What is a VTT file?
A .VTT file is a Web Video Text Tracks (WebVTT) file. It stores subtitle and caption data for video content. The W3C created this format to work specifically with HTML5 web video. The file uses plain text encoded in UTF-8. It contains timecodes and the text for the subtitles. It can also hold styling and positioning information to display text correctly on the screen.
How to open VTT files?
Because a .VTT file is plain text, you can open it with any basic text editor. You can use Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on macOS. To view the subtitles on top of a video, you need a compatible media player. VLC media player can load .VTT files over your local video files. If you want to create or edit subtitles, you can use specialized software like Aegisub or Subtitle Edit.
Best practices and troubleshooting
Sometimes a video player will not load a .VTT file automatically. If this happens, ensure the .VTT file has the exact same name as the video file. Keep both files in the same folder. If you work with web development, ensure your web server delivers the .VTT file with the correct MIME type.
File analysis and conversion
If you have a file and you are unsure about its exact contents, viewer.online/vtt can help. You can analyze .VTT files to identify the exact format and creator software, inspect the file structure, extract readable text, and check whether an online preview is available.
If you need to use the subtitles in software that does not support WebVTT, you should convert the file. We recommend using convert.guru to convert .VTT files into .SRT or .TXT formats.
Summary
Using viewer.online/vtt is useful for identifying, inspecting, and understanding .VTT files without installing software or dealing with compatibility problems.