrong cue number, or a file that was saved in the wrong encoding. Add the file here. The report names the cue with each problem.
Why can I not upload my SRT file to Facebook or YouTube?
A site can refuse a file with broken times or cues in the wrong order. If the report shows no format problems, check the file name and the file type that the site asks for.
What is the difference between an error and a warning?
An error is a problem that a viewer will notice or that can stop a player, such as an overlap or a reading speed above 20 characters per second. A warning is a problem that many style guides allow in some cases, such as a cue that is 0.7 seconds long.
Which quality limits does the checker use?
Lines of up to 42 characters, up to 2 lines, a reading speed of up to 17 characters per second (an error above 20), a duration from 0.833 to 7 seconds, and at least 80 milliseconds between two cues. A gap under half a second gets a warning, because the text flickers.
Why do I see é and similar characters in my subtitles?
The file was saved as UTF-8 and opened as Windows-1252. The report marks these cues. Open the file in a text editor that lets you pick the encoding, and save it again as UTF-8.
Does the validator change my file?
No. It reads the file and shows a report. Nothing is saved or downloaded.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The tool runs in your browser. Your subtitle file never leaves your computer.
Still sending subtitle files by email?
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