Subtitle Formatter
Paste your SRT subtitle content to clean it up. Remove HTML tags, fix formatting, renumber cues, and download a clean SRT file instantly.
Remove HTML tags
Clean <b>, <i>, <font> and other HTML from subtitle text.
Renumber cues
Automatically renumber all subtitle cues sequentially.
100% private
All processing happens in your browser. Nothing sent to servers.
What is Subtitle Formatter?
The Subtitle Formatter is a free browser-based tool that cleans, formats, and fixes SRT subtitle files online. SRT (SubRip Text) is the most common subtitle format used by YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and video editing software. Subtitle files often come with formatting problems — HTML tags from export tools, broken numbering, extra whitespace, or inconsistent line breaks. MediaDrop's Subtitle Formatter removes HTML tags, renumbers cues sequentially, trims whitespace, removes empty entries, and produces a clean, ready-to-use .srt file. All processing happens in your browser — your subtitle files never leave your device.
How to use Subtitle Formatter
- Step 1: Paste your SRT subtitle content into the Input SRT text box on the left.
- Step 2: Select which formatting options to apply — Remove HTML tags, Renumber cues, Trim whitespace, Remove empty cues.
- Step 3: Click Format SRT and see the cleaned subtitle content appear in the Output SRT box on the right.
- Step 4: Review the output to make sure the subtitles look correct.
- Step 5: Click Download .srt to save the formatted subtitle file, or click Copy to copy it to your clipboard.
- Step 6: Upload your cleaned .srt file to YouTube, TikTok, or your video editing software.
Tips for better results
- Always remove HTML tags from exported subtitles. Many video tools export subtitles with formatting tags like <b>, <i>, <font color>. These tags display as raw text on platforms that don't support them. Use the Remove HTML Tags option to clean them.
- Renumber cues after editing. If you've manually added, deleted, or merged subtitle entries, the cue numbers may be out of sequence. The Renumber option fixes this automatically.
- Check timing after formatting. The formatter preserves all timing data — but if you notice subtitles are off after uploading, you may need to adjust the timestamps in a subtitle editor like Subtitle Edit.
- Use UTF-8 encoding for international characters. If your subtitles contain Arabic, Chinese, or other non-Latin characters, make sure to save and upload the .srt file with UTF-8 encoding to avoid display issues.
- Keep subtitle lines short. Best practice is 42 characters per line maximum for readability. Two lines per cue is the standard. The formatter preserves your line breaks but doesn't reflow text.
- Test your subtitles before uploading. After downloading the formatted .srt, open it in a text editor to verify it looks correct before uploading to your platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an SRT file?
An SRT (SubRip Text) file is a plain text subtitle format that contains numbered subtitle entries, each with a timecode (start --> end) and the subtitle text. It's the most widely supported subtitle format and works with YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, VLC, and most video editing software.
What formatting problems does this fix?
The Subtitle Formatter removes HTML tags (bold, italic, font color), fixes out-of-order cue numbers, removes trailing whitespace and blank lines, and eliminates empty subtitle entries that appear as blank captions in video players.
Is my subtitle file uploaded to a server?
No. The Subtitle Formatter runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your subtitle content is processed locally and never sent to any server, ensuring complete privacy.
Can I use this for languages other than English?
Yes. The formatter works with any language including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and all European languages. It preserves all text content and only modifies formatting elements.
What platforms accept SRT files?
YouTube, TikTok, Instagram (via Creator Studio), LinkedIn, Facebook, Vimeo, and most video editing software including Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro all accept .srt subtitle files.