How to convert VTT to SRT

By Subtitle Convert · 6 minute read · Updated for 2025

WebVTT is the modern web subtitle format. SRT is the universal one. When you have a VTT file that needs to work in a desktop player, an editing tool or a platform that only accepts SRT, conversion is a quick operation.

When you need to convert

Your subtitle source is a WebVTT file from a browser or streaming platform.
You need to import the subtitles into Premiere, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve or Avid.
You want to upload captions to YouTube, which accepts SRT.
You want a format with maximum compatibility across players.

What changes during conversion

Header. The WEBVTT line is removed.
Timestamp separator. Period becomes comma: 00:00:05.000 → 00:00:05,000.
Cue identifiers. WebVTT cue identifiers are replaced with sequential numbers (SRT requires numeric cue numbers).
NOTE, STYLE, REGION blocks. Removed entirely. SRT has no equivalent.

What gets lost

SRT is less capable than WebVTT. Some information cannot survive the conversion:

Cue settings (line, position, align, size) — SRT has no per-cue positioning.
STYLE blocks and CSS styling — SRT does not support CSS.
Voice tags (<v Speaker>) — converted as text, may not be recognised by the target player.
Ruby annotations — SRT has no support for CJK ruby text.

If your WebVTT file uses these features heavily, plan on some manual cleanup after conversion.

Manual conversion in a text editor

Open the VTT file in a plain text editor.
Delete the WEBVTT line and any blank line that follows.
Replace every period in the timestamp lines with a comma.
Add a cue number above each timestamp line, starting at 1.
Save with a .srt extension.

Manual conversion is fine for a small file. It becomes tedious quickly.

Automated conversion in your browser

Use the VTT to SRT Converter. It runs entirely in your browser:

Open the tool.
Paste the VTT content or click "Load .vtt".
Click "Convert to SRT".
Copy the output or click "Download .srt".

The output is renumbered sequentially from 1. Dialogue and timings are preserved exactly.

Validation after conversion

Always run the result through the SRT Validator. It will catch cues that became malformed due to formatting quirks in the source VTT — particularly when the source file used unusual styling or positioning that the converter did not understand.